Bijar
Encyclopedia
Bijar is a city is a city in and capital of Bijar County
, Kurdistan Province
, Iran
. At the 2006 census, its population was 46,156, in 12,312 families. With an elevation of 1883.4 meters, Bijar is called the Roof of Iran.
The following villages are located near Bijar (with 2006 populations in parentheses): Yasukand (3,268), Tup Agaj (2,172), Pir Taj (1,451), Cheshmeh Mantesh (1,012), Khandan Quli (1,003), Zeynal (915), Seydan (893), Khorkhoreh (872), Baba Rashani (481).
The majority of the inhabitants of Bijar are Kurds. Bijar is known internationally for its elegant and ancient carpet and rug designs. The term bijar could be a variation of bajar (i.e city in Kurdish) and the complete name of the city is Bijar-e Garrus (city of Garrus). Among other suggested etymology for bijar are bid-zar (land of willow tree) which is linguistically unlikely.
, the famous Persian
philosopher of illumination.
The city was mentioned in the 15th century as a village belonging to Shah Ismail
the first ruler of the Safavid dynasty
, Bijar became a town during the 19th century. During World War I
it was besieged and occupied by Russian, British, and Ottoman troops.
Another historical building, Emamzadeh Aqil, located in Hasan Abad (Yasukand) 45 km east of Bijar is one of the remaining Saljugi buildings. The square building (6*6.5 m) with the collopsed dome has been home to Islamic religious texts written in Kufi script.
Bijar's bazar, with its unique design is one of the attractions of the city. The roofed bazar built in the Qajar era is much younger than the Safavid era old bazar of Sanadaj. The bazar of Bijar consists of a main north-south roofed pathway and an eastern section (timcheh-e Haj Shahbaz) and a western section (timcheh-e Amir Toman).
Prominent politicians and army officers in Iranian army have come from Bijar. Amir Nezam Garrusi (1820–1900) was born in Bijar to a Kabudvand family. As the colonel of Garrus regiment, he accompanied Muhammad Ali Shah's unsuccessful Harat campaign. As a diplomat in Paris, he had dinners with the Napeleon and afterwards acted as an Iranian diplomat in Istanbul in Otoman empire. General Garrusi later joined the forces for the 1880 suppression of Kurdish uprising by the Naqshibandi Shaikh Obeidulah. He also played a negative part in murdering Cewer Agha, the predecessor of Simko
, the Kurdish leader.
Dr Ramezanzadeh, the spokesman of Khatami government has family connections to Bijar. Mr Shahriari, a prominent Iranian TV personality comes from Bijar.
In June 2008, 21 year old Hana Abdi, former student of Payam Nur University of Bijar , and member of women's association of AzarMerh in Kurdistan has been sentenced to a 5 year prison term. According to Mr Sharif, her attorney, Iranian revolutionary court has charged her with threat against national security.
Bijar County
Bijar County is a county in Kordestan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Bijar. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 95,461, in 23,614 families. The county is subdivided into three districts: the Central District, Chang Almas District, and Korani District...
, Kurdistan Province
Kurdistan Province
Kurdistan Province or Kordestan Province or Kurdestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran, not to be confused with the greater geographical area of Iranian Kurdistan. The province of Kurdistan is 28,817 km² in area which encompasses just one-fourth of the Kurdish inhabited areas of Iran or...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 46,156, in 12,312 families. With an elevation of 1883.4 meters, Bijar is called the Roof of Iran.
The following villages are located near Bijar (with 2006 populations in parentheses): Yasukand (3,268), Tup Agaj (2,172), Pir Taj (1,451), Cheshmeh Mantesh (1,012), Khandan Quli (1,003), Zeynal (915), Seydan (893), Khorkhoreh (872), Baba Rashani (481).
The majority of the inhabitants of Bijar are Kurds. Bijar is known internationally for its elegant and ancient carpet and rug designs. The term bijar could be a variation of bajar (i.e city in Kurdish) and the complete name of the city is Bijar-e Garrus (city of Garrus). Among other suggested etymology for bijar are bid-zar (land of willow tree) which is linguistically unlikely.
History
Historically, Bijar has been part of Garrus administration unit. Before the creation of Zanjan province by the Pahlavi regime (after WWI), the wider region of Garrus covered Suhreward, the birth place of Shahab al-Din SuhrewardiShahab al-Din Suhrawardi
Other important Muslim mystics carry the name Suhrawardi, particularly Abu 'l-Najib al-Suhrawardi and his paternal nephew Abu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi."Shahāb ad-Dīn" Yahya ibn Habash as-Suhrawardī was a Persian...
, the famous Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
philosopher of illumination.
The city was mentioned in the 15th century as a village belonging to Shah Ismail
Ismail I
Ismail I , known in Persian as Shāh Ismāʿil , was a Shah of Iran and the founder of the Safavid dynasty which survived until 1736. Isma'il started his campaign in Azerbaijan in 1500 as the leader of the Safaviyya, an extremist heterodox Twelver Shi'i militant religious order and unified all of Iran...
the first ruler of the Safavid dynasty
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia and established the Twelver school of Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire, marking one of the most important turning...
, Bijar became a town during the 19th century. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
it was besieged and occupied by Russian, British, and Ottoman troops.
Architecture
The historical castle of Qam Cheqay in valley of kings (45 km of Bijar) probably dates back to the Medes era and it is the oldest castle in the Kurdistan province. The castle has been used until the Sasanid era and it is an example of archaic architecture of Kurdistan.Another historical building, Emamzadeh Aqil, located in Hasan Abad (Yasukand) 45 km east of Bijar is one of the remaining Saljugi buildings. The square building (6*6.5 m) with the collopsed dome has been home to Islamic religious texts written in Kufi script.
Bijar's bazar, with its unique design is one of the attractions of the city. The roofed bazar built in the Qajar era is much younger than the Safavid era old bazar of Sanadaj. The bazar of Bijar consists of a main north-south roofed pathway and an eastern section (timcheh-e Haj Shahbaz) and a western section (timcheh-e Amir Toman).
Culture
The Iranian Peyam Nur university has opened a branch in Bijar-e Garrus and the Garrus research center is affiliated with the university.Prominent politicians and army officers in Iranian army have come from Bijar. Amir Nezam Garrusi (1820–1900) was born in Bijar to a Kabudvand family. As the colonel of Garrus regiment, he accompanied Muhammad Ali Shah's unsuccessful Harat campaign. As a diplomat in Paris, he had dinners with the Napeleon and afterwards acted as an Iranian diplomat in Istanbul in Otoman empire. General Garrusi later joined the forces for the 1880 suppression of Kurdish uprising by the Naqshibandi Shaikh Obeidulah. He also played a negative part in murdering Cewer Agha, the predecessor of Simko
Simko Shikak
Simko Shikak also Ismail Agha Shikak ) was a Kurdish chieftain of the Shakak tribe...
, the Kurdish leader.
Dr Ramezanzadeh, the spokesman of Khatami government has family connections to Bijar. Mr Shahriari, a prominent Iranian TV personality comes from Bijar.
In June 2008, 21 year old Hana Abdi, former student of Payam Nur University of Bijar , and member of women's association of AzarMerh in Kurdistan has been sentenced to a 5 year prison term. According to Mr Sharif, her attorney, Iranian revolutionary court has charged her with threat against national security.