Ardebil
[key], town, NW Iran, near the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is a market center for a fertile
agricultural region. Carpets and rugs are produced in the town. Ardebil was probably founded
in the 5th cent. a.d. It became (10th cent.) the capital of Azerbaijan but was soon
superseded by Tabriz. In 1220 it was destroyed by the Mongols. The town quickly regained its
importance as the home of Safi ad-Din, the founder of a celebrated Sufi order. The Safavids
erected a beautiful shrine there, and the town became a center of pilgrimage. Ardebil also
contains the tomb of Shah Ismail. The town was occupied by the Turks in 1725 and by the
Russians in 1828. Its proficient library was taken to St. Petersburg by the Russians. The name
is also spelled Ardabil.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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