Picture Of Urmia Lake or Urmia Desert

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Urmia And Qouyoun dagy Island

As one of Lake Urmia islands, Qouyoun dagy has been registered as a protected biosphere since 1967 by the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization. Except for the Hsaha Island, all Lake Urmia islands including Qoyoun Dagy have been registered as National Park. 

Qouyoun Dagy Island is situated in the southeastern waters of the lake, 12km off the Port of Rahmanloo. With a length of 9km and width of 4km, the island spans over an area of 3175 hectares in total. It has an altitude of 1521m above the sea level, and is one of the largest and most beautiful islands of Lake Urmia. 

Unfortunately, the victim of two mammalian conspiracy Western colonialism and PanIranist have been named for the deer and sheep in Mesopotamia and Eastern Armenian ewe and Deer of  Iran has changed ּ 

Qouyoun dagy is the only one of the Lake Urmia islands with fresh water throughout the year. The wildlife’s needed fresh water is supplied by two springs in the south side of the island. 

Each part of the island has a unique picturesque beauty on its own. The presence of large bird species such as the golden eagle and Egyptian vulture has made the island even more special. Other bird species include white-bottomed bird, stone bird, oriole, greenfinch, seagull, hoopoe, partridge and aquatic species such as Flamingo, red-billed coot and some species of geese. 

Flamingos inhabit the relatively quiet waters between the northwestern corner of Qouyoun Dagy and the islands of Dilak Adasi and Espir. Different kinds of Algae and aquatic crustaceans called Artemia Salina, which can be found in Lake Urmia waters, serve as the main food source for the flamingos. The island’s mouflons and rams have been declared as protected species since 1961. Today, their number has swollen to more than 3500. 

The main habitats of the mouflons, rams and Iranian yellow deers in the Qouyoun Dagy Island are Ghooch Darahsi, Jen Darahsi, Gola Darahsi, Hassan Agha Darahsi, Zarza, Shekargah, small Qara Dagh and great Qara Dagh.

These areas have been recorded altogether by UNESCO as one of the 59 biosphere reserves with rare flora and fauna.

New pictures of the Urmia Lake is dying

Salt

Artemia Urmiana is dying

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West Azerbaijan Province

West Azerbaijan or (Turkish Language: غربی آزربایجان – Batı Azərbaycan ) is one of the 30 provinces of South Azerbaijan(Iranian Azerbaijan). It is located in North west of the country bordering with Turkey, Iraq and Nakhchivan, and the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Zanjan.

The province of West Azerbaijan covers an area of 39,487 km², or 43,660 km² including Lake Urmia. In 2006 the province had a population of 3,015,361.
History
Permanent settlements were established in the province as early as the 6th millennium BCE as excavation at sites such as Teppe Hasanlu establish. In Hasanlu, a famous Golden Vase was found in 1958. The province is also the location of Tepe Hajji Firuz, site of some of the world's earliest evidence of wine production. Gooy Teppe is another significant site, where a metal plaque dating from 800 BCE was found that depicts a scene from the epic of Gilgamesh.

Ruins such as these and the UNESCO world heritage site at the Sassanid? compound of  Soghorloo(Takht-i-Suleiman) illustrate the strategic importance and tumultuous history of the province through the millennia. Overall, the province enjoys a wealth of historical attractions, with 169 sites registered by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran.
The first monarch of Iran's Qajar dynasty, Agha Muhammad Khan, was crowned in Urmia in 1795.
Geography and Climate
With an area of 43,660 square kilometers, including Lake Urmia, the province of West Azerbaijan is located on the north-west of  South Azerbaijan(Iranian Azerbaijan).

The climate of the province is largely influenced by the rainy winds of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean. Cold northern winds affect the province during winter and cause heavy snow. According to existing meteorological data, local temperatures vary within the province.
Average temperature differs from 9.4 °C in Khana(Piranshahr) to 11.6 °C in SavujBolagh(Mahabad), while it is 9.8 °C in Urmia, 10.8 °C in Khoy, 9.4 °C in Khana(Piranshahr), and in Savuj Bolagh(Mahabad) 11.6 °C. According to same data, the highest temperature in the province reaches 34 °C in July, and the lowest temperature is –16 °C in January. Maximum change of temperature in summer is 4 °C, and in winter 15 °C. West- Azerbaijan province, encompassing vast and fertile plains, high mountains, enjoying moderate and healthy weather, rivers with high volume of water, vineyards, orchards, luxuriant forest and rangelands, mountain outskirt with wonderful flora, magnificent wildlife and beautiful shores around the lake with different recreational facilities, which all together form one of the most beautiful and spectacular region in Iran. A land with wonderful flora during the spring and the summer covered with tulip, poppy, narcissus and hyacinth extending from Araz(Arass) rivers banks in the north to Zab Kouchak valley in the south.

Demographics
The province is divided into 14 shahrestans (counties). The present number of shahrestans (counties) was achieved over time by subdivision of many of the larger shahrestans into smaller ones. The current shahrestans are: Urmia, Khana(Piranshahr), SavujBolagh(Mahabad), Oshnaviyeh, Qoshachay(Miandoab), Sulduz(Naghadeh), Tikan Tappa(Takab), Shahindej, Maki(Maku), Chaldoran County, Salmas, Khoy, Sardasht and Bay Kandi(Bukan). There are no official statistics or census figures on the ethnic makeup of Iran. The bulk of the population in West Azerbaijan Province are Azerbaijanian Turks(80%) and Kurds.
Colleges and universities

Urmia University was first 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 province today has the following major institutes of higher education:

Urmia University of Medical Sciences

Urmia University

Urmia University of Technology

Islamic Azad University of Khoi

Islamic Azad University of Mahabad

Islamic Azad University of Urmia

Islamic Azad University of Piranshahr

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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