, native_name_lang = fa , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = نمای کلی مجموعه صخره ای بی بی کند.jpg , imagesize = , image_alt = , image_caption = General view of Bibi Kand rock complex , image_flag = , flag_alt = , image_seal = , seal_alt = , image_shield = , shield_alt = , etymology = , nickname = , motto = , image_map = , map_alt = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Iran , pushpin_map_alt = , pushpin_map_caption = , pushpin_label_position = , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Iran , subdivision_type1 =

Province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

, subdivision_name1 = West Azerbaijan , subdivision_type2 =

County A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

, subdivision_name2 = Shahin Dezh , subdivision_type3 =

District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

, subdivision_name3 = Central , established_title = , established_date = , founder = , leader_title = , leader_name = , leader_title1 = , leader_name1 = , unit_pref = Metric , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = , population_footnotes = , population_as_of = 2016 , population_total = 43131 , population_density_km2 = auto , population_note = , population_demonym = , timezone =

IRST An infrared search and track (IRST) system (sometimes known as infrared sighting and tracking) is a method for detecting and tracking objects which give off infrared radiation, such as the infrared signatures of jet aircraft and helicopters. IR ...

, utc_offset = +3:30 , postal_code = , area_code = , website = , module = , footnotes = Shahin Dezh ( fa, شاهين‌دژ, ,Aseman: منطقه‌ای که مرکز آن تکاب است و معروف به یوخاری‌محال (محال علیا) و منطقه دیگر را که مرکز آن سایین قالا یا همان شاهین دژ فعلی است آشاقی‌محال (محال سفلی) می‌نامند
/ref> ; also

Romanize Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, an ...

d as Shāhīn Dezh; also known as Şā’īn Dezh, Shahindej, and Sahin Dazh; formerly, Sāīn Kale, and Şā’īn Qal‘eh) is a city in the Central District of

Shahin Dezh County Shahin Dezh County ( fa, شهرستان شاهین‌دژ; azb, صائین قالا بؤلگه‌سی) is located in West Azerbaijan province, Iran. The capital of the county is Shahin Dezh , native_name_lang = fa , settlement_ty ...

, West Azerbaijan province,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, and serves as capital of the county. At the 2006 census, its population was 34,204 in 8,671 households. The following census in 2011 counted 38,396 people in 10,782 households. The latest census in 2016 showed a population of 43,131 people in 12,826 households. Shahin Dezh is located about 1,300 meters in elevation. The city is on the

Zarrineh River The Zarrineh River ( fa, زرینه‌رود , lit=''golden river'' ) is a river in Kurdistan Province and West Azarbaijan Province, Iran. It is 302 km long, arising in the Zagros Mountains of Kurdistan Province south of Saqqez, where it i ...

, southeast of

Lake Urmia Lake Urmia; az, اۇرمۇ گؤلۆ, script=Arab, italic=no, Urmu gölü; ku, گۆلائوو رمیەیێ, Gola Ûrmiyeyê; hy, Ուրմիա լիճ, Urmia lich; arc, ܝܡܬܐ ܕܐܘܪܡܝܐ is an endorheic salt lake in Iran. The lake is l ...

History

The modern town of Shahin Dezh was formerly known as Ṣāʾīn Qal‘eh. The name Ṣāʾīn (also spelled Sāīn, Shahin, etcetera.) is derived from the

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

''sayin'', which translates as "good". The local Turkic Afshars were brought to the area from

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the population of the city was 1,565,572 p ...

at the beginning of the 19th century by

Fath-Ali Shah Qajar Fath-Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, فتحعلى‌شاه قاجار, Fatḥ-ʻAli Šâh Qâjâr; May 1769 – 24 October 1834) was the second Shah (king) of Qajar Iran. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death on 24 October 1834. His reign saw the irr ...

(1797–1834), the second

shah Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...

Qajar Iran Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...

. Later, a segment of these Afshars had to migrate to

Urmia Urmia or Orumiyeh ( fa, ارومیه, Variously transliterated as ''Oroumieh'', ''Oroumiyeh'', ''Orūmīyeh'' and ''Urūmiyeh''.) is the largest city in West Azerbaijan Province of Iran and the capital of Urmia County. It is situated at an al ...

in order to make way for the Chardawri (Chardowli) Lurs. The chief of the Chardowli's resided at Mahmuddjik and was the commander of men. In 1830, Ṣāʾīn Qal‘eh was sacked by

Kurds ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ira ...

led by

Sheikh Ubeydullah }) also known as ''Sayyid Ubeydullah'', was the leader of the first modern Kurdish nationalist struggle. Ubeydullah demanded recognition from Ottoman Empire and Qajar dynasty authorities for an independent Kurdish state, or Kurdistan, which he wou ...

. Ṣāʾīn Qal‘eh, being the site of an Iranian military garrison in the past, safeguarded the entrance to the Azerbaijan Province through the Zarrineh valley. The ancient Karaftu caves, first described by

Robert Ker Porter Sir Robert Ker Porter, KCH (1777–1842) was a Scottish artist, author, diplomat and traveller. Known today for his accounts of his travels in Russia, Spain, and Persia, he was one of the earliest panorama painters in Britain, was appointed hi ...

(1777–1842), and the old site of Takht-e Soleyman were formerly located in the territory of the Afshars of Ṣāʾīn Qal‘eh. The lake of Chamli Göl, near the village of Badarli with its floating island were likewise well known at the time. Some of the Afshars of Ṣāʾīn Qal‘eh belonged to the

Yarsanism Yarsanism, Ahl-e Haqq or Kaka'i ( ku, یارسان, translit=Yarsan or ; fa, اهل حق, ar, كاكائي), is a syncretic religion founded by Sultan Sahak in the late 14th century in western Iran. The total number of followers of Yarsanism ...

sect. The old site of Ṣāʾīn Qal‘eh is now occupied by the modern town of Shahin Dezh, which is also the chef-lieu of

. In , its population was 3,170 which by 1991 had increased to 25,050. The fortress of Ṣāʾīn Qal‘eh must not be confused with the similarly named fortress on the Abhar river to the east of

Soltaniyeh Soltaniyeh ( fa, سلطانيه, also Romanized as Solţānīyeh, Solţāneyyeh, Sultaniye, and Sultānīyeh; also known as Sa‘īdīyeh; ) is the capital city of Soltaniyeh District of Soltaniyeh County, Zanjan Province, northwestern Iran. ...

, which was mentioned by

Hamdallah Mustawfi Hamdallah Mustawfi Qazvini ( fa, حمدالله مستوفى قزوینی, Ḥamdallāh Mustawfī Qazvīnī; 1281 – after 1339/40) was a Persian official, historian, geographer and poet. He lived during the last era of the Mongol Ilkhanate, and ...

(1281 – after 1339/40).

References

External links

Images from this city
{{Shahin Dezh County, state=collapsed Shahin Dezh County Cities in West Azerbaijan Province Populated places in Shahin Dezh County Kurdish settlements in West Azerbaijan Province