Mianeh (Persian: ميانه, romanized: Miāneh; South Azerbaijani: میانا, romanized: Miyāna) is a city in the Central District of Mianeh County, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is one of the oldest cities in Iran, as it was first built and settled by the Medians, with records dating the city back to 720 BC. In its province, Mianeh is the fourth most populous city, and also the third largest city, after Tabriz and Maragheh. Mianeh is known as the gateway to Iranian Azerbaijan.
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Demographics
Population
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 87,385 in 22,728 households. The following census in 2011 counted 95,505 people in 26,549 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 98,973 people in 30,504 households.
Ethnicity
The majority of Mianeh's population, are Iranian Azerbaijanis.
Geography
Location
Mianeh is in a valley, approximately 439 kilometres (273 mi) northwest of Tehran and approximately 187 kilometres (116 mi) southeast of East Azerbaijan's largest city and capital, Tabriz. The city was strategically located, during antiquity was a frontier city for a key travel route between Iraq and Azerbaijan.
Economy
The city is an important manufacturer of steel. Currently, a lot of Baroque-style construction work is happening in the housing sector, modernizing the city. It has a historical Bazaar where mainly textile sellers, clothing sellers, carpet sellers, and gold sellers are present. Since 2020, a vibrant Sangfarsh (Stone Carpet) has been built in the Bazaar district, where small shops can be found with natural products from across the region and country, amongst others.
Transportation
Mianeh has an important railway serving both industrial needs (for the steel industry) and passenger transportation needs to mainly Tehran, Tabriz, Zanjan, Maragheh, and Karaj.
Historical monuments
Historical monuments in the city of Mianeh include the Imamzadeh Esmail Mausoleum (Kamaləddin). Nearby monuments include Kiz Castle (also known as Qız Qalası), the Stone Tark Mosque, and the Kiz Bridge (Qız Körpüsü). The Kiz Bridge was partly destroyed in December 1946 by Communist militants of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party advocating for independence to halt the offensive of the Capitalist-supported Imperial Iranian Army.
Tourism
Mianeh is a touristic city, with roads connecting to all of Iran.
Notable people
Among notable people from Mianeh are:
Farzad Abdollahi, taekwando medalist
Aref Arefkia, singer
Afsar Asadi, actress
Rouhollah Dadashi, powerlifter, strongman
Dariush Eghbali, singer
Masoud Hashemzadeh, Greco-Roman wrestler
Khalil Kalantar, optical scientist and engineer
Yossef Karami, taekwando Olympic medalist
Rizali Khajavi, selfless farmer
Behnam Mahmoudi, volleyball player
Shahram Mahmoudi, volleyball player
Sharifeh Mohammadi (born 1979), social activist and political prisoner sentenced to death, held in Lakan Prison
Jafar Panahi, director of the movies The Circle, The White Balloon and Crimson Gold
Abbasali Panbehi, community activist and politician
Maryam Sadeghi (born 1980), Iranian-born Canadian computer scientist and businesswoman in the field of medical image analysis