Urmia

Urmia or (Turkish Language: اورمو, Urmu, Orumiyeh) is a city in Northwestern South Azerbaijan (Iranian Azerbaijan) and the capital of West Azerbaijan Province. The city lies on an altitude of 1,330 m above sea level on the Shahar Chaye river (City River). Urmia is the 10th populated city in iran and 2nd of Azerbaijanian Turks provinces after Tabriz. Its population is currently abour 600,000.

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 (Specially Apple and Grape) and Tobacco are grown.

An important town by the 9th cent. Urmia was seized by the Oghuz Turks (11th cent.), sacked by the Seljuk Turks (1184), and later occupied a number of times by the Ottoman Turks.

Etymology

The name Urmia or Urmu 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.

Prehistory

The city of Urmia (Urmu, Urmiye, Orumiyeh), in northwest of  south Azerbaijan(Iran), is considered one of the ancient cities of the country and a Cradle of civilization. The diggings in the ancient ruins around Urmia led to the discovery of utensils, some of which date back to some 2000 years B.C.

Also research by Professor Minorski shows that 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 eight century B.C., the area was a vassal of the Asuzh government until it joined the Mad empire after its formation.

Many old Islamic historians have acknowledged Urmia as the birthplace of prophet Zoroaster, but this has been rejected by Iranologists and linguists.

the Columbia Encyclopedia mentions that Urmia was an important town in the region during the 9th century. 

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. 

Ethnography

The very heavy migrations into the city from the countryside, refugees from the long Iran-Iraq War, and from smaller towns into the larger city of Urmia, have revolutionized the ethnic composition of the city. Today The  90% percent are now made of Azerbaijanian Turks and but with Kurdish, Assyrian and Armenian minorities. 

Museums

Natural History Museum - Displays the animals native to the vicinity of Urmia.

Urmia Museum - Archaeological museum affiliated with the faculty of Shahid Beheshti University

Higher Education

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.

Libraries

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

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The Turquoise Waters of the Middle East’s Largest Salt Lake

Lake Urmia is a salt lake in northwestern South Azerbaijan (Iran) - the largest in the Middle East - known for its glittering turquoise waters and dozens of small, rocky islands. The lake is cherished by man and beast alike: People ascribe healing properties to the lake’s many minerals; and birds like flamingos, pelicans, storks, ibises and many others appreciate it as a food stop on their migration routes.
Sunset at Lake Urmia and its salt ponds:

The lake serves as a natural divider between the provinces of East and West Azerbaijan and their main cities, Tabriz and Urmia, respectively. The latter was named “city of water”, referring to the lake that was named after it. Lake Urmia is 1,275 m (4,183 ft) above sea level, at the bottom of Azerbaijan’s large central depression.

Osman Fist, the smallest of Lake Urmia’s 102 islands:

At 140 km (87 miles) and 55 km (34 miles) at its longest and widest and with a surface area of around 5,200 km² (2,000 mile²), Lake Urmia is the world’s third largest salt lake. Fed by mountain streams, it has no other outlet than evaporation. Salts and minerals can therefore build in the lake whose high salinity allows only one fish species to survive.

Lake Urmia and the Urmia region from Space:

Yet, Lake Urmia is one of the largest natural habitats of brine shrimp or Artemia, which is an important food source for migratory birds. Most of the lake’s area is considered a national park and the whole lake is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

In the 1970s, a project was initiated to build a highway across the lake. 15 km were completed and then abandoned because of the Iranian Revolution. Only in November 2008 was a 1.5 km long bridge completed to close the gap. The whole construction now divides the lake into an upper and lower portion. Despite anti-corrosion treatment of all steel parts, the bridge has started rusting in this high saline environment.

The bridge across, visible from Space:

That Lake Urmia has been a major landmark admired for its beauty can be seen in the many names it had throughout the ages. The lake’s ancient name was Chichast, meaning glittering, referring to its many mineral particles glistening in the sun.? 

Lake Urmia is shrinking at an annual evaporation rate of 0.6-1 m (24-39 in); here is a comparison of lake levels in 1984 and 2003.

Those wondering why Ghengis Khan’s grandson, Hulagu Khan, would be buried on the second largest island, Kaboudi, might like to know that the region around Lake Urmia was once the center of the Mongolian Khannate Dynasty, established by Hulagu Khan, until the 14th century. We’re hoping that Lake Urmia will be around for many more dynasties to come but given its current evaporation rate, this seems doubtful.

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About Bari And Lake Urmia+Photo

Bari Tourist Resort is a sports, therapy, accommodation, Food Service, Tours, and Gathering resort built on the uniquely beautiful shores of Lake Urmia, the second largest salt lake in the world. The resort is situated 40km off Urmia en route to Salmas in a geographical region of the country which boasts of great weather and an amazing variety of natural sceneries.
The resort sits on the shores of Urmia Lake, a rare natural treasure of amazing curative and environmental properties. The prospect of utilizing these remarkable potentials has been among the main incentives behind this establishment. Other objectives include reviving the traditional regional values by utilizing natural elements for health purposes, establishing a resort according to world standards and offering a nice, relaxing and entertaining environment to local and foreign visitors and tourists.
The launch of this resort has put the area on the radar for a lot of travelers and tourists who used to travel abroad to enjoy similar facilities, a fact which in itself can be a step in the right direction for the optimal utilization of national resources and keeping the money this side of borders. It also plays a major role in lowering the travel and amusement expenses for the tourists and travelers to a great degree.
Bari is the first and only national plan for the establishment of a health village which has been actually put to action. Significant parts of the plan are already operational, and it is expected that after the completion of the next phases in the near future, the resort will host more than 400,000 local and foreign tourists each year.
Another distinct feature of the resort is the size of investments in the establishment. Bari is the first investor in a national project concerning the launch of a modern College of Hotel Administration in the country. The establishment of this college will not only help provide the needed human resources for the Bari resort itself, but will also inject groups of trained and skilled work force into the country’s market of the hotel business, which can solve a part of the deficiency in trained human resources for the tourism services in the country.
In the short while since the opening of parts of the Bari Resort, it has already turned into a known tourist attractions in the region, hosting a large number of foreign travelers and tourists and introducing them to the evident and hidden merits of Lake Urmia.
At present, more than 300 experienced work forces skilled in various hotel administration fields and related services are tending to different executive, service providing and construction activities in different cultural, sports, therapy, accommodation, convenience and construction capacities. All of these people have been trained by the most experienced instructors for their particular line of work and position in tourism services, and are perfectly prepared to answer every need of the guests and visitors at the best quality possible.
History Of Bari
Bari is the name of a village on the shores of Urmia Lake, 40km off Urmia en route to Salmas. The idea of building a tourism spot by the lake has been on the minds of the founders for many years. Lake Urmia is the second largest salt lake of the world after the Dead Sea, and a brief look at the existing facilities in the area privileged to have such unique natural wonder reveals the negligence in utilizing the available natural resources. It was a powerful incentive for the founders to contemplate an establishment which could offer a complete package of cultural, sports, therapy, accommodation and convenience facilities to all those who appreciate the merits of the Lake Urmia water.  
The construction project for the Bari Tourist Resort kicked off in 1997. After the completion of the preliminary steps such as road construction and groundwork, the first phase of the project turned operational in 2003. The project will ultimately produce a world standard tourist village with exceptional therapy facilities such as advanced, equipped water therapy centers using mineral springs (Spa), mud therapy, salt therapy, massage therapy, physiotherapy, consulting centers for rheumatology and joint and bone problems, perfectly outfitted beaches and pools, and mineral and salt water pools for patients who would like to benefit from the positive ions of the water.
Presently, the operational part of the Tourist Resort offers the projected facilities of the final establishment at a smaller scale, including hotel and residential facilities (a five star hotel, private villas and suites), food service facilities (banquette halls, restaurants and traditional dining halls), sports facilities (swimming pool, bowling alley, billiard room, bicycle trail, riding manège, rowing and water sports, shooting, trap shooting, etc.) and therapy facilities (beaches, Jacuzzis, lake water pools, fresh water pools, etc.)
Fact Sheet from Barı And Urmia lake
Bari Tourist Resort is a cultural, sports, therapy, accommodation and convenience resort built on the uniquely beautiful shores of Lake Urmia, the second largest salt lake in the world. What makes the resort a significant tourist site in the country is its location right beside the lake, which is a rare natural treasure of amazing curative and environmental properties. The prospect of utilizing these remarkable potentials has been among the main incentives behind this establishment.
Geographical Situation
Bari Tourist Resort is situated: 
40km off Urmia en route to Salmas, on the shores of Lake Urmia; 
200, 56 and 120 kilometers away from the cities of Tabriz, Urmia and Khoy, respectively; 
A two hour land trip from the Sarv border between Iran and Turkey.
Accommodation Facilities 
Deniz Hotel (Five Stars) 
Room types include White, Green, Blue, Pink, Orange and special suites with different amenities
Number of rooms:  200 rooms
Maximum room occupancy: Two person per room (optional two extra beds) 
 Beach Units 
Number of units: 96 apartment units 
Unit Occupancy: Two person per unit (optional two extra beds) 
Villas (Weekly Lease) 
Private Villas 
Area of the Bari Cottage Town units: 30-300 sqm
Sports and Recreation Facilities 
Water Sports: Open and cabin motorboats, waterbuses and rafts, pedal boats, waterskiing, dragon boat, kayak, cruising, canoe polo 
Pool Complex: Saltwater and freshwater pools, wet and dry saunas and Jacuzzi 
Horseback Riding: Recreational riding (supervised by instructors), horse boarding facility and riding lessons 
Exclusive Beaches: Separate sandy-salty beaches for male and female visitors, offering facilities such as seats, beach umbrellas, freshwater showers, lockers, buffet and lakeside accessory set 
Trap shooting (fixed and moving targets), billiard room, cycling facilities for children and adults (lake side and inside resort trails), carriage rides, camel rides on the sandy beach, computer arcade and a beach park for children.
Therapy Facilities 
Mud Therapy Pools 
Salt Cabins 
Specialized Arthritis and Rheumatism Center 
Spa Center: Water Therapy, Message Rooms, Solarium
Convention Facilities 
Seminar Hall: 400 seats 
Beachside Community Center 
Indoor Movie Theater 
Open Cinema and Amphitheater
Food Service Facilities 
Deniz Restaurant: Formal reception and French service 
Barbad Traditional Restaurant: Iranian and local, ethnic cuisine 
Aquatic Restaurant 
Bari Coffee Shop
Tours 
Bari Tours: Kaboodan Island, Maghi Salt Cave, Cheshmeh Mountain Shelter and the Bari Home Tour 
Nature Tours: Marmishoo Lake, Saholan cave, Mahabd Dam, Mountain Shelter 
Mountain Tours: Rock climbing at Kazem Dashi, Buzsineh Mountains 
Fishing Tour 
City Tours: Urmia, Khoy, Anzal and Salmas
Bari Tourist Resort 
Address: Bari Health Village, Qushchi, Urmia, West Azerbaijan

Photo Of Urmia Three Dome

History Of Urmia Three Domes
The monument know ad Three Domes (Turkish Language=Üç Günbəz) today lies within the City Of Urmia Whileit Used To be a Short distance Away, and outside the City Wall Near Bazar Bash Gate about a century ago. This tomb dates back to Seljuk Period and the Atabaki Era of  Mohammad Hahan Pahlevan one the Azerbaijan Atabaks(570-581 A.H). Urmia Three Domes is cylindrical in structure, Consistinf of two floors in the interior a Cellar and worship place. Asmaller dome has been built on the main one and that’s why it is called Three Domes in the entrance ,, there are three Domes inscriptions have been descorated with pieces of Stone, in one of which the month moharram of the 580 Hegria is inscribed. The inscribed. The inscription interoduces Amir Sheshghatol Mozaffari as founder of this monument and mansour Ebne Mousa as its architect. In recentyears, West Azerbaijan Cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism has Taken measures in respect of basic repair of the tomb and its site.