Ajab Shir
Persian: عجب شير | |
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City | |
 Ajabshir, East Azerbaijan province, Iran | |
  Ajab Shir Location within Iran | |
| Coordinates: 37°29′00″N 45°53′28″E / 37.48333°N 45.89111°E | |
| Country | Iran |
| Province | East Azerbaijan |
| County | Ajab Shir |
| District | Central |
| Population (2016) | |
• Total | 33,606 |
| Time zone | UTC+3:30 (IRST) |
Ajab Shir (Persian: عجب شير) is a city in the Central District of Ajab Shir County, East Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the district and the county.
Various interpretations and accounts concerning the etymology and origin of the name of Ajab Shir have been presented in local sources and writings on the region's history. However, no clear linguistic or historical consensus has been established regarding the precise origin of the name, and several widely circulated explanations are primarily folkloric or local in nature.
One popular folk tradition attributes the name Ajab Shir to Zubayda Khatun, the wife of Harun al-Rashid. According to this account, Zubayda Khatun stopped in the area while travelling towards Tabriz, where a shepherd brought her a bowl of milk. After tasting it, she was reportedly so impressed by its quality that she exclaimed, "Ajab shiri" (Persian: عجب شیری, meaning "What wonderful milk!"). According to the legend, this expression subsequently became the name of the settlement. Although the story is recounted in local sources, no independent historical evidence has been presented to establish Zubayda Khatun's presence at the site of modern-day Ajab Shir or to connect the alleged incident with the town's name.
Other folk accounts attribute the name Ajab Shir to a large lion that supposedly lived in or travelled through the area in the past. According to this interpretation, the animal's size or reputation astonished the local population, and the element "Shir" in the town's name directly refers to the lion. However, no independent historical evidence has been found to substantiate the existence of such an animal or establish a connection between it and the town's name. This account therefore cannot be regarded as a definitive etymological explanation.
Some local traditions associate Ajab Shir and its surrounding areas with the historical city of Shiz, which many historians have identified as the birthplace of Zoroaster. However, the identification of Ajab Shir with historical Shiz, as well as the attribution of Zoroaster's birthplace to this area, has not been confirmed by independent historical or archaeological evidence. The numerous archaeological sites and ancient remains found in Ajab Shir County nevertheless indicate a long history of human settlement in the region across different historical periods.
Another interpretation, mentioned in some local writings, connects the name Ajab Shir with the term "Apakhshir" (Persian: اَپَخشیر) in Avestan texts. According to this hypothesis, "Apakhshir", mentioned in the Farvardin Yasht, may have been an ancient name for the area. It is proposed that the name subsequently developed into forms such as "Abghshir" or "Abgshir" before eventually becoming "Ajab Shir". This interpretation has also been linked to the historical geography of Azerbaijan and the location of the Adur Gushnasp fire temple in Maragheh.
Another account links the name Ajab Shir to the Shirlu Jameh Mosque of Ajab Shir. According to this interpretation, "Shirli" in the local dialect refers to the mosque's colouring and decorative patterns. Some sources have also suggested that the name of the mosque derives from the colouring of its wooden elements. However, this explanation primarily concerns the etymology of the name of Shirlu Mosque and does not provide independent evidence that the town of Ajab Shir derived its name from the mosque. The Shirlu Jameh Mosque of Ajab Shir was registered on Iran's National Heritage List in 1969, under registration number 878.
According to Amir Chehregosha's book Ajab Shir Through the Ages (Persian: عجبشیر در گذر زمان), one of the relatively detailed attempts to investigate the linguistic origins of Ajab Shir's name is an article by Mansour Rahbari entitled "A Study of the Name of the City of Ajab Shir" (Persian: تحقیقی پیرامون نام شهر عجبشیر), which has been republished in local sources.
Rahbari analyses the element "Ajab" as deriving from a proposed historical form, "Aj-Ab" (اَجاَب), which he divides into two components: "Aj" (Ac) and "Ab" (Ab). He suggests that these elements may be associated with the language of the Gutian people. In this interpretation, the element "Ab" is attributed to the Sumerian language and interpreted as meaning "gate" or "entrance". By comparing several geographical names, the author subsequently proposes that "Aj-Ab" may have conveyed a meaning such as "a settlement or city with a gate".
Rahbari further examines two possible interpretations of the element "Shir". Under the first hypothesis, "Shir" is associated with the name of a tribe or human group, giving "Aj-Ab-Shir" a possible meaning similar to "the gated city of the Shir tribe". Under the second hypothesis, "Shir" is associated with a word meaning "city" or "ruler", leading to proposed interpretations such as "the ruler's gated city" or "the ruler's seat of power".
The theory is presented as a hypothesis rather than an established explanation. The discussion concludes by emphasising the need for further research into the etymology of geographical names.
Rufia Soluki, also known as Mah-Jahan Soluki, was a prominent Iranian film and theatre actress active during the 1950s and 1960s. She was born on 3 April 1930 in Shishvan, Ajab Shir. She began her artistic career in 1955 with the film Amir Arsalan-e Namdar and appeared in several other films, including Rostam and Sohrab and Shab-Neshini dar Jahannam. After approximately 12 years in the profession and appearing in nine films, Soluki retired from acting and emigrated to Australia. She died in Australia on 16 August 2023.
Amir Chehregosha is a writer, researcher, and historian from Ajab Shir whose work has focused primarily on the history and culture of Azerbaijan, particularly the history of Ajab Shir County and its surrounding areas. He was born in 1979 and studied atomic physics at Tarbiat Moallem University of Tabriz at the undergraduate level. He subsequently pursued postgraduate studies in post-Islamic Iranian history. Chehregosha has conducted research in the fields of Azerbaijani history, culture, and literature and has collaborated with regional publications. His published works include Sahand Dunyasi, Atalardan Chatan Sesler, Zendanī-ye Zaman, El Qayghisi, Physics of Light, Ajab Shir Through the Ages (Ajab Shir dar Gozar-e Zaman), and Pioneers of the History and Culture of Azerbaijan. His principal work on his hometown is Ajab Shir Through the Ages, which examines the history, geography, culture, historical heritage, and social developments of the Ajab Shir region. According to descriptions of the book, it covers the history and language of the people of Azerbaijan, an overview of Ajab Shir County, accounts by travellers and historians concerning the region, the historical development of Ajab Shir, and its cultural and tourism heritage. He has also researched the contemporary history of Ajab Shir and the history of villages and surrounding areas. Another work related to these subjects is Ajab Shir from the Perspective of Others (Ajab Shir az Manzar-e Digaran), which focuses on travelogues and historical accounts concerning the Dizajrud region and its historical geography. Chehregosha is also the managing director of Neday-e Sahand Publishing House, which publishes historical, cultural, and literary works, particularly those concerning Azerbaijan. Notable publications associated with the publishing house include translation of Smart Cities and Tabriz in the Whirlpool of Shadows.
Ali Ajab Shirzadeh is a professor and researcher in astronomy and astrophysics who has collaborated with the University of Tabriz and the Maragheh Observatory Research Institute. His activities have included astronomy education, training students, and promoting amateur and observational astronomy. He is also reported to be involved in the preparation and compilation of annual calendars.
Mir Ghanbar Heydari Shishvani was a native of Shishvan in Ajab Shir County who had an unusual educational trajectory. According to published reports, he was born in 1930 and studied at Loqman High School in Tabriz before becoming a teacher and subsequently working for many years at the Ajab Shir Governor's Office. After retirement, he continued his education and was eventually admitted to Islamic Azad University following years of effort. Even at an advanced age, he participated in the national master's degree entrance examination and became known as one of the oldest candidates to take the examination.
A documentary film entitled President Mir Ghanbar, directed by Mohammad Shirvani, was later made about the ups and downs of his life. The film received the Grand Prize in the New Currents section at the 2005 Pusan International Film Festival and the Audience Award in 2007. Heydari died in Ajab Shir County on 24 July 2019, aged 89, having been known as the country's oldest university student.
Safar Qahramanian, commonly known as Safar Khan, was a political and military figure from Shishvan, Ajab Shir. He was born into a farming family in Shishvan in 1921 and worked in agriculture after completing part of his education in Ajab Shir. In the early 1940s, he became involved in protests against large landowners and the landlord-based agrarian system. In 1945, he joined the Azerbaijan Democratic Party and subsequently served in the armed forces of the Azerbaijan People's Government.
Following the government's collapse in 1946, Qahramanian fled to Iraq. He was later arrested and returned to Iran, where a military court sentenced him to life imprisonment. He remained in prison until the Iranian Revolution of 1979, when he was released after approximately 32 years of imprisonment. Qahramanian died in Tehran on 10 November 2002.
Hossein-Qoli Khan Ganjei Shishvani was a native of Shishvan, in the Ajab Shir region, who became a local armed figure in Ajab Shir and Bonab during the political upheavals following August 1941. Local sources identify him as a member of the Ganjei family of Shishvan and attribute the family's presence in the village to the migration of groups from the Ganja region during the Qajar period. This account is primarily based on local traditions.
Before August 1941, Hossein-Qoli Khan had spent some time in prison during the reign of Reza Shah. Following his release in August 1941, amid the weakening of central government authority and law enforcement in Azerbaijan, he assembled a group of armed followers in the Ajab Shir and Bonab areas. Available sources present two contrasting accounts of his activities. According to one account, he opposed large landowners and the central government and distributed some landowners' property and grain among villagers. Another account portrays him as a source of insecurity who engaged in extortion and the looting of property belonging to both ordinary people and landowners.
Shishvan served as his principal base, while his activities extended to Ajab Shir, Bonab, and neighbouring areas. A local historical source reports clashes between his followers and government forces in Bonab and describes the insecurity they allegedly caused in the area. It also cites an administrative report concerning the activities of forces associated with Hossein-Qoli Khan in Bonab. Local accounts additionally describe the disarming of gendarmerie posts in Ajab Shir, Shishvan, and Rahmanlu during his activities.
Hossein-Qoli Khan was eventually arrested by government forces. Local sources report that, following his arrest and trial, he was sentenced to death and executed in Bonab.
The city's population is Azerbaijani.[citation needed]
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 26,235 in 6,767 households. The following census in 2011 counted 26,280 people in 7,758 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 33,606 people in 10,640 households.
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