Urmia - Tabriz Bridge

This bridge goes through Lake Urmia and connects East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan. The highway was completed on 23 Aban, 1387. The bridge is the largest bridge project in Iran. This bridge is the longest bridge with 700 kilometers (430 mi) and the distance between Tabriz and Urmia contains 135 kilometers (84 mi) reduction. Passing the bridge the distance from Tehran to Urmia is 780 kilometers (480 mi). This bridge has an important role in the development of the cultural exchanges and tourism and trade between the two provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan and saves time and fuel consumption and reduce road accidents.

National Park Lake Urmia Photo Gallery

Lake Urmia (Turkish Language : اورمو گولو , اورمیه گولو  ،Urmiye Gölü ; farsi: دریاچه ارومیه Daryâcheh-ye Orumiyeh; Kurdish: زرێچەی ورمێ Gola Urmiyê; , or بحيرة أورومية -Урмия Озеро - 爾米亞湖 - ימת אורמיה - オルーミーイェ湖 - উর্মিয়া হ্রদ - Lago di Urmia - Lago Urmía - Lac d'Urmia ) is a salt lake in northwestern Iran, near Iran's border with Turkey. The lake is between the 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, and the third largest salt water lake on earth, with a surface area of approximately 5,200 km² (2,000 mile²), 140 km (87 miles) length, 55 km (34 miles) width, and 16 m (52 ft) depth.
Ecology
National Park Lake Urmia (Orumieh in farsi), which lies in northwestern Iran, is home to some 212 species of birds, 41 reptiles, 7 amphibians, and 27 species of mammals, including the Iranian yellow deer.
The construction of a dam on part of the lake and the recent draught has significantly decreased the annual amount of water Urmia receives. This in turn has increased the salinity of Urmia's water, causing the lake to lose its significance as home to thousands of migratory birds, such as flamingoes.
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 does not sustain any fish species. Nonetheless, Lake Urmia is considered to be one of the largest natural habitats of Artemia, which serve as food source for the migratory birds such flamingos. Most of the area of the lake is considered a national park.
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. However, the high saline environment is already heavily rusting the steel on the bridge despite anti-corrosion treatment. Experts have warned that the construction of the 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). The lake's salts are considered to have medical effects, especially as a cure for rheumatism. Lake Urmia is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and a Ramsar site.

West Azerbaijan - Urmia City and Sunset

West Azerbaijan - Urmia City and Sunset

West Azerbaijan - Urmia City and Flowers

Happy Bayram(Turkic People New Yer).
Historically marked by Turkic and Central Asian peoples, BAYRAM (Erkenegün - Erkenkon - Novruz - Nowruz - Navrız - Наурыз - Navroʻz - Nevruz - ایل بایرامی - بهار بایرامی - نوْوروز بایرامی), the day of vernal equinox, has also been celebrated by diverse cultures throughout the Balkans, Black Sea region, Central Asia, Caucasus and Middle East. This prominent celebration of spring awakening and prosperity has thus become a festival of diversity, interfaith and intercultural synergy.

West Azerbaijan - Urmia (Urmiye) City and Flowers

West Azerbaycan - Urmia City

West Azerbaycan - Urmia (Urmiye) City

West Azerbaijan - Winter and Snowing in Urmia City

West Azerbaijan - Winter and Snowing in Urmia City

Lake Urmia National Park Photo Gallery

Lake Urmia National Park is situated in northwestern Iran between the two provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan. It is the largest lake inside Iran and the second largest salt lake in the world after the Dead Sea. Major basin rivers of this hyper saline lake are Cheqtoy Chay (Zarrineh Rood),Tatao River(Simineh Rood), Gadar, Barandouz, Shahr Chay, Nazlou and Zola.
The basin area of Lake Urmia National Park is 51876 km², 3% of the total area of the country. With fertile plains like those of Khana (Piranshahr) (Salmas), Urmia (Urmiye), Tabriz, Azarshahr, Maragheh, qoshachay(Miandoab), Savoojbulagh(Mahabad), Sulduz (Naghadeh) and Oshno (Oshnavieh), it is one of the important and active regions of the country for agriculture and animal husbandry.
Lake Urmia National Park is the largest permanent water basin in Western Asia, situated west of the Iranian Plateau. The Lake Urmia National Park is one of the richest, most attractive natural fauna habitats in Iran, second only to the Anzali lagoon. At present, the Lake Urmia wildlife consists of 27 species of mammals, 212 species of birds, 41 species of reptiles, 7 species of amphibians and 26 species of fish.
The Lake Urmia National Park is marked by 102 islands, all of which have been registered as World Biosphere Reserves by the UNESCO. Ashik (Ashk) Island is the natural habitat for an array of magnificent migratory birds including flamingos and shelducks, as well as some animal species such as the famous Iranian yellow deer. The lakeside mud has been known to have curative properties effective on joint aches and women’s ailments.

Mud Bathing in Urmia

Iranian men use mineral-rich black mud to treat their skin at Lake Urmia which is a minral lake in Iran's Western Azerbaijan province. The Urmia's water is heavily saturated in salt, causing a lack of any vegetable or animal life but the salt and m
ineral laden mud are reputed to have healing properties for skin and rheumatic afflictions

 In this picture has taken on July 28, 2007, Iranian men use mineral-rich black mud to treat their skin at 10:-01 Lake Urmu(Turkish language = Urmu Gölü - اورمو گولو) which is a minral lake in Iran's Western Azerbaijan province.

In this picture has taken on Aug. 17, 2007, Iranian men use mineral-rich black mud to treat their skin at 10-02 Lake Urmia which is a minral lake in Iran's Western Azerbaijan province

In this picture has taken on July 28, 2007, an Iranian man enjoys himself at Lake Urmia which is a 10-03minral lake in  Western Azerbaijan province

In this picture has taken on Aug. 17, 2007, Iranian men are seen with mud at Lake Urmia  which is a 10 - 04 minral lake in Western Azerbaijan province

In this picture has taken on July 27, 2007, an Iranian man was covered by mud at Lake Urmia which is a 10-05 minral lake in  Western Azerbaijan province

In this picture taken on Aug. 17, 2007, Iranian men enjoy the mud bathing at Lake Urmia which is a 10-06 minral lake in  Western Azerbaijan province

In this picture taken on Aug. 17, 2007, Iranian men enjoy the mud bathing at Lake Urmia which is a 10-07 minral lake in  Western Azerbaijan province

In this picture taken on Aug. 1, 2008,  an Iranian man walks at Lake Urmia  which is a 10-07 minral lake in Iran's Western Azerbaijan province

In this picture taken on July 28, 2007,  two Iranian(Turks) men enjoy themselves with the mineral rich black mud at Lake Urmia which is a 10-08 minral lake in  Western Azerbaijan province

In this picture taken on July 27, 2007,  Iranian men enjoy themselves with the mineral rich black mud at Lake Urmia which is a minral lake in  Western Azerbaijan province
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