Saqqez

For the administrative division of Kurdistan province, see Saqqez County.

Saqqez سقز (Persian) سەقز (Sorani Kurdish) Seqiz (Kurdish) Seqiz (Syriac)
City
From top to bottom and from left to right: Kawsar Park in 2022, Saqqez in 2020, Domenareh Historical Mosque, Haj Saleh Historical Bath
Seal
Saqqez Show map of Iran Saqqez Show map of Iran Kurdistan
Coordinates: 36°14′28″N46°16′14″E / 36.24111°N 46.27056°E / 36.24111; 46.27056 [1]
Country	Iran
Province	Kurdistan
County	Saqqez
District	Central
Government
• Mayor	Arastoo Gavili
Elevation	1,476 m (4,843 ft)
Population  (2016) [2]
• Total	165,258
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST)
Website	saqqez.ir

Saqqez (Persian : سقز; English: /sæɡɛz/ sa-ghez; Persian pronunciation: [sæɣˈɣez] ) ^[a] is a city in the Central District of Saqqez County, Kurdistan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. ^[4]

Etymology

Main article: Sakez

The name Saqqez derives from the Scythian word "Eskit" and then "Sakez". Before that, it was Izirtu, the capital of Mannaeans. In some historical sources it has been mentioned that the name of the city is derived from the name of powerful Median ruler Cyaxares (reigned 625–585 BC), who turned the empire into a regional power, but other historians believe that the name of the city is derived from Sakez and is attributed to the Scythians who settled in the city during the reign of Cyaxares. ^{[5] [ dubious – discuss ]}

History

Saqqez's history goes back to the seventh millennium BC. ^[6] Based on historical ruins and Antiques which have been found in Saqqez, like the historical treasures of Ziwiye hoard in the Ziwiyeh Castle, experts like Roman Ghirshman believe that the modern city of Saqqez is built on the site of the ancient capital of the Median kingdom. When the Assyrian king Sargon II (reigned 722 – 705 BC) attacked the Median kingdom, he forced them to flee to Ecbatana (modern day Hamadan) and made this city his capital. On the attack of Sargon II, the ruler of Assyria, the Medes were defeated and their fortifications were destroyed. Thereafter, the Scythians tried to rebuild this city and they chose Saqqez, then named Eskit as their capital. This city was repeatedly attacked by Assyrians and Romans. ^[7]

According to Vladimir Minorsky, Saqqez is the site of the earlier medieval city of Barza. ^{[8] : 251, 253} According to Theophanes the Confessor, who calls the city "Barzan" (Ancient Greek : βάρζαν), the Byzantine emperor Heraclius stayed at Barza for seven days in March 628 while on his way to Ganzak. ^{[8] : 250–1} Barza was an important crossroads in the medieval period, where there was a fork in the road from Dinavar to Maragheh with one branch splitting off towards Urmia. ^{[8] : 251, 253} In the early 9th century, Barza was the capital of a separate principality. ^{[8] : 251}

Demographics

Language and ethnicity

Most of the people in this city are Kurds who speak the Sorani dialect of the Kurdish language. ^{[9] [10]} David D'Beth Hillel (d. 1846) stated that the city was home to a small Jewish community with one synagogue dating from around 1827. ^[11]

Saqqez linguistic composition [12] language percent Sorani Kurdish   99% Persian   1%

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 131,349 in 31,336 households. ^[13] The following census in 2011 counted 139,738 people in 37,262 households. ^[14] The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 165,258 people in 48,488 households. ^[2]

Geography

Geology

The city of Saqqez is built on long plains and hills, which are crossed by the main tributaries of rivers such as Zarrineh River and Simineh River. The lowlands and heights inside the city and the view of Saqqez River that passes through the center of this city are its special features. Saqqez is located in mountainous and highlands between the irregular heights of Zagros Mountains, and this special geomorphological feature has led to relatively cold climates and long winters and sometimes frost. ^{[15] [16]}

Climate

At an altitude of 1,476 metres (4,842 feet), Saqqez has a Mediterranean continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dsa) with hot, very dry summers and cold, snowy winters. Summers feature large diurnal temperature variation due to decreased air density at high altitude and low humidity. In 1969 Saqqez recorded a temperature of −36 °C (−33 °F), the lowest ever recorded by an Iranian weather station until Kheirabad Zanjan recorded −36.4 °C (−33.5 °F) on January 29, 1997. ^{[17] [18]} Saqqez again reached −36 °C during the February 3–9 1972 Iran blizzard.

Saqqez unofficially reached −45.8 °C (−50.4 °F) in December 2006 and −42.3 °C (−44.1 °F) in January 2007, the lowest temperatures recorded in an Iranian city. ^{[19] [20]} Rainfall is mild throughout the year, with late winter and early spring having the most precipitation, and the summers being practically rainless. Due to the foehn effect, the rainfall is not as heavy as it is in the exposed sites of the Zagros to the west, such as in Sardasht, which lies on the same altitude but is more exposed to the westerly cold front systems.

Climate data for Saqqez, Iran (normals 1991-2020)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	18.2 (64.8)	20 (68)	26.0 (78.8)	30.4 (86.7)	34.4 (93.9)	39 (102)	43 (109)	42 (108)	39 (102)	32 (90)	26 (79)	22.2 (72.0)	43 (109)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	3.6 (38.5)	6.0 (42.8)	11.8 (53.2)	17.5 (63.5)	23.0 (73.4)	29.9 (85.8)	33.9 (93.0)	34.1 (93.4)	29.3 (84.7)	21.9 (71.4)	12.7 (54.9)	6.5 (43.7)	19.2 (66.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−2.3 (27.9)	−0.2 (31.6)	5.1 (41.2)	10.4 (50.7)	14.9 (58.8)	20.4 (68.7)	24.7 (76.5)	24.3 (75.7)	19.3 (66.7)	13.0 (55.4)	5.5 (41.9)	0.2 (32.4)	11.3 (52.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−7.7 (18.1)	−6.1 (21.0)	−1.6 (29.1)	3.0 (37.4)	5.5 (41.9)	8.4 (47.1)	13.2 (55.8)	12.9 (55.2)	8.2 (46.8)	4.2 (39.6)	−0.7 (30.7)	−5.1 (22.8)	2.9 (37.2)
Record low °C (°F)	−33 (−27)	−36 (−33)	−27.6 (−17.7)	−9 (16)	−5 (23)	−0.6 (30.9)	3.8 (38.8)	4.8 (40.6)	−0.4 (31.3)	−7 (19)	−24 (−11)	−32 (−26)	−36 (−33)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	57.9 (2.28)	59.0 (2.32)	68.8 (2.71)	67.5 (2.66)	36.6 (1.44)	5.7 (0.22)	5.1 (0.20)	1.6 (0.06)	2.4 (0.09)	28.5 (1.12)	66.8 (2.63)	59.4 (2.34)	459.3 (18.07)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	8.3	7.5	8.7	8.5	5.9	1.2	1	0.4	0.5	4.2	6.7	7	59.9
Average snowy days	7.9	7.4	3.5	0.5	0.1	0	0	0	0	0.1	1.3	4.3	25.1
Average relative humidity (%)	76	72	64	60	56	41	34	30	32	47	66	74	54
Average dew point °C (°F)	−6.3 (20.7)	−5.0 (23.0)	−2.1 (28.2)	1.9 (35.4)	4.7 (40.5)	4.8 (40.6)	6.1 (43.0)	4.3 (39.7)	1.0 (33.8)	0.4 (32.7)	−1.2 (29.8)	−4.4 (24.1)	0.3 (32.6)
Mean monthly sunshine hours	121.5	142.2	177.4	213.1	287.1	345.1	357.4	344.3	311.1	254.3	174.1	123.4	2,851
Source 1: NOAA NCEI [21] [22]
Source 2: IRIMO (sun-extremes)Synoptic Stations Statistics

Culture and art

The city of Saqqez has been a place of culture and art since ancient times. In this city, performing arts and culture has a special place, and artists have created valuable works in various fields of art such as theater, painting, sculpture, music, literature, poetry, and cinema. In this city, every year at the end of the autumn season, a theater festival called The Kurdish Theater Festival is held, in which theater groups from all over Kurdistan perform their works. Also, in Saqqez, famous musicians and singers, such as Rashid Fayznejad perform their music and songs in the Kurdish language. Also there are well-known poets in this city, such as Abdul Karim Sahib, Mullah Ghafoor Dabbaghi, Jila Hosseini, Rahim Loghmani, Malekoalkalam majdi and Sheikh Hassan Molanabad. ^{[23] [24]}

An old golden necklace from the Ziwiye hoard kept in National Museum of Iran

Transportation

This city has an airport and a central bus terminal. Saqqez Airport officially started working after 18 years on November 3, 2023 with the presence of the President of Iran. This airport covers several cities in the western part of Iran and a population of nearly one and a half million people, especially Baneh and Marivan free trade zones. ^{[25] [26] [27]}

See also

• Bazaar of Saqqez
• Domenareh Mosque
• Karaftu Cave
• Haj Saleh Hammam
• Mount Chlchama

Iranportal

Notes

1. Sorani Kurdish: سه‌قز, Kurdish: Seqiz, romanized as Seqiz; also known as Saghez, Sakīz, Saqez, Saqiz, and Saqqiz ^[3]

References

1. OpenStreetMap contributors (29 December 2024). "Saqqez, Saqqez County" (Map). OpenStreetMap (in Persian). Retrieved 29 December 2024.
2. Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1395 (2016): Kurdistan Province. amar.org.ir (Report) (in Persian). The Statistical Center of Iran. Archived from the original (Excel) on 8 May 2022. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
3. Saqqez can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3082379" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
4. Habibi, Hassan (2 November 2017) [Approved 21 June 1369]. Approval of the organization and chain of citizenship of the elements and units of the national divisions of Kurdistan province, centered in the city of Sanandaj. rc.majlis.ir (Report) (in Persian). Ministry of the Interior, Defense Political Commission of the Government Board. Proposal 3233.1.5.53; Letter 907-93808; Notification 83352/T130K. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2024– via Islamic Parliament Research Center of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
5. "شهرستان سقز". Islamic Azad University - Saqqez Branch (in Persian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
6. "Saqqez in Kurdestan Province, dates back to 7th millennium BCE". Iran Daily. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022.
7. Ghirshman, Roman (1961). Iran: from the earliest times to the Islamic conquest. Penguin Books. pp. Season 2. ISBN   0140202390.
8. Minorsky, Vladimir (1944). "Roman and Byzantine Campaigns in Atropatene". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 11 (2): 243–65. doi:10.1017/S0041977X0007244X. JSTOR   609312. S2CID   129323675 . Retrieved 5 October 2022.
9. Movahed, Ali; Mostafavi, Soran (March 2014). "Explaining the pattern of spatial –physical expansion of Saqqez from sustainable urban perspective" (PDF). Urban Structure and Function Studies. 2 (5): 55–75.
10. Mohammadirad, Masoud; Anonby, Erik; et al. "Language distribution in Kordestan Province, Iran". Atlas of the languages of Iran (ALI). Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre, Carleton University.
11. Gerson-Kiwi, Edith (2008). "Kurdistan". Jewish Virtual Library . Retrieved 13 May 2021.
12. Mohammadirad, Masoud; Anonby, Erik; et al. "Language distribution in Kordestan Province, Iran". Atlas of the languages of Iran (ALI). Geomatics and Cartographic Research Centre, Carleton University.
13. Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006): Kurdistan Province. amar.org.ir (Report) (in Persian). The Statistical Center of Iran. Archived from the original (Excel) on 20 September 2011. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
14. Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1390 (2011): Kurdistan Province. irandataportal.syr.edu (Report) (in Persian). The Statistical Center of Iran. Archived from the original (Excel) on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2022– via Iran Data Portal, Syracuse University.
15. Dating of late Pleistocene and Holocene fluvial sediments Using OSL, Uranium series and 14 C methods in the Saqqez River Archived 13 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine , Shahid beheshti University, 2020
16. Saqqez, mapnall
17. "An extremely cold winter in Iran". Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2010.
18. "Archived". www.irimo.ir. Archived from the original on 15 June 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2023.^{[ dead link ‍]}
19. "Iran Lands info". Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
20. http://www.irimo.ir Archived 29 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Iranian Meteorological Organisation's "Century weather stats data bank"
21. "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Saqez" (CSV). ncei.noaa.gov. National Oceanic and Atmosoheric Administration . Retrieved 28 June 2024. WMO number: 40727
22. "WMO Climate Normals for 1991-2020: Saqez" (XLS). ncei.noaa.gov. NOAA. p. 17. Retrieved 28 June 2024. WMO number: 40727
23. Kurdish Theater Festival is an opportunity to pay attention to traditional cultures, Iran Theater, 2019
24. A Kurdish Artist in Saqqez Summoned by the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence Archived 11 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine , Kurdistan Human Rights, 2019
25. Raisi inaugurates major projects in Kordestan Province, Tehran Times, November 3, 2023
26. Iran Opens Second Airport in Kurdistan Province, Aviation Pros, 2021
27. President Raisi inaugurates Saqqez Airport , IranPress, Nevamber 3, 2023

Sources

• Bosworth, C.E. (1995). "Saḳḳiz" . In Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W. P. & Lecomte, G. (eds.). The Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Volume VIII: Ned–Sam. Leiden: E. J. Brill. p. 895. ISBN   978-90-04-09834-3.
• Grami, Bahram (2015). "Saqqez". Encyclopaedia Iranica.