Tabriz is built at an altitude of 1,400 meters in a valley to the north of the beautiful Mount Sahand (3,707). The valley opens out into a plain that slopes down gently to the northern end of Lake Orumieh, about 60 km to the west. With a population of 1.2 million, Tabriz is Iran's fourth largest city and second trade and industry centre. The opening of an Azeri consulate has been agreed between the Iranian and Azeri governments.

The Aji Chai is the major river of the city, formed  by merging of three smaller rivers of Ab Nahand, Guri Chai, and Ojan Chai which all originate from the Sabalan Mountain range and heights in the south-eastern part of the town. The Aji Chai and other streams join the lake of Orumieh after passing through the valleys between the Sorkhband and Yekkeh Chin mountain north of Tabriz and Osku district. Mehran Rud also called Liqvan rud originates from the peaks between Karim and Sultan Mountains overlooking the Liqvan village near the beautiful Esparakhoon and Qeshloq villages.

Tabriz has mild Summers which makes this city an ideal Summer vacation spot for the Iranians from the more Southern areas of the country. The Winters are cold, the temperature drops often below -20 C,  and the snow covered  mountains of Tabriz are perfect for the lovers of Winter sports. Tabriz has a continental type of climate with low humidity of average annual rainfall  of 289 mm.

Tabriz has been vulnerable to earthquakes throughout its long history, one of which nearly destroyed the city completely in 858. After being rebuilt, it was again devastated in 1041, when more than 40.000 people lost their lives.

The city is located a mere 160 km form the Iran-Nakhchivan border of Jolfa, and about 650 km N-W of Tehran. The city's airport is served by Iran Air services, with flights to Tehran, Mashhad, Rasht, Orumiyeh, Pars Abad (Moghan) and Kish Island. Tabriz is also connected to Tehran via railway and highway and is very close to the border city of Djolfa. Situated on the Iran-Europe railway and highway, and bordering three neighbouring countries is make Tabriz an important strategic point.

There are many factories and large industrial sites in Tabriz which have changed it into one of the industrial centers in Iran.  Among the most important:  tractors, machinery and ball-bearing manufacturing factories, a refinery and several carpet weaving sites.

The city has a long and turbulent history: although the early history of Tabriz is shrouded in legend and mystery, the town's origin is believed to date back to distant antiquity, perhaps even before the Sassanian era (224-651AD). The oldest stone tablet with a reference to Tabriz  is that of Sargon the second, the Assyrian King. The tablet refers to a place called Tauri Castle and Tarmkis. The historians believe this castle was situated on the site of the present day Tabriz.

It was the capital of Azerbaijan in the 3rd century AD and again under the Mongol Ilkhanid dynasty (1256 - 1353), although for some time Maragheh supplanted it.  During the reign of Aqa Khan of the Ilkhanids, as well as under the reign of Ghazan Khan, Tabriz reached the peak of glory and importance. Many great artists and philosophers from all over the world travelled to Tabriz.

In 1392, after the end of Mongol rule, the town was sacked by Tamerlane.  It was soon restored under the Turkman tribe of the Qara Qoyunlu, who established a short-lived local dynasty.  Under the Safavids it rose from regional to national capital for a short period, but the second of the Safavid kings, Shah Tahmasb, moved the capital to Qazvin because of the vulnerability of Tabriz to Ottoman attacks.  The town then went into a period of decline, fought over by the Persians, Ottomans and Russians and struck by earthquake .

Tabriz was the residence of the crown prince under the Qajar kings,  but the town did not return to prosperity until the second half of the 19th century.

In the second Irano-Russian War the city was occupied by the Tzar's troops.  However, it was returned to Iran following the signing of Turkmanchai Treaty, a peace and trade settlement that ended the Irano-Russian War of 1826-1828.

The XIX century was also marked by the shah's repression of the Babism faith, with the execution of its founder - Mirza Ali Muhammad of Shiraz, alias the "Bab" (door). This event made Tabriz a fulcrum place for the Baha'i religion, that derived from Babism and has at its centre the Bab's teachings. (The Bab's remains now rest in Haifa, on a shrine on mount Carmel).

The greatest boost to Tabriz came with the opening up of Iran to the West at the turn of the XX century, when it became the main staging post between the interior of Iran and the Black Sea and, for a short time, the economic capital.  In 1908 it was the centre of a revolt against Mohammad Ali Shah, which was only put down with the intervention of the Russians.

The Iranian Constitutional Revolution originated in Tabriz and culminated during the reign of Mohammad Ali Shah of Qajar dynasty (1779-1925).  Sattar Khan and Baqer Khan were the two most prominent leading figures behind the movement.

Tabriz was occupied by Russians several times in the first half of the XX century, including most of both world wars. In the aftermath of the W.W.II Tabriz became briefly a capital again, under Russian control it was  the centre of the Independent Azeri state declared by Jafar Pishevary, but suppressed by Iran after the Russians removed their troops. A railway line to the border at Jolfa, built by the Russians, was of little importance until recently, but it has increased in significance as a result of Iran's friendlier relations with its northern neighbours.

With such a rich history, Tabriz used to house many historical monuments. Unfortunately, many of them were destroyed in repeated invasions and attacks, negligence of the ruling governments, as well natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods.  What remains now mostly dates back to the Ilkhanids, the Safavids, and the Qajars.  Some of the monuments are unrivalled masterpieces of architecture.
 

Some of the places in Tabriz that you should not miss:

• Ark Or Citadel Of Tabriz:   'Ark-e Tabriz'  in Persian (also called Masjid-e Alishah, Arg-e Alishah) is the impressive remainder of a great and imposing building in the town. The Arg, a huge and crumbling brick citadel, is a notable landmark that was built in the early 14th century on the site of a massive mosque which collapsed over 500 years ago, and which must been one of the largest ever constructed.  Inside the Citadel there is nothing except two arches and an indication of the position of the mehrab; Ali Shah’s court has been covered with ignoble buildings, the sanctuary walls have been rebuilt and propped up, and it is hard to believe that any part of this place was ever a mosque.
• Constitution House: located next to the Tabriz grand bazaar, on Motahari av.   During the years which led to the Constitutional Revolution and afterwards, the house was used as the gathering place of the leaders, activists, and the sympathizers of the movement, among them Sattar Khan, Baqer Khan, Seqatoleslam and Haji Mirza Aqa Farshi. The two-story building was constructed in 1868 by Haj Vali Me’mar-e Tabrizi. It has numerous rooms and halls. The most beautiful part of the house is a skylight and a corridor decorated with colourful glasses and mirrors.
• Blue Mosque: (or Masjid-e Kabud) on the north side of town, is a 15th-century structure destroyed partially by one of Tabriz's recurrent earthquakes. The entrance portal with its two minarets appears to have been connected with the main prayer hall (Shabestan) under the largest cupola of the mosque, by means of vaulted corridor.  On both sides along the corridor, there stand the remains of the chambers with vaulted roofs.  The walls of the mosque have been riveted with marble slabs and decorated with superb mosaic tiles.  Some of the blue mosaics in the mosque's portal are heavily damaged and half missing.
• Ostad and Shagerd Mosque: These mosque, including a theological school dates back to 1340,  and was founded by Amir Sheikh Hassan Kushak. It was destroyed and renovated during the Qajar dynasty.
• King Hassan Mosque: (or Hassan Padeshah) it was built in the 15th century and is located beside the Saheb-Abad square, the adjacent theological school was partially demolished in 1966.
• Sadeqiyeh Mosque: it is located on the northern part of the main bazaar. The construction of the mosque was completed in 1657 at the time of Safavid king, Shah Abbas II. The monument has a sanctuary with columns and a number of cells.
• Golestan gardens:   Also called the National Park, the garden is one of the main recreation centres of the city and covers an area of 53,000 square meters.  It was built some 70 years ago and has many huge pools surrounded by green and trees.
• El Goli:  a pleasant hillside garden and park around an artificial lake to the area of 54,675 square meters.  El Goli, only 4 km south of downstream Tabriz, is so lovely a place that it deserves an illustration.  It is a popular weekend resort for the locals (there is a hotel at El Goli). A hill in the eastern side of the park leads down to the pool with steps, and a fountain from top of the hill flows down to the pool.  In the center of the pool there is a grand hexagonal building.  The pool itself is said to have been built during the reign of Aq Qoyunlu kings.  However, it was extended by the Safavids.
• Azerbaijan Museum:  inaugurated in 1962, is on  Khomeini av. (next to the Blue Mosque).  With an area of 300 square meters, it consists of three main halls in which historical articles, costumes of various tribes of Iran, works of renowned calligraphers, as well as a collection of pictures, tracts, declarations, documents, and personal articles of the leaders of the Constitutional Revolution are on display.
• Bazaar:Strolling in the centre of Tabriz, one is reminded very forcibly that it is a commercial city: one cannot miss its very large and 15th-century covered bazaar. It is already much diminished in its variety of goods, but still a great place for getting hopelessly lost amid its dusty architectural splendours. Its architectural style, numerous caravanserais, mosques, and schools have added further beauty and glory to this complex. Exact information on the history and origin of the bazaar is not available; however, historical buildings such as the Jam’s Mosque, Talebieh School, and Sadeqieh School indicate that the complex is one of the oldest structures of the city. The present structure of bazaar dates back to the closing years of the Zand dynasty (1750-1779 AD).
• Churches:  From the earliest days of Christianity there has been a sizeable Armenian community in Tabriz, and the city boasts a number of churches, including one mentioned by Marco Polo on his travels.  Nowadays, Tabriz has six churches, the most important of which are: Saint Serkis Church, located in Armenian quarter of Tabriz, Baron Avak, which was renovated in 1845; probably the most interesting and the oldest but substantially rebuilt Church of St. Mary (Kelesa-ye Maryam-e Moghaddas) which was completed in 1785, on the corner of North Shari-ati av. and Jomhuri av.; Able Mary Church which was built in 1910 and is on Miar Miar quarter of Tabriz.
• Kandovan Village: known as the Iranian Cappadocia, it is located in a cold mountainous area at 50 kms south of Tabriz and on the slopes of Sahand Mountain.  Kandovan's claim to fame results from its cone shaped mountains with troglodite homes. It is very cold for about 9 months of the year.
• Thermal Springs:  There are so many thermal springs in Tabriz Township which are used as a remedy by many people, such as:  Sofiyan, Kandovan, and Bostan Abad.