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The city of Ardabil in northwestern Iran is the Capital of Ardabil Province. Ardabil neighbors are the Republic of Āzerbāijān and the city of Meshgin Shahr in the north, the city of Namin and Gilān Province in the east, Nir and Kowsar counties in the south and East Azerbaijān Province and part of Meshgin Shahr in the west.
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About Ardabil City

Surrounded by Mount Talesh and Mount Sabalan of the Alborz Mountain Range, Ardabil is one of the coldest cities in Iran and experiences freezing winters and mild summers. Ardabil is believed to be at least 3,000 to 5,000 years old. In Sumerian tablets Ardabil has been mentioned as Arta. In the Avesta (Zoroastrian sacred texts), the city has been mentioned as Artaville. ‘Arta’ meaning ‘sacred’ and “ville” meaning “city.”
The city is also where the Safavids created a unified Iranian state (The most significant Iranian dynasty after the fall of the Sassanid Empire (226-651 CE)).
Ardabil has several historical sites, the most important of which are Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble, Virgin Mary Church (also known as Maryam-e Moghaddas or Moqaddas Church), Haft Cheshmeh Bridge, Shater Tower, Molla Hadi Bathhouse, Ershadi House, Jom’eh Mosque and Sheikh Amin al-Din Jibrael Mausoleum.
Ardabil is a city of breathtaking nature. Some of the city’s top natural attractions include Fandoqlou Forest, Lake Neor, Lake Shorabil, Sardabeh Waterfall, Baliqly Chay River and Shorgol Wetland.
The famous Ardabil Carpets originate from this city. These 16th century carpets were a pair that once adorned the Sheikh Safi al-Din Shrine.
Ardabil was the first Iranian city to have drinking water plumbing. Due to excavations,the date of this plumbing is probably related to the Safavid period.
Whats On?
Tehran International Book Fair
Event
Tehran International Book Fair
Date : 24 Apr-04 May 2019
Venue : Imam Khomeini Musalla
Enjoying a quarter-century experience, Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) is a great cultural event in which publishers from all over the world along with a large number of domestic participants take part to exhibit their new titles in different subject areas. That makes the latest quality collection of books available to the educated and professional communities in the country. In addition to publishers and distributors, librarians with library equipments, governmental and private cultural institutes, experts on Iranian publications suitable for international communities, and cultural sections of international organizations and foreign embassies in Tehran participate in the Fair and introduce their products and the manifestations of their fields of interest.
This cultural event, scheduled in May every year, has been sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran for the last 31 years. However, in the recent years, publishers’ associations and unions have played a key role in managing the national division of the Fair.
Timings : 09:00 AM-06:00 PM
Website : www.tibf.ir/en
Fajr International Film Festival
Festivals
Fajr International Film Festival
Date :18th - 26th April 2019
Founded in 1982, Fajr International Film Festival (FIFF) is Iran’s largest annual film festival held in Tehran. It is an event that celebrates cultural exchange, displays creative achievements of highly acclaimed cineastes and pays tribute to quality local and international films. Since its establishment, Fajr International Film Festival has played a vital role in the development of the Iranian Cinema. Every year, veteran directors and new filmmakers devotedly present their works in the festival.
Over the years, Fajr has been honored by numerous great film figures who have also worked closely with the festival as respectable Jury Members, such as Volker Schlondorff, Krzysztof Zanussi, Robert Chartoff, Semih Kaplanoglu, Bruce Beresford, Percy Adlon, Paul Cox, Shyam Benegal, Bela Tarr, Jan Troell, Helma Sanders-Brahms, Elia Suleiman, Agnieszka Holland, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Rustam Ibragimbekov, just to name a few among other influential figures.
Furthermore, a few of the most unforgettable and groundbreaking films, made by great filmmakers in the prime of their career, that were honored and awarded in different sections of the festival include, MABOROSI NO HIKARI by Hirokazu Kore-eda, LA PROMESSE by Dardenne Borthers, CLOUDS OF MAY by Nuri Bulge Ceylan, 23 by Hans-Christian Schmid, RESSOURCES HUMAINES by Laurent Cantet, NAPOLA by Dennis Gansel, THE RETURN by Andrey Zvyagintsev, LIVES OF THE OTHERS by Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck and so forth.
During different editions of Fajr, brilliant auteur filmmakers such as Costa-Gavras, Francesco Rosi, Theo Angelopoulos, Mario Monicellli, Moustapha Akkad, Darius Khondji, etc… have taken part in the festival and have been presented with lifetime achievement awards.
Tehran International Tourism Exhibition
Exhibition
Tehran International Tourism Exhibition
Date: 12-15 Feb 2019
Address: Tehran International Exhibition Center, Tehran, Iran
Exhibition Covered Area : More than 40000 sqm.
Contact Numbers : (+98 21)22397540. - (+98 919)422 72 83 – 84
Timings : 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (General)
Fax : (+98 21)22396984
Email : info@titexgroup.com
Website : www.titexgroup.com