Maku ( fa, ماكو, , az, ماكي, translit=Makı, ) is a city in the West Azerbaijan Province, Iran and the capital of Maku County. At the 2006 census, its population was 41,865, in 10,428 families. It is situated from the Turkish border in a mountain gorge at an altitude of 1,634 metres. The Zangmar River cuts through the city."Pol-e Panj Cheshmeh (Five spans bridge)" Gardesh Yaran International Tour Operator Co.
/ref> Maku Free Trade and Industrial Zone is Iran's largest and the world's second largest free trade zone and will encompass an area of 5,000 square km when it was scheduled to open in 2011. Azeris are the majority while Kurds the minority of the city.

History

Maku was a region of the old Armenia c. 300–800, previously known as Artaz according to

Aziz Atiya Aziz Suryal Atiya ( ar, عزيز سوريال عطية, ; July 5, 1898 – September 24, 1988) was an Egyptian Coptologist who was a Coptic historian and scholar and an expert in Islamic and Crusades studies. Atiya was the founder of the Inst ...

's ''History of Eastern Christianity''. The Castle of Maku, original Shavarshan, was the center of the domains of the princely family of Amatuni. The Artazian branch of Amatuni family was ruling the Maku region of Artaz still in the XVth century and successfully defended it against

Timurleng Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...

, when he besieged the castle of Maku. Maku was the capital of a Kangarli Khanate one of numerous small, semi-independent Maku Khanates that resulted from the breakup of the

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

empire in the 18th century. Maku served as the capital of the Kurdish Jalali dynasty into the 1860s when the centralizing Qajar government in Persia/ Iran removed them, appointing a governor instead. The city is well known in the history of the Baháʼí Faith for its fort where the Báb had been exiled to and imprisoned for nine months. At this fortress

Mullá Husayn Mullá Husayn (1813 – 2 February 1849) ( fa, ملا حسين بشروئي Mulláh Hossein Boshru'i), also known by the honorific ''Jináb-i Bábu'l-Báb'' ("Gate of the Gate"), was a Persian religious figure in 19th century Persia and the fir ...

, the first Disciple of the Báb, arrived on Náw-Rúz of the year 1848 to see the Báb.

Climate

Maku has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen ''BSk'') owing to its location in the rain shadow of the Zagros Mountains. The city is hot and dry in the summer, and cold with little snow in the winter. Most precipitation comes from spring thunderstorms.

Population

According to the 2006 census, the city has a population of 42,500. The languages in Maku are

Azerbaijani Azerbaijani may refer to: * Something of, or related to Azerbaijan * Azerbaijanis * Azerbaijani language See also * Azerbaijan (disambiguation) * Azeri (disambiguation) * Azerbaijani cuisine * Culture of Azerbaijan The culture of Azerbaijan ...

, Kurdish, and Persian. #

Baqcheh Jooq Palace Baqcheh Jooq Palace is a palace located between the border towns of Maku and Bazargan in West Azarbaijan. It is situated in a vast garden covering about . This palace was built at the end of Qajar dynasty under the orders of Iqbal-ol-Saltaneh ...

: dates back to the end of the Qajar period. It used to be the house of the local governor until 1974. It is 7 km northwest of central Maku and presently functions as a museum displaying some carpets and local handicrafts. #Farhad's Home: A place near

. A small home with a hall and two rooms that carved into the rock. The saying comes form the story

Farhad and Shirin Khosrow and Shirin ( fa, خسرو و شیرین) is the title of a famous tragic romance by the Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi (1141–1209), who also wrote Layla and Majnun. It tells a highly elaborated fictional version of the story of the love ...

. #Ruins of a fortress are folded into a ledge of the high cliff that towers above the town centre. #Hiking: it is advisable to have a guide or stay within eyesight of the town. Due to its proximity to the Turkish border, it is easy to cross the border unintentionally. #Rock climbing: There are numerous rock climbing sites at the northern part of the city, some exceeding 200 meters. #Panj Cheshmeh – This bridge is located 5 km. from Maku on the Zangmar River, and is a monument from the Safavid era. This bridge was constructed in order to facilitate communications between Tabriz and Maku, and the surrounding rural areas.

Tourism

Visa-free

Holders of normal passports travelling as tourists can enter Maku, Iran without a visa with maximum stay of 2 weeks (extendable) as of September 2017.

Admission refused

Admission is refused to holders of passports or travel documents containing an Israeli visa or stamp or any data showing that visitor has been to Israel or indication of any connection with the state of Israel during the last 12 months.

References

''Maku on facebook''

''Maku on panoramio''
*P. Oberling, ''The Turkic Peoples of Iranian Azerbaijan'', 1964a, American Council of Learned Scientists

External links

Iran Free Zones official website

Maku Free Zone Organization official website
* Mahku2008

''Maku pictures''
* Mahrāveh Soroushiān, ''Maku, a Passageway to Cultures'' (''Maku, Gozar'gāh-e Farhang'hā''), in Persian, Jadid Online, 9 February 2009

An audio slideshow

(5 min 23 sec). {{Authority control Foreign trade of Iran Special economic zones Populated places in Maku County Cities in West Azerbaijan Province Kurdish settlements in West Azerbaijan Province