Zonuz
Zonuz is a city in the Central District of Marand County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 2,618, in 826 families.
Zonuz is located on a mountain, and has cold and snowy weather in winter and moderate summers. Civilization and culture of city related to Bronze Age, and Kura – Arax culture. The Zonuz valley is located between two mountain ranges, extending east to west. The mountain ranges are connected to each other in the east by Soltan Sanjar Mountain. The height of these mountains decreases from east to west. Soltan Sanjar has an altitude of 3,168 meters; other mountains namely,– Nevasar, Gerdehowul and Diragah – range from 2500 to 2200 meters in height.
Geography
Topography
According to French geologist Hubet Rieben, Zonuz is formed by rocks from the Devonian to the Quaternary period.- Calcareous rocks, a formation of the Paleozoic, date to the Devonian and form symmetrical layers. The color and hardness of these rocks differ. Calcareous layers are found on the north wall and eastern part of Diragah Mountain and are red and hard, although sometimes they may be light blue. On the southwest part of this mountain, olive-black calcareous layers may be distinguished. On the other hand, dark-brown and blue limestone is laid in the upper part of Zounuz's dam. Here, the eruption of mineral springs through Calcareous rocks are seen. Unfortunately, the site has recently been submerged under water of dam. Different colors of limestone has been seen in the Zonuz area. On the high-altitude western slopes of Soltan Sanjar Mountain the limestone is dark red, whereas on the eastern slopes of Mount Zireh, black limestone may be seen.
- Formations of the Mesozoic period are similar to those of the Paleozoic era. The limestone layers are hard. Some of them are covered with blue silicated limes; these are found in Safe-Ali, Navasar and some areas of Deravan Daghi. This type of limestone is also found in the western part of Soltan Sanjar. Some of the strata have risen to high elevations; therefore, travertine rocks overlay them. Near Ramana, at the entrance to the Zonuz Road, the thickness of conglomerate rocks reaches 50 meters. From the third Cenozoic period, strata of igneous rocks have been observed on the highlands of Soltan Sanjar Mountain and also on the east part of Oyukhly Mountain. Compared with other layers, they are mostly in a vertical shape. In the eastern part of Zonuz the landscape extends about 4 kilometers to the east. This igneous rock wall rests on sandstone, salt-shale and gypsum formations.
- Quaternary period: In this period, horizontal travertine stones have lain on different formations of salt-shale. This quartz travertine is found in eastern
Climate
Zonuz has a continental climate, with cold winters and cool summers.Districts
Zonuz is divided into four districts: Khan Khajeh, Meerjan, Seyedlar and Dibin.Demographics
The origins of the Azeris probably derive from ancient mixed Iranian peoples. Ancient written accounts, such as one written by Arab historian Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Masudi, attest to a Turk presence in the region: "The Azerbaijanian are a people whose borders are the Mahat Mountains and Azarbaijan up to Armenia and Aran, and Bayleqan and Darband, and Ray and Tabaristan and Masqat and Shabaran and Jorjan and Abarshahr, and that is Nishabur, and Herat and Marv and other places in land of Khorasan,...All these lands were once one kingdom. The language, however, is one, in that its letters are written the same way and used the same way in composition. There are, then, different languages such as turkmeni, Azari as well as other languages." A poem from Shah Ismaeil Safina-yi Tabriz exists which is written in the Turkish dialect of Azerbaijan. Other sources have another belief in this regard.Archaeological evidence indicates that the religion of Zoroastrianism was prominent throughout the Caucasus before the advent of Christianity and Islam, and the influence of various Iranian empires added to the Iranian character of the area. It has also been hypothesized that the population of Iranian Azarbaijan was predominantly Azari/Persian-speaking before the arrival of the Oghuz Turks. This claim is supported by many ancient literary figures, who wrote in Turkic after the Oghuz migration, as well as by Strabo, Al-Istakhri, and Al-Masudi, who all describe the language of the region as Azari. The claim is mentioned by other medieval historians, such as Al-Muqaddasi.
The Encyclopædia Iranica explain that "The Turkish speakers of Azerbaijan are mainly descended from the earlier Iranian speakers, several pockets of whom still exist in the region.". The modern presence of the Iranian Talysh and Tats in Azerbaijan is further evidence of the former Iranian character of the region. But Talysh and Tats zoon is different from Azerbaijan zoon. to these modern groups, the ancient Azaris are as ancestors of the modern Azerbaijanis.
The Encyclopædia Britannica refers to Azeris in the Republic of Azerbaijan: "The Azerbaijani are of mixed ethnic origin, the oldest element deriving from the indigenous population of eastern Transcaucasia and possibly from the Medians of northern Persia".
Religion
The inhabitants originally were Zoroastrians they are now Shia Muslims due to the invasion of Arab Muslims.Social history
Ownership rights in Zonuz
The study of land ownership in Zonuz demonstrates many historical events and changes. In the History of Tabriz it is mentioned that Malek Mahmoud Tabrizi lived during the Eilkhane-Moghol era. Malek Mahmoud Tabrizi sold Zonuz to Rashid-al-din Fazlollah. After his death, the ownership of Zonuz becomes unclear until the late Zand dynasty and the early Qajar dynasty.At that time, in many Persian cities there was disorder, social unrest and insecurity resulting from the transition between the Zand and Qajar dynasties; Zonuz was no exception under the rule of Donbali Khavanin, during which there were many social and economic problems. Consequently, many residents left Zonuz for other cities; while the government apparently supported the people, the end result was poverty and slavery. As residents of Zonuz left their homes for opportunity elsewhere, Donbali Khavanin seized their lands with illegal documents.
Shoa al Saltaneh oppressed the people of Zonuz, many of whom subsequently left for Russia. His cruel behaviour caused him to be murdered in Tabriz by a tailor's employee. Shoa al Saltaneh's successors sold the property document to Mortazavi. Mortazavi was a powerful Azerbaijani landlord. Mortazavi selected local powerful men as agents for collecting rent based on farm products.
A large share of farmers' income were collected for him. Crops were divided between landowner and farmer; the base rent was one-third the yield from irrigated lands and one-fourth from dry land. Additionally there were collections of animal oil, butter, sheep, and cheese for the landlords, which oppressed Zonuz farmers. "The poem of harvest which is written by Eftekhari about oppressed farmers of Zonuz is the best evidence". Land reform was undertaken by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1963, and the living conditions of farmers were improved with the end of feudalism. During the Pahlavi period, the total ownership of Zonuz was 90 shares. Each farmer had to buy his own share from successors of Mortazavi. By buying out the landlord, feudalism gradually disappeared from Zonuz society.
Agriculture
At the 20th kilometer of the Marand-Jolfa road, Zonuz is known for its many varieties of apples. It is considered the apple capital of Iran; nearly 25 different types of apple trees grow in Zonuz – half of them unique to the village, including Girde Shirin and Baljeyi. Zonuz economy is based on apple production; it supplies not only the Azerbaijan region, but all of Iran. Its climate, fertile soil and adequate water for irrigation have made the area ideally suited for apple-growing.Apple trees which grow in Zonuz can be classified into two major groups – native and imported varieties. The main native varieties are:
- Payeze: tasty, sweet-smelling, attractive color
- Gabala: round, tart, green/light-red color
- Torsh Alma: tart, perishable
- Baljeye: round, dark red, sweet-smelling, tasty
- Gerdashirin: sweet, tasty summer apple