Piranshahr

Piranshahr (Persian : پیرانشهر , meaning "City of Piran" and is derived from the name of the local tribe of "Piran", also local: "خانه" (trans. "Khane") is a city located in West Azarbaijan Province in northwest Iran.

The population of the city was around 109,000 inhabitants in 2005 [http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8502110201] . The city is located west of Lake Urmia at the elevation of about 1,300 metres above sea level. The tribes of Piranshahr are divided into several groups namely Piran, Mamesh and Mangoor, which all these together are called "Belbas".

Piranshahr is the seat of Piranshahr County and its inhabitants are sometimes referred to as Piranshahris, but this term is also applied to those people who live in the neighburing communities.

Piranshahr is on the border between Iran and Iraq, and the high mountains of "Siyah Kooh" and "Sipan" lie respectively to the northwest and south. The River Zaab originates in these mountains.

The city of Piranshahr produces a full range of over 100 different granite materials in a variety of colours and textures. The quality and the beauty of Piranshahr stones are one of the best-known in the world.

The city has a population of more than 100,000 and is one of the 100 largest cities in Iran.

The city is one of the fastest-growing cities in Iran. The government's mid-year estimate for 2005 puts Piranshahr's population at 109,000, compared with the 2004 figure of 100,000.The city is forecast to have a population of approximately. 200,000 by 2010 and 250,000 by 2015.

History

The history of Piranshahr can be traced back to the Palaeolithic period. In recent discoveries, archeologists have found artifacts dating back to the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron ages.The earliest evidence of settlement in the Piranshar region date to about 14,000 years ago.

During ancient times, Piranshahr was past through the hands of several dynasties and kingdoms, such as Media, the Achaemenid Empire, and Atropatene, and was home to a tribe called the Sagartians. With the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century, the Median residents were converted and the city of Piranshahr became Muslim. After the arrival of the Seljuk Turks in the 11th century the city became Turkified over several centuries and the language of the city's residents eventually became Turkic.

Climate

Piranshahr experiences variable weather, including four distinct seasons. In July, the warmest month, high temperatures average 29 °C (84 °F), and low temperatures 17 °C (63 °F). In January, the coldest month, High temperatures average -2 °C (29 °F), with low temperatures averaging -11 °C (13 °F).

Piranshahr's yearly precipitation averages about 965 mm (38 inches). Summer is the rainiest season, with short-lived rainfall and thunderstorms more common than prolonged rainy periods [3] . Winter is the driest season, with most of the precipitation falling as snow.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Piranshahr is an unofficial 44 °C (109 °F) on July 24, 1935. The highest official temperature ever recorded is 42 °C (105 °F) on July 17, 1995 during the Piranshahr Heat Wave. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Piranshahr is -33 °C (-27 °F) on January 20, 1985. On December 24, 1983, the high temperature at Piranshahr reached only -23 °C (-11 °F), and on July 30, 1916, the low temperature sank to only 29 °C (84 °F), both of which are records.

Winter in Piranshahr is a variable and fickle season. The average Piranshahr winter produces 940 mm (37.0 inches) of snow. This number can prove unreliable, as Piranshahr winters have produced between 249 and 2210 mm (9.8 and 87.0 inches) of snow. Snow tends to fall in light accumulations of around 50.8 mm (2 inches), but about once per year Piranshahr experiences a storm that can produce 254 to 356 mm (10 to 14 inches) of snow in one day. Temperatures can vary wildly within the span of one week, but extended periods of temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F) are not uncommon in January and February. The temperature in January averages about -4 °C (25 °F) in the afternoon, and -12 °C (10 °F) at night. Temperatures can be expected to drop below -18 °C (0 °F) on 15 days throughout the winter season. Although rare, temperatures in Piranshahr even in the middle of winter can reach 10 °C (50 °F).

Geology

Piranshahr has no active or dormant volcanoes and few earthquakes, however many residents of Piranshahr city feel one or two minor earthquakes per year, which do little or no damage. Imperceptible quakes are detected by seismometers on a daily basis.

On Saturday , September 04, 1910, Piranshahr was struck by an earthquake of magnitude 8.1 on the Richter scale, which resulted in a death toll estimated 12,000 and 8,000 people were injured, and leaving another 20,000 homeless. The rescue workers saved more than 4,000 souls.More than one ten thousand housing units were destroyed, together with many buildings.

Agriculture

Mukryan Rural Cooperative Organization has bought some 470,000 tons of wheat, valued at Rls.840 billion, from farmers since the beginning of the year. Among West Azarbaijan cities, Piranshar is considered as a fine example in agriculture improvements. Since 2002, most of the investments in the city are made in the agricultural sector. Therefore, farm and garden coverage in Piranshar has extended from 80 square kilometres in 2002 to 190 km² in 2004.

Economy

The Piranshar economy includes that of the City of Piranshar and the surrounding towns and villages of Piranshar area. The Piranshar area is an engine of the provincial economy. The city of Piranshar has the most important Sugar Company in the province. The employees and grower-owners are very proud of their company. There are four Sugar Companies in the province including the Sugar Company of Piranshar.

The plant, in the course of years of its activity, has been constantly renovated by making use of the existing capabilities in the plant. The plant produces 30,000 tons of sugar annually (from 1500 tons of sugar beet per day), and by-products include 100 tons of dried waste per day, which is used for animal food, and 3000 tons of medico-industrial alcohol produced annually from molasses.

Considering the national demand for sugar of 1.5 million tons per year, and the supply thereof by 35 manufacturing units equivalent to 800 thousand tons, and consequently considerable shortage of sugar, the manufacture of such a product is significant.

Sugar beet is supplied by 70 km² of farmland around the plant.

The Sugar Company of Piranshahr is the provinces largest producer of raw sugar, accounting for over 60% of all of the Province's sugar.

Education

Piranshahr has an educated population and its literacy rate is very high: of Piranshahr's population over 28.60% (vs. a national average of 24%) hold a bachelor's degree or higher; 94% (vs. 82% nationally) have a high school diploma or equivalent. In fact, Piranshahr has the highest percentage of college graduates of any city in the entire country.

The main institutions of higher education in the area is Payame Noor University and Islamic Azad University.The city is also home to a number of conservatories and art schools.

Art

Numerous festivals are held across the city during the year. Many are small, although others can attract visitors from across the region.In 2005 The first native literature festival was held in Piranshahr, about 2000 poets and writers from other cities and provinces partipicated in this festival.

Neighborhoods

*Zargatan
*Kohnehkhaneh

Geography

The Piranshahr area is remarkably rich in native plant species. With its beaches, dunes, wetlands, hills, mountains, and rivers, the area contains a number of important biological communities

According to the Management and Planning Organization, the city has a total area of 154.9 square miles (401.3 km²), of which 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), or 1.03%, is water.

Piranshahr is surrounded by four other counties: Oshnavieh and Naghadeh to the north, Mahabad to the east and Sardasht to the south. The city is also bordered by Iraq to the west

Demographics

The ethnic composition of Piranshahr is Kurdish.

According to the Piranshahr's organization for Civil Registration the highest average annual growth rate in the province is in Piranshahr [http://www.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8502110201] , on the contrary, in many of the neighburing cities the population is slowly decreasing.

Law and government

The city's most responsible person is mayor who is elected by municipal board of the city. According to the Iranian laws the municipal board is periodically elected by the city residents.

Mayor: Kamran Fateh

Governor: Mohammad Hadifar

Friday prayer: Mostafa Mahmoudi

Majlis representative: Hassel Dasseh

Human Rights

The distribution of a book during the Nowruz holidays which dissaproves the unity between the minority Sunnis and majority Shiites led to protests by a number of Sunni inhabitants of Piranshahr and West Azarbayjan Province. The Sunni clergy of Piranshahr have requested that the book's author be punished, and the governor of Piranshahr has promised to follow up the case with the Kurd deputies in the Islamic Consultative Majlis and to ask the Minister of Islamic Culture and Guidance to provide explanations in this regard.

Events

*Turkey violated Iranian air space and border in two incidents, including a July 18 1999 air strike on Iranian border outposts near the town of Piranshahr, in which at least five innocent rural people were killed and 11 wounded. [http://www.jewishjournal.org/archives/archiveAug20_99.htm]

Tourism

About 500,000 foreign mainly (Iraqi) and Iranian tourists visit Piranshahr each year.

port

The city boasts a wide variety of sports facilities and teams. Football is the most popular sport in Piranshahr and Piranshahr is home to many famous football teams including Granite Sabz, Shahredari and Yaran.

Distances in Kilometers

Piranshahr: 0 km

Mahabad: 91 km

Orumiyeh: 146 km

Oshnaviyeh: 46 km

Sardasht: 95 km

Bukan: 202 km

Takab: 286 km

Shahindej: 203 km

Chaldoran: 369 km

Maku:422 km

Naghadeh: 46 km

Miandoab: 142 km

Salmas: 237

Khoy: 280 km

Hotels

Darya hotel

Etminan hotel

Saba hotel

Sa'di hotel

Restaurants

Denj

Sekaj

Baba

Hatam

2000 (Dohazar)

Mihanpour

Alternative spellings

* Piranshar

* Piranchar

* Piranschar

* Piransar

* Piranshahr

* Piranschahr

* Piranchahr

* Piransahr

* Piran Shahr

* Piran Chahr

* Piran Schahr

* Piran Sahr

* Piran Sar

* Piran Char

* Piran Shar

* Piran Schar