Maku, Iran

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Maku also spelled Mahku and Máhkú is a town in the northwestern part of the West Azerbaijan province of Iran. It is situated 22 km from the Turkish border in a mountain gorge at an altitude of 1634 metres. The river Zangmar Chai cutting through the city[1].

Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Population 4 Attractions 5 Human Rights Situation 6 References

[edit] Etymology

According to some accounts the word Maku possibly derives from the Persian Máh standing for Mede and Kuh formountain. ^[1]

[edit] History

Maku was one of the Khanates that resulted from the breakup of the Safavid empire in the 17th century.[2]

The city is well-known in Bahá'í history for its fort where the Báb had been exiled to and imprisoned for nine months. In this fortress Mullá Husayn-i-Bushru'i, the first Disciple of the Báb had the chance to meet his Master again, arriving on Náw-Rúz of the year 1848.

In ancient times the region of Maku was a part of Lesser Media and its name itself may be derived from the Persian word Madkuh meaning "the Mountain of the Medes". Medes were one of the ancient Iranian tribes, today's descendants are ethnic Kurds and Azeri's (who now speak a Turkic dialect, see: Ancient Azari language).

[edit] Population

Some claim that the population of Maku is mostly Kurd and belongs to the Sunni branch of Islam.^{[citation needed]} Other accounts claim that Maku is an Azeri city^{[citation needed]}. Encyclopedia Iranica notes Maku as the home of Qara Qoyunlu Azeris^[2] The Office of West Azerbaijan's Governor also verifies this.[3] Maku had an Armenian majority before World War I^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Attractions

1. Baqcheh Jooq Palace: dates back to the end of the Qajar period. It used to be the house of the local governor until 1974. Presently it functions as a museum with some carpets and local handicrafts.
2. Ruins of a fort also used as a border post.
3. Hiking : it is advisable to have a guide or stay within eye-sight of the town. Due to its proximity to the Turkish border, it is easy to cross the border unintentionally.
4. Rock climbing: There are numerous rock climbing sites at the northern part of the city, some exceeding 200 meters.
5. Panj Cheshmeh - This bridge is located 5 km. from Maku on the Zangmar River, and is a monument from the Safavid era. This bridge was constructed in order to facilitate communications between Tabriz and Maku, and the surrounding rural areas[4].

[edit] Human Rights Situation

On February 2006, Iranian security forces opened fire on Kurdish demonstrators in Maku and as a result, eight people were killed. After this incident, nine Kurdish parliamentarians protested to President Mahmud Ahmadinejad in a letter in which they alleged that vigilantes attacked the demonstrators, killing and injuring 35 of them [5],[6].

[edit] References

1. ^ E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam, 1913-1936 - Page 181, edited by M Th Houtsma, R Hartmann, T W Arnold, R Basset, H A R Gibb, W Heffening, E Livi-Provengal, A J Wensinck - Architecture - 1993
2. ^ Encyclopedia Iranica. p235, also see Oberling. p62.

• P. Oberling, The Turkic Peoples of Iranian Azerbaijan, 1964a, American Council of Learned Scientists