Everything about Urmia totally explained
Urmia, officially
Orumiyeh (
Persian:
ارومیه,
Kurdish:
Wirmê:
ورمێ,
Urmîya,
Türkish:
Urumiye Azeri:
Urumu,
Syriac:
ܐܘܪܡܝܐ; previously called
رضائیه,
Rezaiyeh), is a district and a city located in northwestern
Iran. It is also the capital of the
West Azerbaijan province, situated on the western side of
Lake Urmia near the
Turkish border. Its population in
2005 is estimated at 602,403
(External Link
).
Etymology
The name
Urmia is thought by some to have come from
Syriac, the language of the city's
Assyrian founders:
Ur, meaning "
cradle," and
mia meaning "
water." Hence,
Urmia, situated by a lake and surrounded by rivers, would be the cradle of water. Another popular etymology for Urmia is that it's formed of two Iranian words:
Ow (water) +
rmia (rested), hence:
the rested water, which referes to the nearby lake from which the city of Urmia has taken its name. There is, however, no generally accepted etymology.
Administrative divisions
Urmia consists of five parts:
- Markazi (Central): Baranduzchay, Baranduzchay Shomali, Baranduzchay jonubi, bashqale, bakshluchay, Torkman, Dol, Rozechay, Nazluchay Jonubi, and its Center is Urmia
- Anzal: Anzal Jonoubi, Anzal Shomali, and its center is Qushchi
- Silvan: Tergawar, Margawar, Dasht, and its center is Silvane
- Somay Brados: Somay Jonubi, Somay Shomali, Bradost, and its center is Sero
- Nazlu: Talatape, Nazluchay, Nazluchay shomali, and its center is Nushin
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
Urmia is an ethnically diverse city, with a population composed of
Azeris and
kurdish.The main languages spoken in the city are
Azerbaijani while all ethnic groups can speak/understand Azeri and Persian. But, the official language at schools and government institutions remains
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, with Kurds and Azeris currently constituting the majority of the population . Nonetheless, many historical documents attest to the fact that at the beginning of the 20th century, the majority of the city's population was composed of Assyrians who adhered to Christianity. However, the mass exodus of Assyrians and Armenians starting in 1914 by virtue of the
Armenian and
Assyrian genocides committed by the
Ottoman Turks and the subsequent battles between the
Russian and
Ottoman armies led to a drastic shift in the city's demographics. During the era of
Reza Shah Pahlavi, Iranian Assyrians were invited to return to the region and repopulate their villages, and a few thousand did return. Since that time, most Assyrians have been centered in
Tehran and other major cities.
(External Link) (External Link). However, the rise of the
Islamic Republic of Iran led many Assyrians to flee the country for the West (see
Assyrian diaspora).
History
Urmia, according to many historians, is believed to be the birthplace of the prophet
Zarathustra, the founder of
Zoroastrianism.
(External Link).
The
Columbia Encyclopedia mentions that Urmia was an important town in the region during the
9th century.
(External Link)
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. It is reported that by the turn of the century, Christians composed more than 50% of the city's population. Most of them, however, fled the city during or after
World War I. 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 (External Link) » *
Urmia University of Technology
*
Islamic Azad University of Urmia
Museums
Baghcheh-Juq Palace - A monument dating back to the Qajar era that's 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 HotelFurther Information
Get more info on 'Urmia'.
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