Ardabil province facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ardabil province
استان اردبیل
|
|
|---|---|
|
Province
|
|
The city of Ardabil
|
|
Location of Ardabil province within Iran
|
|
| Country | Iran |
| Region | Region 3 |
| Capital | Ardabil |
| Counties | 12 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 17,800 km2 (6,900 sq mi) |
| Population
(2016)
|
|
| • Total | 1,270,420 |
| • Density | 71.37/km2 (184.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+03:30 (IRST) |
| Main language(s) | Persian (official) local languages: Azerbaijani (Majority) Tati Talysh |
| HDI (2017) | 0.756 high · 28th |
Ardabil province (Persian: استان اردبیل; Azerbaijani: اردبیل اوستانی) is one of the 31 provinces in Iran. It is located in the northwest part of the country. This province shares borders with the country of Azerbaijan and other Iranian provinces. Its main city and capital is Ardabil. The province was created in 1993.
In 2016, about 1.27 million people lived in Ardabil province.
Contents
Exploring Ardabil Province
Ardabil province is known for its cool weather and beautiful nature. Many people visit here, especially in summer. The winters can be very cold, with temperatures dropping far below freezing.
Geography and Nature
The province is home to the famous Sabalan mountains. Many people consider Ardabil the coldest province in Iran. Large parts of the province are green and covered with forests.
The capital city, Ardabil, is about 70 kilometers from the Caspian Sea. The province covers an area of about 18,011 square kilometers. Being close to the Caspian Sea and the Republic of Azerbaijan makes it an important place for trade and politics.
Ardabil has many natural hot springs. These springs are famous throughout Iran for their healing qualities. Some of them are Beele-Darreh, Sareyn, Sardabeh, and Booshloo.
The province also has several lakes. The largest ones are Ne'or, Shoorabil, ShoorGel, NouShahr, and Alooche. These lakes are home to different kinds of water birds.
Lake Ne'or is in a mountainous area, about 48 kilometers southeast of Ardabil city. It covers an area of 2.1 square kilometers and is about 3 meters deep. It gets its water from springs under the lake.
Lake Shoorabil is located south of Ardabil city. It covers 640,000 square meters. The lake's surface has a thin white layer of minerals. These minerals are believed to help with skin problems and joint pain. There is also a fun leisure complex near Lake Shoorabil.
History of Ardabil
The natural beauty of Ardabil province is even mentioned in ancient texts like the Avesta. This old book suggests that Zoroaster, an important prophet, was born near the Aras River and wrote his book in the Sabalan Mountains.
During the time of the Islamic conquest of Iran, Ardabil was the biggest city in the region of Azarbaijan. It stayed important until the Mongols invaded.
Shah Ismail I began his journey to unite Iran from Ardabil. However, he later chose Tabriz as his capital city in 1500 CE. Even so, Ardabil remained a significant city both politically and economically for a long time.
One of the oldest cities in Iran is Meshkin Shahr. It is in the northwest of Iran, close to the Sabalan mountains. In the past, it had different names like "Khiav" and "Varavi."
Culture and Heritage
Ardabil is home to the shrine and tomb of Shaikh Safî ad-Dîn. He was a very important figure and the person the Safavid dynasty is named after.
Education
Ardabil province has several colleges and universities. These include:
- Ardabil University of Medical Sciences
- Mohaghegh Ardabili University
- Islamic Azad University of Ardabil
- Payam Noor University of Ardabil
- Soureh University of Ardabil
- Islamic Azad University of Khalkhal
Languages Spoken
The main language spoken in Ardabil province is Azerbaijani. This is a Turkic language. Other languages spoken here include Tati and Talysh. In and around the city of Khalkhal, you can also find a group of people who speak Kurmanji, a dialect of Kurdish.
See Also
In Spanish: Provincia de Ardebil para niños
- Lerd tourist village
Images for kids
-
A map showing the counties within Ardabil province.
