Lake Urmia
from space, 1984
Coordinates	37°42′N 45°19′E / 37.7°N 45.317°E / 37.7; 45.317Coordinates: 37°42′N 45°19′E / 37.7°N 45.317°E / 37.7; 45.317
Lake type	salt (hypersaline) lake
Primary outflows	evaporation
Basin countries	Iran
Max. length	140 km (87 mi)
Max. width	55 km (34 mi)
Surface area	5,200 km2 (2,000 sq mi)
Max. depth	16 m (52 ft)
Islands	102 (see list)

Lake Urmia (Persian: دریاچه ارومیه‎, Daryache-ye Orumiye, Azerbaijani: اورمو گؤلو, ancient name: Lake Matiene)^[1][2] is a salt lake in northwestern Iran, near Iran's border with Turkey. The lake is between the Iranian provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan, west of the southern portion of the similarly shaped Caspian Sea. It is the largest lake in the Middle East,^[3] and the third largest salt water lake on earth, with a surface area of approximately 5,200 km² (2,000 mile²), 140 km (87 mi) length, 55 km (34 mi) width, and 16 m (52 ft) depth. Lake Urmia is protected as a "National Park" by the Iranian Department of Environment.

History[link]

One of the early mentions of Lake Urmia is from the Assyrian records from 9th century BCE. There, in the records of Shalmaneser III (reign 858-824 BCE), two names are mentioned in the area of Lake Urmia: Parsuwash and Matai. It is not completely clear whether these referred to places or tribes or what their relationship was to the subsequent list of personal names and "kings". But Matais were Medes and linguistically the name "Parsuwash" matches the Old Persian word pārsa– an Achaemenid ethno-linguistic designation.^[4]

Lake Matianus (Latin: Lacus Matianus) is an old name for Lake Urmia. It was the center of the Mannaean Kingdom, a potential Mannaean settlement, represented by the ruin mound of Hasanlu, was on the south side of Lake Matianus. Mannae was overrun by a people who were called Matiani or Matieni, an Iranic people variously identified as Scythian, Saka, Sarmatian, or Cimmerian. It is not clear whether the lake took its name from the people or the people from the lake, but the country came to be called Matiene or Matiane.

The lake is named after the provincial capital city of Urmia, originally a Syriac name meaning city of water. In the early 1930s, it was called Lake Rezaiyeh (Persian: دریاچه رضائیه‎) after Reza Shah Pahlavi, but after the Iranian Revolution in the late 1970s, the lake was renamed 'Urmia'. Its ancient Persian name was Chichast (meaning, "glittering"–a reference to the glittering mineral particles suspended in the lake water and found along its shores). In the medieval times it came to be known as Lake Kabuda, or "azure", in Persian, (Gabod in Armenian).

Chemistry[link]

The main cations in the lake water include Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Li⁺ and Mg²⁺, while Cl^–, SO₄^2–, HCO₃^– are the main anions. The Na⁺ and Cl^– concentration is roughly 4 times the concentration of natural seawater. Sodium ions are at slightly higher concentration in the south compared to the north of the lake, which could result from the shallower depth in the south, and a higher net evaporation rate.

The lake is divided into north and south parts separated by a causeway in which a 1500m gap provides little exchange of water between the two parts. Due to drought and increased demands for agricultural water in the lake's basin, the salinity of the lake has risen to more than 300 g/L during recent years, and large areas of the lake bed have been desiccated.^[5]

• 

  Salt crystals, on the shore

• 

  The smallest island of Lake Urmia, Osman fist.^[6]

Ecology[link]

A

A

G

G

H

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LU

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T

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UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Iran^[7]

Lake Urmia is home to some 212 species of birds, 41 reptiles, 7 amphibians, and 27 species of mammals,^[8] including the Iranian yellow deer.^[9] It is an internationally registered protected area as both a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve^[7] and a Ramsar site.^{[citation needed]} The Iranian Dept. of Environment has designated most of the lake as a "National Park".^{[citation needed]}

The recent drought has significantly decreased the annual amount of water the lake receives. This in turn has increased the salinity of the lake's water, lowering the lake viability as home to thousands of migratory birds including the large flamingo populations. The salinity has particularly increased in the half of the lake north of the causeway.

The lake is marked by more than a hundred small rocky islands, which are stopover points in the migrations of various kinds of wild bird life (including flamingos, pelicans, spoonbills, ibises, storks, shelducks, avocets, stilts, and gulls).

By virtue of its high levels of salinity, the lake no longer sustains any fish species. Nonetheless, Lake Urmia is considered a significant natural habitats of Artemia, which serve as food source for the migratory birds such as flamingos.^[10]

The lake is a major barrier between two of the most important cities in West Azerbaijan and East Azerbaijan provinces, Urmia and Tabriz. A project to build a highway across the lake was initiated in the 1970s but was abandoned after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, having finished a 15 km causeway with an unbridged gap. The project was revived in the early 2000s, and was completed in November 2008 with the opening of a 1.5 km bridge across the remaining gap.^[11] The highly saline environment is already heavily rusting the steel on the bridge despite anti-corrosion treatment. Experts have warned that the construction of the causeway and bridge, together with a series of ecological factors, will eventually lead to the drying up of the lake, turning it into a salt marsh which will directly affect the climate of the region. Lake Urmia has been shrinking for a long time, with an annual evaporation rate of 0.6m to 1m (24 to 39 inches). Although measures are now being taken to reverse the trend^[12] the lake has shrunk by 60 percent and could disappear entirely.^[12]

• 

  Satellite image of Lake Urmia, taken in November 2003, the bisectioning of the lake (due to construction of the bridge) is visible in the center of the lake.

• Lake Urmia 2010.jpg

  Satellite image of Lake Urmia, 2010

• 

  Satellite imagery of lake Urmiah between years 1984 and 2011, showing great amount of drainage and surface area loss.

• 

  Causeway bridge, completed in 2008.

Palaeoecology[link]

A palynological investigation on long cores from Lake Urmia has revealed a nearly 200 kyr record of vegetation and lake level changes. The vegetation has changed from the Artemisia/grass steppes during the glacial/stadial periods to oak-juniper steppe-forests during the interglacial/interstadial periods. The lake seems to have had a complex hydrological history and its water levels have greatly fluctuated in the geological history. Very high lake levels have been suggested for some time intervals during the two last glacial periods as well as during both the Last Interglacial as well as the Holocene. Lowest lake levels have occurred during the last glacial periods.

Islands[link]

Lake Urmia has 102 islands.^[13] For a Persian transcription of a list of their names, see this link. The second largest island, Shahi Island, is the burial place of Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan and the sacker of Baghdad.

Basin rivers[link]

• Aji Chay
• Ghaie River
• Alamlou River
• Leylan River
• Zarrineh River
• Simineh River
• Gadar River
• Mahabad River
• Barandouz River
• Shahar River
• Nazlou River
• Rozeh River
• Zola River

Protests for saving Lake Urmia[link]

From March 2010, a series of serious protests and rallies demanding take action to save Lake Urmia was held in Iranian Azerbaijan:

• On 2 April 2010 and 2011, and after several callings from Tractor Sazi F.C.'s fans in stadiums^[14][15] and internet sites, protest demanding that the government take action to save Lake Urmia was held in Tabriz, Urmia, on the lake beach, and on top of the lake bridge. As a result, dozens of people were arrested by security forces.^[16][17][18]

• In August 2011, after the Iranian parliament dropped two emergency cases for reviving the lake, a number of soccer fans at Tabriz derby (soccer match between Tractor Sazi F.C. and Shahrdari Tabriz F.C.) were arrested for shouting slogans in favor of protecting the lake.^[19] Later that same week, Iranian Azeris scheduled a protest against the parliament move. Despite the capture of more than 20 activists by security forces the day before the protest, numerous people attended the event in Urmia and a number of clashes with police were reported^[20][21]

• On 3 September 2011, Iranian Azeris demonstrated for second week in a row to protect Lake Urmia.^[22] The protests in Tabriz and Urmia reportedly followed parliament's rejection of rescue plan, and security forces used violence to break up environmental rallies as protesters demanded action to save Lake Urmia,^[23] and according to West Azerbaijan's governor at least 60 supporters of the lake were arrested just in Urmia and dozens in Tabriz because - according to an Iranian official - they had not applied for a permit to organize a demonstration.^[24] As the protests in Tabriz and other Iranian Azerbaijan cities, Azeris resident in Turkey called for the preservation of saltwater Lake Urmia through a peaceful protest that included pouring salt and lying on the street in front of the Iranian Embassy in Ankara.^[25]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lake Urmia

• Saline Systems; Urmia Salt Lake, Iran
• Profile at UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Directory
• Lake level fluctuations in the geological history
• Late Pleistocene vegetation changes in NW Iran
• Evaluation of dike-type causeway impacts on the flow and salinity regimes in Urmia Salt Lake, Iran
• Iran's Environmental Ticking Bomb
• www.urmiyalake.blogveb.com

Urmia اورمیه Orumieh
—  city  —
Urmia municipality square Urmia municipality square
Official seal of Urmia Seal
Nickname(s): Cradle of Water,Paris of Iran
Urmia
Coordinates: 37°33′19″N 45°04′21″E / 37.55528°N 45.0725°E / 37.55528; 45.0725Coordinates: 37°33′19″N 45°04′21″E / 37.55528°N 45.0725°E / 37.55528; 45.0725
Country	Iran
Province	West Azerbaijan
County	Urmia
Bakhsh	Central
Government
• Mayor	Elireza Esmat parast عليرضا عصمت پرست [1]
Elevation	1,332 m (4,370 ft)
Population (2006)
• Total	577,307
• Population Rank in Iran	10th
Time zone	IRST (UTC+3:30)
• Summer (DST)	IRDT (UTC+4:30)
Area code(s)	0441, 0443
Website	www.urmia.ir

Lake Urmia near Urmia city.

Urmia (Azerbaijani: Urmu, Urmiyə, اورمیه; Persian: اورمیه‎; Aramaic: ܐܘܪܡܝܐ‎), variously translitterated as Oroumiyeh, Orūmīyeh and Urūmiyeh, also formerly known (during the Pahlavi Dynasty, 1925–1979) as Rezaeyeh, Rezā’īyeh, Rezâiyye (Persian: رضائیه‎) ^[2] is a city in and the capital of West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 577,307, with 153,570 households.^[3]

The city lies at an altitude of 1,330 m above sea level on the Shahar Chay river (City River). Urmia is the 10th most populated city in Iran. The population is mainly (over 90%^[4]) Kurds with Azeri turks and Assyrian Christian, and Armenian minorities.^[5]

Urmia is situated on a fertile plain called Urmia Plain, on western side of Lake Urmia; and eastern side of Turkish border and marginal range of mountains.

Urmia is the trade center for a fertile agricultural region where fruit (especially Apple and Grape) and Tobacco are grown. An important town by the 9th cent., Urmia was seized by the Seljuk Turks (1184), and later occupied a number of times by the Ottoman Turks. Urmia was the seat of the first U.S. Christian mission in Iran (1835). Around AD 1900, Christians made up more than 40% of the city's population, however, most of the Christians fled in 1918.^[6]

Etymology[link]

"Mia" is Aramaic Syriac meaning "water." Hence Urmia simply means 'Watertown" — a befitting name for a city situated by a lake and surrounded by rivers, would be the cradle of water.

History[link]

Urmia is one of the historic ancient cities in Iran with Assyrian origins. Urmia is an Assyrian word which means Town of Water or Cradle of Water. The excavations of the ancient ruins near Urmia led to the discovery of utensils that date back to 2000 years B.C.. According to Vladimir Minorsky, there have been villages in the Urmia plain some 2000 years B.C., with their civilization under the influence of Van nation.

In the ancient times, the west bank of Urmia lake was called Gilzan, and in the ninth century B.C. an independent government ruled there which later joined the Urartu or Mana empire; in the eighth century B.C., the area was a vassal of the Asuzh government until it joined the Median Empire after its formation.

All and all, according to historical documents, the western part of the Urmia Lake has been a center of attention of the prehistoric nations, the evidence of which are the numerous ancient hills in the area, such as Gouy Tapeh, 6 kilometers southeast of the lake which competes with the oldest hills of Mesopotamia, Asia the Minor, and the Iranian Plateau.

The claim that the area was the birthplace of Zoroaster (this is disputed because most experts agree Zoroaster was most likely born in the Sistan region between Iran and Afghanistan), or even the burial site of one or two of the Zoroastrian priests who allegedly traveled to Bethlehem for Christ’s birth indicate that the city has been one of the largest religious and scientific centers of the ancient times.^[7]

Some historians claimed that Urmia was a birthplace of Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrian religion.^[8] The Columbia Encyclopedia mentions that Urmia was an important town in the region during the 9th century.^[9]

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 the presence of substantial Christian minority at the end of the 19th century, Urmia was also chosen as a site of the first American Christian mission in Iran in 1835. Another mission soon became operational in nearby Tabriz as well.

During the 19th century, the region became the center of a short lived Assyrian renaissance with many books and newspapers being published in Syriac. Urmia was also the seat of a Chaldean diocese.^[10][11] Most of Urmia's Christian population was however massacred by the Ottomans during the First World War.^[12] The survivors have mostly settled in the United States.^[11]

Geography[link]

Climate[link]

Urmia's climate is semi-arid (Köppen BSk) with moderately cold winters, mild springs, hot, dry summers (though mild for Iran) and crisp autumns. Precipitation is heavily concentrated in late autumn, winter, and especially spring, while summer precipitation is very scarce.

Demographics[link]

A general view of Urmia

According to official census of 2006, the population of Urmia city is about 577,307 (with 153,570 households).^[13]

Language[link]

The population is mainly(over 90%^[14]) Kurds and Azeri turks, with Assyrian Christian,Armenian minorities and .^[5][15][16]

Religion[link]

The majority of people are followers of Shia Islam. Also there are Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians, followers of Sunni Islam, followers of Bahá'í Faith, Jews and followers of different kinds of Sufism.

Parks and Touristic Centers[link]

Urmia has many parks and touristic costal villages in the shore of Urmia Lake. The oldest park in Urmia, called Park-e Saat, was established in the first Pahlavi's era. Urmia's largest park is Ellar Bagi Park (Azerbaijani "Garden of the Peoples") along the Shahar Chayi, or the "City River".

Parks:

• Park-e Saat (Clock Park)
• Park-e Jangali (Jungle Park)
• Ellar Bagi (Garden of the Peoples)
• Park-e Shahr (City Park)
• Park-e Saheli (Riverside Park)
• Park-e Shaghayegh
• ...

Touristic Costal Villages:

• Chichest
• Bari
• Fanoos
• Sier
• ...

Landscape Attractions:

• Ghasemloo Valley
• Kazem Dashi Islet in Lake Urmia
• Kaboodan Island

Sport[link]

Sport is an important part of Urmia's culture. The most popular sport in Urmia is volleyball. Urmia is Iran's volleyball capital,its because of ranks that Heyat Volleyball Urmia VC got in Iranian Volleyball Super League and for the great volleyball players that are in Iran men's national volleyball team and first class coaches in Iran.

2010 Asian Men's Cup Volleyball Championship was held in Ghadir Arena in Urmia.

Ethnography[link]

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. Some historical documents show that at the beginning of the 20th century, the city's population had a significant Christian minority (Assyrians and Armenians).^[17] According to Macuch, and Ishaya, the city was the spiritual capital of the Assyrians from 1830 to the end of World War I by the influence of four Christian missions.^[18] Large number of the Assyrians and Armenians were killed in 1914 as result of the conflict with Ottoman forces. This led to a shift in the city's demographics.^[18] During the era of Reza Shah Pahlavi, Iranian Assyrians were invited to return to the region and several thousand did return.

Culture[link]

This section requires expansion.

Museums[link]

• Natural History Museum - Displays the animals native to the vicinity of Urmia.
• Urmia Museum - Archaeological museum affiliated with the faculty of Shahid Beheshti University.

Consulates[link]

Consulate of Turkey in Beheshti Ave., Urmia, Iran.

Education[link]

Urmia University's hall

Higher education[link]

Urmia was an important center for higher education approximately a century ago, indeed, medical faculty of Urmia which was built by Joseph Cochran and a team of American medical associates in 1878, is the first University of Iran. Unfortunately the faculty became shut down even before establishment of first official university of Iran, University of Tehran.
Nowadays Urmia has become a considerable educational city. The city owns state and private universities and institutes listed below.

Universities in Urmia:

Libraries[link]

• Central Library of Urmia
• Shahid Bahonar Library
• Library of I.R.Iran Education Ministry
• Library of Urmia Cultural and Artistical Center
• Allame Tabatabayee Library
• Library of Khane-ye-Javan
• Library of Shahid Motahhari
• Library of kanoon parvaresh fekri
• Library of Ghaem
• Library of Imam Ali

Media[link]

Television[link]

Urmia has one state television channel that broadcasts in both Azerbaijani and Persian languages. It broadcasts internationally through satellite Intelsat 902.^[19]

Radio[link]

Urmia has one radio channel broadcasting in both Azerbaijani, and Persian languages. The name of the local radio is Chichest.^[19]

Press[link]

• Sedaye Urmia
• Amanat
• Koosha
• Araz

Beside other minor Press that are being published regularly.

Infrastructure[link]

Health systems[link]

The government of Iran operates the public hospitals in the Urmia metropolitan region, some of which are aligned with medical faculties. There are also a number of private hospitals and medical centers in the city.

Transportation[link]

Inner City:

Most Urmia residents travel by car through the system of roads and highways. Urmia is also served by taxi and bus.

• Taxi and Public Bus

Urmia has taxi and public bus network. There are also some private groups, which provide services called Phone-taxi. and urmia metro lines is under the research.

International:

• Roads

Urmia is linked to Europe through Turkey's roads and Sero border.

• Railways

The city is going to link to Iran National Railways (IRIR, Persian: رجا ).

• Airport

Urmia Airport opened in 1964 and is the first international airport in West Azerbaijan county, Iran. Its international air routes are to the following cities^[20]:

• Arbil and Dohuk and Karbala

Other west Azerbaijan international airport is Khoy airport. Domestic air routes to:Tehran, Mashhad, Kish Island, Shiraz, Esfahan.^[20]

Notable people[link]

• Safi al-Din al-Urmawi (صفی الدین اورموی): Iranian Azerbaijani Music Theorist
• Heidar Amou Oghly (حیدرخان عمواوغلی): Founder of the Communist Party of Iran and the first Secretary of the Communist Party of Iran and effective activist movement Constitutional
• Reza Moridi (رضا مریدی): FirstIranian Azerbaijani and second Iranian who is Canadian politician and is in legislative assembly of this country
• Habib Mohebian (حبیب محبیان): Known as Habib, a pop musician
• Masoud Pezeshkian (مسعود پزشکیان): Minister of Health and Medical Education in the government of Mohammad Khatami
• Gholamreza Hassani (غلامرضا حسنی): Supreme leader's representative in province.
• Parviz Fattah (سید پرویز فتاح) : Energy minister in the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
• Sadeg Mahsouli (صادق محصولی) : State minister in the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
• Mehdi Bakeri and Hamid Bakeri (مهدی و حمید باکری):Iranian Azerbaijani Sardars in Iran -Iraq war and Urmia mayor.

See also[link]

Iran portal

• Urmia County
• Lake Urmia

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Urmia

• www.urmia.ir
• The Governor of West Azarbaijan Province
• Urmia sport news agency
• Urmia Branch of Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance
• Urmia Branch of Ministry of Internal Affairs
• Urmia Road and Transportation Office
• Urmiya, By V. Minorsky and C.E. Bosworth, in Encyclopaedia of Islam.
• Columbia Free Dictionary: Urmia

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v t e West Azerbaijan Province Capital Urmia Counties and Cities Bukan County Bukan Simmineh Chaldoran County Siah Cheshmeh Avajiq Chaypareh County Qarah Zia od Din Khoy County Khoy Firuraq Ivughli Mahabad County Mahabad Maku County Maku Bazargan Miandoab County Miandoab Baruq Chahar Borj Naqadeh County Naqadeh Mohammadyar Oshnavieh County Oshnavieh Nalus Piranshahr County Piranshahr Gerd Kashaneh Poldasht County Poldasht Salmas County Salmas Tazeh Shahr Sardasht County Sardasht Mirabad Rabat Shahin Dezh County Shahin Dezh Keshavarz Mahmudabad Showt County Showt Takab County Takab Urmia County Urmia Nushin Qushchi Serow Silvaneh Villages List of cities, towns and villages in West Azerbaijan Province Sights Shalmash Waterfall Old bazaar of Khoy Bazaar of Piranshahr, one of the largest border bazaars of Iran Ghoutour Bridge Khoshku ski resort Teppe Hasanlu Takht-e Soleymān Farhad's rock grave (Dakhmeh) Lake Urmia Bastam Citadel Zarrineh River dam Sahulan cave Fakhrigah cave Faghrgah Saint Thaddeus Monastery Baghchejogh museum and palace Koleshin Inscription Nanehmaryam monastery Baand park Sir park Sardar mosque Urmia museum Salmas Sassanid relief Segonbad