Saqqez, city in Kurdistan Province, Iran
Saqqez is a city in Iran's Kurdistan province situated on plains and hills with rivers flowing through it. The city sprawls across hilly terrain with the Zarrineh River running through its center, while snow-covered mountains shape the landscape.
The city traces back over seven thousand years, with ruins and findings like Ziwiyeh Castle showing it was once a center of ancient kingdoms. Assyrian and Roman armies attacked it repeatedly, and various rulers from the Median through the Scythian to the Sassanid empires controlled it across different epochs.
Saqqez is a hub for Kurdish artists and musicians, where poetry, music, and dance are woven into daily life. Every autumn, the city hosts a theater festival that brings performance groups from across the region together and keeps the artistic traditions alive.
Visitors can reach the city by bus with three main bus stations, or by the new airport in operation since November 2023. The city offers hotels and guesthouses, internet cafes and mobile networks for connectivity, while roads may be affected by snow and heavy rain during winter months.
The city is known as Iran's coldest, with winters so snowy that temperatures can drop below minus 40 degrees Celsius. This extreme climate creates dramatic seasonal shifts and makes Saqqez a rare place to experience intense Iranian winter conditions.
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