Meyaneh

Mianeh ميانه
city
Mianeh
Coordinates: 37°25′16″N 47°42′54″E / 37.42111°N 47.71500°E / 37.42111; 47.71500Coordinates: 37°25′16″N 47°42′54″E / 37.42111°N 47.71500°E / 37.42111; 47.71500
Country	Iran
Province	East Azerbaijan
County	Mianeh
Bakhsh	Central
Government
• Mayor	Jalil Khordeh-Forosh
• Parliament	Farmand & Shivyari
Population (2012)
• Total	106,738 & 185,806
	City & County
Time zone	IRST (UTC+3:30)
• Summer (DST)	IRDT (UTC+4:30)

Mianeh (Persian: ميانه‎‎; Azerbaijani: Miyana, میانا; also Romanized as Meyāneh, Miane, Miyāna, Meyaneh, and Mīyaneh) is a city in and the capital of Mianeh County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2012 census, its population was 106,738, in 29,609 families. It is the fourth populated city in East Azarbaijan province.

Meyaneh is situated in a valley, approximately 439 kilometres (273 mi) northwest of Tehran and approximately 187 kilometres (116 mi) southeast of East Azerbaijan's largest city and capital, Tabriz. The original name of the city was Miyana that after the Arab invasion to Iran, it was called Miyanej, and was often referred to as Garmrood. Meyaneh is one of the region's oldest cities and its foundations date back to the pre-Islamic era of Iran and the emergence of the kingdom of Media. The city has been an economic and cultural crossroads for many years.

During ancient times, Meyaneh passed 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 Meyaneh became Muslim. Much of the architecture in the vicinity of Meyaneh was built during the reign of the Mongols (13th-14th centuries), who at one point destroyed the entire city. Many of the residents in Meyaneh fought the Mongols during their invasion of northern Iran.

Historical monuments in Meyaneh include the Imamzadeh Esmail tomb, The Maiden Fort, and Tark stone Mosque. Another monument of Meyaneh, Qiz Bridge (Qız Körpüsü)(pictured), was partly destroyed in December 1946 by communist separatists of the "Democrat Party of Azerbaijan" in a futile attempt to halt the advance of the Imperial Iranian Army.

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Wikipedia