Tabriz to host Culture Days of Ganja

By Amina Nazari  - AzerNews 

The present capital of East Azerbaijan Province in the northwest of Iran, Tabriz, will host the “Culture Days of Ganja” next spring.

Head of the Ganja City Executive Power, Elmar Veliyev, and Governor of the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan, Ismail Dzhabbarzade, came to the decision at a meeting on October 21.

The meeting went over the development of bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as the construction of a center for the sale of products from Tabriz. The sides also discussed the construction of a bust of the prominent Azerbaijani poet, Nizami Ganjavi, in Tabriz.

Meanwhile, the unveiling of Tabriz Street in Ganja was held during Dzhabbarzade’s visit.

Earlier this February, Veliyev visited Tabriz as part of a sister city program between the East Azerbaijan Province and Ganja.

Some 375 km away from Baku, tourists will find the ancient city of Ganja, the second largest city of the country. Research showed that Ganja is more than 4,000 years old.

Ganja was also the capital of Azerbaijan when the country first declared its independence in 1918, thus playing a leading role in the history of the country.

The region is famous for its nature, namely Goygol Lake and reserve. A large mountain lake surrounded by the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus was formed as a result of a devastating earthquake that destroyed the Kapaz Mountain in the 12th century.

Despite numerous destructions during its long existence, Ganja has retained the appearance of a beautiful city with many monuments of architecture. One of the main features of the city is the Juma Mosque, Ganja’s central mosque.

Tabriz is the capital of East Azerbaijan province, in the Azerbaijan region of Iran. The city is made up mainly of Azerbaijanis, followed by Persians, Kurds and other nationalities. The population speaks both the Azerbaijani and Persian languages.

Tabriz, with a population of 1.5 million people, has had a long and turbulent history and its oldest civilization sites date back to 1,500 B.C. It contains many historical monuments representing the transition of Iranian architecture in its long historical timelines.

Carpets occupy a special place in the culture of Tabriz, which is famous for its great rugs throughout the world.

From 1375 to 1468, Tabriz was the capital of Kara Koyunlu state of Azerbaijan, until the defeat of Kara Koyunlu ruler. Ak Koyunlus selected Tabriz as their capital from 1469 to 1501. Some of the existing historical monuments, including the Blue Mosque, belong to the Kara Koyunlu period.

In 1501, Shah Ismail I entered Tabriz and proclaimed it the capital of his Safavid state.