Tabriz is in the Quru River valley in Iran's historic Azerbaijan region[5] between long ridges of volcanic cones in the Sahand and Eynali mountains.

[14][15] From the early modern era, Tabriz was pivotal in the development, movement and economy of its three neighboring regions; namely the Caucasus, Eastern Anatolia and Central Iran.

According to some sources,[17] including Encyclopædia Britannica,[18] the name Tabriz derives from tap-riz, meaning "flowing hot", in reference to the area's many thermal springs.

Other sources[19][20] claim that in AD 246, to avenge his brother's death, king Tiridates II of Armenia repelled Ardashir I of the Sassanid Empire and changed the name of the city from Shahistan to Tauris, deriving from in Grabar ta-vrezh "this revenge".

[22] In 791 AD, Zubaidah, the wife of Abbasid caliph Harun al-Rashid, rebuilt Tabriz after a devastating earthquake and beautified the city so much as to obtain the credit for having been its founder.

Under his rule, new walls were built around the city, and numerous public buildings, educational facilities, and caravansarais were erected to serve traders travelling on the ancient Silk Road.

[citation needed] In the 10th century, Ardabil briefly held the status of Azarbayjan's capital, only to be swiftly supplanted by Tabriz, situated 130 miles to the west.

Tabriz swiftly rose to prominence as a pivotal commercial hub, facilitating trade between the Far East, Central Asia, and vital routes.

It served as a nexus linking Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean, Anatolia, Constantinople, and extending northward through the Caucasus to the Ukraine, Crimea, and Eastern Europe.

After it was retaken by the Safavids under Abbas the Great, the city grew as a major commerce centre, conducting trade with the Ottoman Empire, Russia, and the Caucasus.

[47] After Abbas Mirza and Ivan Paskevich signed the peace treaty, which granted for the irrevocable cession of the last remaining Caucasian territories, the Russian army retreated from the city.

[47] After the retreat of the Russian army, Abbas Mirza, the Qajar Crown Prince, launched a modernization scheme from Tabriz, during which he introduced Western-style institutions, imported industrial machinery, installed the first regular postal service, and undertook military reforms in the city.

By escalation of the revolution in Russia, the Russian armies in Iranian Azerbaijan were evacuated, and the actual power passed into the hands of the local committee of the democrat party, with Ismail Nawbari at its head.

Pishevari's government gave more freedom to speech and education in Azerbaijani language and promoted local cultural heritage and gained some popularity among the residents.

During this era and because of the continuous policy of the government centralization in Tehran as well as changes in communication and transportation, the city lost its historical dominance, but turned into the gate for reform and modernization of the country.

[citation needed] Another major source of dissatisfaction was the support of most of Iranian Azerbaijanis including Tabriz residents from a more liberal cleric, Grand Ayatollah Shariatmadari, who was against the content of the new constitution which was mixing religion and state together.

It is feared that in the near future low-lying clouds of airborne salt and minerals may hover over large areas around the lake, posing serious health hazards.

Sahand, o mountain of pure snow, Descended from Heaven with Zoroaster Fire in your heart, snow on your shoulders, with storm of centuries, And white hair of history on your chest ... Yadollah Maftun Amini (born in 1926)[80] The city of Tabriz, historically located at the westernmost end of Iran's trade route and situated along the Silk Road, has long been a hub of commerce as well as culture and art.

In the modern era, the establishment of Memorial School in the late 19th century, followed by the founding of the University of Tabriz, along with the presence of intellectual movements, further boosted the city's cultural development.

The list can start from the old-time Rumi, Qatran, Khaqani to recent years Samad Behrangi, Gholam-Hossein Sa'edi, Parvin E'tesami.

―Khaqani اين ارك بلند شهر تبريز است افراشته قامتِ رسايش را This is the tall Arg of Tabriz City, Raised its outstanding height there!

The main factor for these developments was the opening of academic style music classes in Tabriz by master Ashugs, such as Aşiq Imran Heydəri.

Ashugs (Aşiq in Azerbaijani language stemmed from the Arabic word for lover) were travelling bards who sang and played saz, an eight or ten string plucking instrument in the form of a long-necked lute.

Still, the essence of the original epics, i.e. metamorphic description of life in pastoral terms with direct reference to the mountainous landscape, persists to the present time.

The characteristic aspect of the Ashugh music is its frequent allusions to a mountain with the intention of arousing an emotional state with a tone of mild melancholy in a listener.

Dolma is a traditional food, prepared by filling an eggplant, capsicum, tomato or zucchini with a mixture of meat, split pea, onion and various spices.

[89] There are also confections, biscuits and cookies which are Tabriz specialties, including Qurabiya, Tabrizi Lovuez, Riss, Nougat, Tasbihi, Latifeh, Ahari, Lovadieh, and Lokum.

Also, there are some malls and a lot of elegant & luxurious boutiques of jewellery, rugs, clothes, handicrafts, confectionery and nuts, home appliances and so on in the Abresan intersection, Roshdiyeh district and Kouy Valiasr.

[citation needed] The special feature of Tabriz's malls is that most of them are designated to a particular order, such as home appliances, jewelry, shoes, clothes, wedding ceremonies, ladies/babies/men specialties, leather products, handicrafts, agricultural products, computers, electronic components, industrial equipment, piping equipment, chemical materials, agricultural machines, stationery, books, rugs, construction stuff and others.

There is also a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that runs for 18 km (11 mi) from the West Train Station to the Baseej Square in the far east of the city.