Ardabil

Ardabil is one of the most pleasant weather in Iran in spring and summer and usually attracts many tourists all year round. The city of Ardabil is one of the metropolises of Iran in the northwest of the country and was the center of Azerbaijan before Islam and after Islam.

 History Of Ardabil

Ardabil is one of the most ancient regions of Iran, which is about 5,000 years old. In Sumerian clay tablets, this city is called Arta or Aratta. Ardabil during different historical periods had other different names such as; Dar al-Arshad, Dar al-Molk, Dar al-Irfan, Dar al-Aman and Ardavil. The word Aardvil consists of the two words Ard + vil. Ard means one of the Zoroastrian angels, meaning legal and sacred. The word vil also have Aryan roots, which is still used in European languages. Aardvil, which has become Ardabil, means holy city. Today, Ardabil is still called Aardvil in the areas where the people of Talesh are located. In his book called Ma’jam al-Baldan, Yaqut Hamavi attributes the initial structure of Ardabil province to Firuz Sassanid, who reigned in 139-163 BC, and calls it Firuz Gerd. In his book, he called Ardabil one of the most famous cities in Azerbaijan.

After the advent of Islam and during the rule of the Umayyads, the center of government of Azerbaijan was moved from Maragheh to Ardabil. Yaghoot Hamavi, who has seen the city of Ardabil up close, has written about its large population and settlement in his book. Of course, shortly after Yaqut Hamavi visited Ardabil, the Mongols invaded this city and turned its development into ruin.

Later, when the city was rebuilt, it reached its highest level of prestige during the Safavid period. The location of Ardabil has been very sensitive in history because it is located on the trade route of Tabriz, Astara and Lankaran and has been the trade intermediary of the Caucasus and the inner cities of Azerbaijan. Ardabil fell to the Ottomans for a very short time at the end of the Safavid period, but Nader Shah Afshar recaptured it.

 Ardabil weather

Ardabil region as one of the cold regions of Iran is usually very cold in 5 or even 8 months of the year. There is rain in this province in all seasons, but the intensity of these rains is more in spring and autumn. Most areas of Ardabil are between 2,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level. The province has very cold winters and mild summers. The average temperature in this province is about 7 degrees Celsius. The presence of Sabalan, Talesh and Bozghoush mountains, the effect of Caspian Sea vapors and cold northern winds and the presence of forests in the north and east are very effective in the amount of rainfall and temperature fluctuation in Ardabil city.

 People of Ardabil

Ardabil, with a population of 485,153, is the 17th most populous city in Iran. People of  Ardabil speak Turkish. Of course, in the village of Khalkhal, people still speak Azeri, which was the original language of the people of the Ardabil. But the correspondence of the people and the education program in the schools of this region is done in Persian and the people are fully acquainted with the Persian language.
Today, the use of local and traditional clothes is obsolete in many parts of Iran, including Ardabil, and people use the usual clothes of big cities. However, in some areas of this province, such as Moghan and Arasbaran, the use of local clothes by men and women is common. The local costumes of Shahsavan and Arasbaran tribes are one of the most important cultural attractions of this tribe.

 Economy

Economically, the statistics of employees in the major economic sectors of Ardabil province show that 40% of the total employees in the province are employed in agriculture, 22.8% in industry and 37.2% in services.

Ardabil handicrafts, which are mostly done by nomads and residents of small towns and villages in the region, include carpet weaving, which have a great reputation and special importance. Kilim weaving is very important in this regard and Ardabil carpet is one of the exquisite carpets of Azerbaijan. 80% of the carpets produced in Ardabil are exported abroad and more to Germany, Italy, France and Japan. Due to the fact that Ardabil is one of the border areas of Iran, it is of special importance in Iran’s transit and is considered a commercial hub.

Souvenirs and famous food of Ardabil

Aash-e- Dough(A soup based on diluted yogurt)

The people of Ardabil province are very interested in watery foods such as soup and once a few days they surprise their family members by cooking various soups(Aash). In addition to fresh Dough, ingredients such as chickpeas, rice, fresh garlic, and vegetables (leeks, parsley, and dill) are also used to make this soup. This food has different recipes and sometimes it also uses oatmeal, flour and Cabbage leaves.

Fruit soup

The people of Ardabil prepare delicious and delicious soups with dried fruits such as dried cherries, stewed plums, Qaisi (a kind of dried plum), apricots, apricot leaves and tomatoes which is Known as”Aash-e-miveh” In addition to nuts, other ingredients such as beans (peas, red beans, lentils), noodles, rice, peeled wheat and onions are also used to prepare this soup.