Ardebil City
Ardebil is the name of a city in the northwest of Iran that is the center of a province with the same name. It has an approximate altitude of 1500m from the sea level with around 2557 square kilometer of area. Ardebil has cold winters and moderate summers. Actually, it is one of the coldest cities of Iran with at least 5 to 8 month of wintry weather. Three flows of Mediterranean, Siberian, and North flow influence the weather of Ardebil. Iran tour packages price depends on the kind of package and the destination you choose. You can book the most popular Iran tours like Iran desert tour , in Atour’s website.
Next to the mentioned flows, the Sabalan, Talesh and Bozqosh heights give the area unique flora and fauna. Plants like Cruciferae, Labiatae, Liliaceae, Malvaceae, Compositae, Caryophyllaceae, Rosaceae, Umlaceae, and Salicaceae are very notable in this area. In addition, we see animals such as hog, brown bear, wildcat, otter, rabbit, jackal, fox, shades, hedgehog, frogs, curd, blackfish, silver carp, Gambia, horse, evil snake, and Lizard here.
People here speak Azeri with Ardebili accent and are Shiite Muslims.
Ardebil in Its Prime
Names carry meaning and it is no accident that this city has come to be known as Ardebil. Ardebil or better said Ardabil is a name that stems from a Pahlavi word Artavil. The Pahlavi word, in turn, has two words of Art, which means holly, and Vil, which means city. Together they make Artavil meaning the holly city. It is not possible to say with certainty where the name come from. Perhaps, the name comes from a belief that mentions Ardabil, to be exact Sabalan Peak, is the place where the prophet Zoroaster came to his religion and wrote the holly book of Avesta.
Ardebil was a very popular and crowded city until the Afsharid Dynasty. First, it was one of the cities neighboring the Silk Road, and therefore, was very populated on the time. Then, it was home to Sheikh Safi Al Din Ardebili, the mystic ruler of Safavid clan. The clan that later became the rulers of Iran. The presence of the Sheikh and the Safavid ruler, gave Ardebil even more importance. The remnants of water pipe, the many Caravanserais, and the founding of graves proves not only the fame of the city, but how advanced it was. On general, Ardebil experienced its prime in the Safavid Era.
Ardebil Loosing Favor
Although Safavid Dynasty was the prime time of Ardebil, the city Ardebil was popular even before Safavid time. From the many historic mounds of the area, archaeologists founded pieces from 6000 years ago. However, devastating wars and natural disasters have influenced the city greatly. In the 9th century, earthquake completely destroyed the city and more than 150 thousand people lost their lives. Then, there was the Mongol attack, war with Russia, and war with Georgia. Adding to all these was Nadir Shah. He feared the influence of Safavid clan and did all he could to weaken the city.
Ardebil Today
Nowadays, Ardebil is one of the tourism destinations of Iran in the fields of Cultural, Adventures and Health tourism. The cultural highlights of the city include Sheikh Safi Al Din Mausoleum, Sheikh Amin Al Din Jebreiel Mausoleum, Jam-e Mosque, Historic Bridges, Historic Bazaar, and Historic Bathhouse. The natural tourism destinations include Sabalan Mountain with potential for trekking and skiing and Shurabil Lake. Moreover, the many hot water springs of the area are good opportunity for health tourism. We will visit the city of Ardebil in travel packages that include summiting Sabalan.
