Azeri: اورمی ; Urmi, Persian: ارومیه, Orumieh Kurdish: ورمێ, Urmîya, Syriac: ܐܘܪܡܝܐ; (during the majority of the Pahlavi Dynasty (1925-1979) called رضائیه, Rezaiyeh), is the capital of the West Azerbaijan province, a district and a city located in northwestern Iran. It is situated on the western side of Lake Urmia near the Turkish border. Its population in 2006 census is estimated at 577,307http://www.gazetteer.de/wg.php?x=1133776249&men=gcis&lng=en&gln=xx&des=gamelan&dat=200&geo=-106&srt=pnan&col=aohdqcfbeimg&pt=a&va=x&geo=-1904.

Etymology

The name Urmia is thought to have come from Sumerian tongue, the earliest known civilization in the world located in southern Mesopotamia. Ur was a principle Sumerian city. Some believe the name is derived from Syriac. Ur, meaning "cradle," and mia, meaning "water." Hence, Urmia, situated by a lake and surrounded by rivers, would be the cradle of water. Some have claimed connections to other languages, there is, however, no generally accepted etymology.

Administrative divisions

Urmia consists of five regions:

• 1- Markazi (Central): Baranduzchay, Baranduzchay Shomali, Baranduzchay Jonubi, Bashqale, Bakshluchay , Torkman, Dol, Rozechay, Nazluchay Jonubi, with Urmia as the center.
• 2- Anzal: Anzal Jonoubi, Anzal Shomali, with Qushchi as the center.
• 3- Silvan: Tergawar, Margawar, Dasht, with Silvane as the center.
• 4- Somay Brados: Somay Jonubi, Somay Shomali, Bradost, with Sero as the center.
• 5- Nazlu: Talatape, Nazluchay, Nazluchay shomali, with Nushin as the center.

Urmia University has a large accredited college of agriculture. Urmia is situated in a fertile region where fruit (apples and grapes) and tobacco are grown. Many families have apple plantations of various sizes.

Demographics

The main language spoken in the city is Kurdish Kurdish and nearly all ethnic groups can speak/understand Kurdish as well as Persian and Azeri. The official language at schools and government institutions, however, is Persian.

The city has been home to various ethnic groups during its long history. For this reason, the demographics of the city have undergone numerous changes, but Azeris constitute the majority of the population . Some historical documents show that at the beginning of the 20th century, the city's population had a significant Christian minority (Assyrians and Armenians.) Urmia,” The Columbia On Line Encyclopedia. Some of the Assyrians and Armenians left the region in 1914 after battles between the Russian and Ottoman armies which led to a shift in the city's demographics. During the era of Reza Shah Pahlavi, Iranian Assyrians were invited to return to the region and serveral thousand did return. During and after the Iran-Iraq war a significant number of Kurds also moved in and around the city.

History

Urmia, according to many historians, is believed to be the birthplace of the prophet Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism. http://i-cias.com/e.o/orumiyeh.htm.

The Columbia Encyclopedia mentions that Urmia was an important town in the region during the 9th century.http://www.highbeam.com/library/docfree.asp?DOCID=1E1:Urmia&ctrlInfo=Round18%3AMode18c%3ADocG%3AResult&ao=

The city was reportedly sacked by the Seljuk Turks in 1184. The Ottoman Turks made several incursions into the city, but the Safavids were soon able to regain control over the area. The first monarch of Iran's Qajar dynasty, Agha Muhammad Khan, was crowned in Urmia in 1795. Due to Urmia's relatively large Christian population growth by the end of the 19th century, Urmia also became the seat of the first American Christian mission in Iran in 1835. Another mission soon became operational in nearby Tabriz as well. Currently, Muslims constitute 95% of the population.

The Catholic Encyclopedia mentions Urmia as the seat of a Chaldean diocese.

Colleges and universities

Urmia University was built by an American Presbyterian missionary in 1878. A medical faculty was also established there headed by Joseph Cochran and a team of American medical associates. Joseph Cochran and his colleagues were buried in an old cemetery in the vicinity of Urmia. Urmia University website says this about them:

There they lie in peace away from their homeland, and the testimonial epitaphs on their tombs signify their endeavor and devotion to humanity.

The city today has the following major institutes of higher education:

• Urmia University of Medical Sciences
• Urmia University http://www.urmia.ac.ir
• Urmia University of Technology
• Islamic Azad University of Urmia

Museums

• Baghcheh-Juq Palace - A monument dating back to the Qajar era that is open to the public.
• Khoy Museum - A public museum displaying archaeological & ethnological monuments.
• Miandoab Museum - An archaeological Museum.
• Natural History Museum - Displays the animals native to the vicinity of Urmia.
• Urmia Museum - Archaeological museum affiliated with the faculty of Shahid Beheshti University.

Major Hotels

• Hotel Urmia
• Hotel Sahel
• Hotel Darya
• Khorram Hotel
• Hotel Reza
• Bari Hotel
• Sadaf Hotel

See also

• Lake Urmia
• West Azarbaijan Province

References

External links

• Urmia Museum
• The Governor of West Azarbaijan Province
• Urmia Branch of Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance
• Urmia Branch of Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Urmia Petrochemical company
• Urmia Road and Transportation Office
• Urmiya, By V. Minorsky and C.E. Bosworth, in Encyclopaedia of Islam.
• Columbia Free Dictionary: Urmia
• WikiMapia: Urmia