Mahabad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mahabad
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City
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 Mahabad
Location in Iran
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| Country | Iran |
| Province | West Azerbaijan |
| County | Mahabad |
| District | Central |
| Population
(2016)
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| • Total | 168,393 |
| Time zone | UTC+3:30 (IRST) |
| Area code(s) | 044 |
Mahabad (Persian: مهاباد) is a city in Iran. It is located in the West Azerbaijan province. Mahabad is an important city for the Kurdish community. It serves as the capital of both Mahabad County and its Central District.
Contents
City Name and Its Meaning
The name Mahabad became official after World War I. This was during the time of Reza Shah, a king of Iran. Before this, the city was known as Savojbolagh.
Savojbolagh comes from a Turkic phrase. It means "cold spring." The Kurdish people called it Sablagh.
Mahabad's Past
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The city of Savojbolagh was first mentioned in the 1500s. This was during the Safavid era. The Mukri Kurds played a big role in wars. They fought between the Safavid dynasty and the Ottoman Empire. This helped them become more powerful.
In the 1600s, Savojbolagh became the main city for the Mukri leaders. Many people believe that Budaq Sultan Mukri founded the current town. He also built the city's main mosque.
The Republic of Mahabad
Mahabad was once the capital of a short-lived country. It was called the Republic of Mahabad. This republic was declared independent on January 1, 1946. Its leader was a Kurdish nationalist named Qazi Muhammad.
The Soviet Union strongly supported this new republic. The Soviets were occupying parts of Iran at that time. The Republic of Mahabad included several Kurdish-speaking towns. These were Bukan, Piranshahr, Sardasht, and Oshnavieh.
Later, the United States helped make an agreement. The Soviets agreed to leave Iran. The Shah, Iran's ruler, then regained control in 1947. The Shah ordered his army to invade the Republic of Mahabad. Its leaders, including Qazi Muhammad, were arrested. Qazi Muhammad was executed on March 31, 1947.
People of Mahabad
Languages and Beliefs
Most people in Mahabad are Kurds. They follow the Sunni branch of Islam. Besides Kurdish, many also speak Persian and Azeri Turkic. In the past, Neo-Aramaic-speaking Jewish people also lived in the city.
How Many People Live Here?
In 2006, about 133,324 people lived in Mahabad. By 2011, the population grew to 147,268. The most recent count in 2016 showed 168,393 people living in the city.
Where is Mahabad?
Location
Mahabad is located in a narrow valley. It sits about 1,300 meters (4,265 feet) above sea level. The city is south of Lake Urmia.
Weather in Mahabad
| Climate data for Mahabad (1991–2020, extremes since 1985) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
20.0 (68.0) |
26.4 (79.5) |
30.8 (87.4) |
35.0 (95.0) |
40.6 (105.1) |
42.6 (108.7) |
41.6 (106.9) |
38.8 (101.8) |
32.4 (90.3) |
25.4 (77.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
42.6 (108.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 4.4 (39.9) |
7.2 (45.0) |
12.7 (54.9) |
18.5 (65.3) |
24.1 (75.4) |
30.3 (86.5) |
33.5 (92.3) |
33.7 (92.7) |
29.5 (85.1) |
22.2 (72.0) |
13.0 (55.4) |
6.8 (44.2) |
19.7 (67.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.1 (32.2) |
2.2 (36.0) |
7.1 (44.8) |
12.4 (54.3) |
17.4 (63.3) |
23.0 (73.4) |
26.2 (79.2) |
25.9 (78.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
15.0 (59.0) |
7.4 (45.3) |
2.3 (36.1) |
13.4 (56.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −3.8 (25.2) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
2.1 (35.8) |
6.5 (43.7) |
10.2 (50.4) |
14.3 (57.7) |
17.9 (64.2) |
17.4 (63.3) |
13.2 (55.8) |
8.4 (47.1) |
2.8 (37.0) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
7.1 (44.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −19.4 (−2.9) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
1.6 (34.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
5.4 (41.7) |
9.2 (48.6) |
4.4 (39.9) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−11.4 (11.5) |
−18.8 (−1.8) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 45.1 (1.78) |
43.2 (1.70) |
57.0 (2.24) |
57.7 (2.27) |
32.3 (1.27) |
4.4 (0.17) |
2.3 (0.09) |
0.9 (0.04) |
2.4 (0.09) |
27.5 (1.08) |
49.9 (1.96) |
41.0 (1.61) |
363.7 (14.32) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6.4 | 6.3 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 5.3 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 49.9 |
| Average snowy days | 6.6 | 4.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 17.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 71.0 | 65.0 | 58.0 | 53.0 | 49.0 | 36.0 | 34.0 | 32.0 | 34.0 | 48.0 | 63.0 | 69.0 | 51.0 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | −5.7 (21.7) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
0.5 (32.9) |
2.9 (37.2) |
3.2 (37.8) |
4.9 (40.8) |
4.1 (39.4) |
1.6 (34.9) |
0.8 (33.4) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 140.0 | 163.0 | 202.0 | 227.0 | 288.0 | 355.0 | 367.0 | 346.0 | 299.0 | 237.0 | 173.0 | 140.0 | 2,937 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: IRIMO(extremes 1985-1990), meteomanz(snow days 2000-2023, extremes since 2021) | |||||||||||||
See Also
In Spanish: Mahabad para niños
