West Azerbaijan - Urmia City at night

West Azerbaijan - Urmia City at night 

National meal of the Urmia City Turkish people

West Azerbaijan - National meal of the Urmia City Turkish people - Ayran Ashi

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.

West Azerbaijan - Urmiye City and kashani street

West Azerbaijan - Urmiye City and kashani street

West Azerbaijan - Winter and Snowing in Urmia City

Urmia or (Turkish Language: اورمیه،اورمو, Urmu, Orumiyeh, Urmiye, Urmiya) 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. 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.
The name Urmia or Urmu (Urmiye) 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. Urmia, situated by a lake and surrounded by rivers, would be the cradle of water.The population of Urmia is predominantly Azerbaijanian Turks (over 90%), but with Kurdish,Assyrian and ...