Azerbaijan, Geographic region in northwestern Iran
Iranian Azerbaijan is a region in the northwest of the country, stretching across the provinces of West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, and Zanjan. The Aras River forms the northern boundary and separates this area from the Republic of Azerbaijan.
After the death of Alexander the Great, Atropates ruled here and his name became the origin of the name used today. The Treaty of Turkmanchay in 1828 divided the historic territory between Russia and Persia.
The name comes from Atropates, a general who ruled this area in the fourth century BCE, shortly after the time of Alexander. People today speak mostly Azerbaijani and Kurdish, and you hear both languages in markets and daily conversation.
Tabriz International Airport connects the area to other Iranian cities, and trains and buses run between major towns. Travel between provinces takes several hours, so it helps to stay overnight in one city before moving on.
The village of Kandovan sits on the slope of an old volcano, and its residents live in homes carved into cone-shaped rocks. These houses have stayed in families for generations and remain occupied today.
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