Tabriz

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Tabriz Persian: تبریز
City
From top to bottom & from left to right: Skyline of the city, Tabriz Municipality Palace, El-Gölü, Arg of Tabriz, Blue Mosque, Bazaar of Tabriz, and Mausoleum of Poets.
Seal
Nickname:  City of Firsts
Tabriz
Coordinates: 38°04′53″N 46°18′02″E / 38.08139°N 46.30056°E / 38.08139; 46.30056[1]
Country	Iran
Region	3
Province	East Azerbaijan
County	Tabriz
District	Central
Government
• Mayor	Yaghoub Houshyar
• Chairman of City Council	Rasoul Bargi
• Parliament	Alirezabeighi, Saei, Farhanghi, Bimegdar, Pezeshkian & Saeidi
Area
• City	325 km2 (125 sq mi)
• Urban	512 km2 (198 sq mi)
• Metro	1,500 km2 (600 sq mi)
Elevation	1,351.4 m (4,433.7 ft)
Population  (2016)
• Urban	1,558,693[3]
• Metro	1,773,023[2]
• Rank	6th in Iran
Demonyms	Tabrizian, Tabrizli, Tabrizi
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST)
Postal code	51368
Area code	041
Website	Tabriz municipality

Tabriz (Persian: تبریز; pronounced [tæbˈɾiːz] ^ⓘ)^[a] is a city in the Central District of Tabriz County, in the East Azerbaijan province of northwestern Iran. It is the sixth-most-populous city in Iran.

Tabriz is in the Quru River valley in Iran's historic Azerbaijan region^[4] between long ridges of volcanic cones in the Sahand and Eynali mountains. Tabriz's elevation ranges between 1,350 and 1,600 m (4,430 and 5,250 ft) above sea level. The valley opens up into a plain that gently slopes down to the eastern shores of Lake Urmia, 60 km (37 mi) to the west. The city was named World Carpet Weaving City by the World Crafts Council in October 2015^[5] and Exemplary Tourist City of 2018 by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.^[6][7]

With a population of over 1.7 million (2016),^[8] Tabriz is the largest economic hub and metropolitan area in northwest Iran. The population is bilingual with most people speaking Azerbaijani as their native language and Persian as their second language.^[9] Tabriz is a major heavy industries hub for automobiles, machine tools, refineries, petrochemicals, textiles and cement production industries.^[10] The city is famous for its handicrafts, including hand-woven rugs and jewelry. Local confectionery, chocolate, dried nuts and traditional Tabrizi food are recognized throughout Iran as some of the best. Some of the most esteemed cultural institutions in northwest Iran are located in Tabriz, which is also a center for intellectual activity.

Tabriz contains many historical monuments, representing Iran's architectural transition throughout its long history. Most of Tabriz's preserved historical sites belong to Ilkhanid, Safavid and Qajar.^[11][12] Among these sites is the grand Bazaar of Tabriz, which is designated a World Heritage Site.^[13][14] From the early modern era, Tabriz was pivotal in the development, movement and economy of its three neighboring regions; namely the Caucasus, Eastern Anatolia and Central Iran.^[15] In the modern era the city played a vital role in the history of Iran. As the country's closest hub to Europe, many aspects of early modernization in Iran began in Tabriz.^[15] Prior to forced ceding of the Qajar dynasty's Caucasian territories to Imperial Russia, following two Russo-Persian Wars in the first half of the 19th century, Tabriz was at the forefront of Iranian rule over its Caucasian territories. Until 1925, the city was the traditional residence of the Qajar crown princes.

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