Ardabil sightseeing places; 99 attractions and places to see + photos and addresses

Ardabil, with a combination of mountainous nature, hot springs and valuable historical monuments, is considered one of the main tourist destinations in the northwest of Iran. Ardabil is an Avestan name meaning holy city. This ancient city is more than 3,000 years old and due to its geographical location, being on the side of the Silk Road has seen an important history in the past. Throughout history, this city has been the passage of many commercial and military caravans, and this has led to the construction of many historical monuments and buildings such as caravanserais in this city. Visiting the sights of Ardabil and the historical and cultural attractions of this city is on the agenda of many tourists; So join us to introduce some of them.

The passage of the Silk Road through Ardabil province has led to the construction of caravanserais with unique architecture in terms of Iranian fine art and architecture, and the existence of numerous caravanserais indicates the economic prosperity of this region in the past.

Photographer: unknown / ardabil.mcth.ir

Sangi Sa’in Caravanserai or Abbasid Caravanserai, which is registered in the list of UNESCO World Heritage and National Monuments of Iran, is located 50 kilometers southwest of Ardabil. Sa’in Caravanserai is one of the most important sights of Ardabil and the historical caravansary of this city, which dates back to the Safavid period.

The city of Yiri or Yeri is one of the most special sightseeing places in Ardabil with 400 hectares of ancient area near Meshgin Shahr, which consists of three parts: a military fortress, a temple and a hill. The castle and the temple date back to 1450 years BC and Ghosha Tepe to 7,000 years BC. There are more than 300 stone pillars of different heights in this city, which are made in human shapes without mouths. According to the archaeological findings of this area, for the first time the human habitation in Ardabil reached the Mesolithic period. This ancient site has reached the national register.

Photographer: Axan Bulut / Wikimedia

Naderi Hill was the last work recorded in the Pahlavi period, which has become one of the tourist attractions of Ardabil these days. It is said that Nadershah Afshar ordered his soldiers to build a hill with their fists so that he could give a speech to them on top of it. Most of the pottery discovered from Tepe Naderi is unglazed, simple and belongs to the Islamic period. This historical hill is located three kilometers from the Ardabil-Tabriz road.

Photographer: Mohsen Asadi / Google Map

The tomb complex of Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili is very important in terms of Islamic architecture. Shah Ismail I and several Safavid leaders are buried in this historical complex. The architecture of this building is similar to the architecture of the Renaissance era and shows the pure oriental art with tiles, designs, frames, windows, moqrans works and brick works. This is a historical collection of masterpieces of the Islamic period, which was built on a building from the Mongol era, and is considered one of the most popular sightseeing places in Ardabil.

Photographer: Elmju / Wikimedia

There are three specialized museums of archeology, stone, porcelain or porcelain, and a specialized library in Sheikh Safi’s mausoleum. The museum of chinaware, which is about four centuries old, is located in the eastern part of the main portico of Sheikh Safi al-Dil Ardabili collection, and its designer is Sheikh Bahai, one of the famous scholars and scholars of the Safavid period.

Sheikh Aminuddin Gabriel’s mausoleum complex is one of the best examples of Islamic architecture tombs and is considered one of the masterpieces of the Safavid era. This historical complex includes the fence, the mausoleum courtyard, the front porch of the building, the portico, the main building of the mausoleum, chambers and pavilions. The building of this mausoleum is unequally divided into two parts and has a central quadrangular building and a pentagon-like chamber in front.

Photographer: Madina Hosseinzadeh / Wikimedia

Ardabil Jame Mosque or Jama Masjid is a mosque from the Seljuk period, which was built next to the Fire Temple. This mosque was used until the early Safavid period. Ardabil Mosque was renovated for the last time during the period of Ilkhani Juma. The plan of this mosque is different from the mosques of the Seljuk period, which are often built in the form of four porches. Under the main hall of the mosque, corridors and corridors are designed in order to facilitate the passage of people and groups and communities.

Photographer: unknown / chtn.ir

Ardabil Jame Mosque is one of the most important and oldest Islamic mosques in Iran, whose cubic enclosure is still standing and attracts tourists as one of the sights of Ardabil.

Shurabil Lake is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ardabil, which is older than Urmia Lake. This lake is located inside the city of Ardabil on University Boulevard and has many recreational, sports and cultural facilities. This lake is one of the prohibited hunting areas of Ardabil, which will become a model tourist area of ​​Shurabil in the future.

Photographer: Bijan Azimi / Google Map

Baliqlo Chai river or Mahidar river originates from Sablan mountain and passes through Ardabil city and flows into Qarasu river. The water flow of this river has boosted agriculture in most of the rural areas of Ardabil. By passing through the city, this river has become one of the sights of Ardabil city.

Neor Lake is the largest natural lake in Ardabil, which is also considered one of the largest fresh water lakes in the country. The average depth of the lake is about five meters and reaches up to 13 meters in deep places, and its area is more than 200 hectares. As an environmental protected area, this lake is under the supervision of the Environmental Protection Organization and has the importance of habitat, ecotourism, beekeeping, agriculture and animal husbandry, which have made it important as one of the sightseeing places of Ardabil.

Photographer: Unknown / en.mehrnews.com

Alvares ski resort is another sight-seeing place in Ardabil and it is considered the biggest ski resort in Iran. This track is located in the high slopes of Sablan and near a village with the same name. Lift and lift are among the facilities of this ski resort. In some summers, snowfall has been observed in this ski resort.

The ski resort is located on the grass of Fandkhaloi Nemin forest in a mountainous area near Ardabil, at an altitude of 1700 meters above sea level. The first course of cross-country skiing was held in this track in 1392.

The stone figure of Baba Dawood is located in the city of Anbaran, 38 km from Ardabil. The height of this stone statue is about 20 meters, which is in the form of a human face looking straight ahead. This statue is considered similar to the Egyptian Sphinx statue.

Photographer: unknown / sabalanema.ir

Bulaghlar resort is located in the southwest of Ardabil and its name means spring of bubbling stars. This area is considered one of the sightseeing places of Ardabil with suitable recreational facilities and has natural landscapes and green and pristine space, special vegetation and numerous springs.

Photographer: Amin kokaby / Google Map

Another sight to see in Ardabil city is the historical market of Ardabil, a relic of the Safavid period, which flourished during the reign of Shah Tahmasab I. In the old days, this market consisted of Main Street, Kayseri Street, Alafan Street, Pir Abd al-Malek Street, Goldsmiths Bazaar, Sarajan Bazaar, Cloth Sellers Bazaar, Shoemaker Bazaar, Copper Bazaar, Knife Makers Bazaar and Blacksmith Bazaar.

The Abbasid Naqdi Caravanserai Kandi Mashreq is located in the Naqdi Valley on the banks of the river with the same name and dates back to the Safavid era. Next to this caravanserai, there is a cemetery that probably belonged to the time of its use.

Sarbaz Watan Caravanserai (Qanli Balag) is the only four-evan type caravanserai in the Safavid era, which is located at a distance of about 800 meters from the Iran-Azerbaijan border. Its quadrilateral porches are pentagonal in shape and a pentagonal tower from the outside.

Photographer: siamak moaven / Google Map

The exterior of the caravanserai includes an entrance gate on the eastern side, four meters wide and five meters high, and three rooms around it, and the exterior of the caravanserai does not have arches or tiled decorations.

Shurgol Caravanserai is located on a three-meter-high hill. Among the special features of the building, we can mention the use of stone rubble throughout the building, even in the arches and arches, and the mountainous plan of the caravanserai. Pottery from the Islamic period and the Parthian period have been discovered in the Shurgol caravanserai area, according to which the building probably dates back to the fifth century to the end of the eighth century AH.

In Ardabil, there are many historical hot springs, such as Haj Mohsen, Pir, Sarcheshme, Yaqoubieh, and the historical bath of Och Dekan. These hot springs are generally built in the old context of the city and next to the mosque.

Due to the presence of the river and playing the role of a crossing on the Silk Road, Ardabil has many historical bridges. The Haft Cheshme bridge was built on the Baliqlo Chai river during the Safavid period and is registered in the list of national works of Iran. Ibrahim Abad bridge was also built in the Safavid era in Ochdekan and Ibrahim Abad neighborhoods and has been registered in the national register. Yaqoubiyeh Bridge was also built in the Safavid era with five spans on both sides of the Baliqlo Chai river. The arches of this bridge are made of brick with plaster and lime mortar, which are made in the form of a truncate arch.

Photographer: Saber Mohammad Alizade / Google Map

Naderi Bridge, Syed Abad Bridge, Qarasu Bridge, Samian Bridge, and Red Korpi (Red Bridge) are among the other historical bridges of this city, and they are all places of interest in Ardabil.

Due to its ancient history, the city of Ardabil has many ancient and historical monuments and sights, and for this reason, many museums have been built in this city. Natural History Museum, Anthropology Museum, Handicrafts Museum, Religious Museum and Ardabil Museum are among the unique museums of this region.

Photographer: Alborz Fallah Filter / Wikimedia

One of the historical baths of Ardabil, named Hamam Agha Naghi, has been turned into an anthropological museum of Ardabil, where you can see a variety of replicas with the local clothing of the people of Ardabil, historical works and manuscripts, and the culture and identity of this region of the country.

Ardabil is a city with many historical houses and mansions, the construction of these historical houses has flourished in this city since the Qajar period. Aghazadeh mansion is located in the center of Ardabil city in Aaliqapo square. This house is the only one of the seven mansions of Haj Ismail Aghaof, a famous merchant of the Qajar period. This mansion is built symmetrically and includes the hall, the main hall, the treasury, the treasury, the living room, the double roof, the kitchen and the bathroom. In the middle of the paved brick courtyard, there is a rectangular stone pool with carved stones and a fountain.

Photographer: unknown / zirnevisnews.ir

Khalilzadeh House, Haj Youssef Sadeghi, Khadim Bashi, Rezazadeh, Shariat, Mir Fatahi, Nouri Zainal (Khoei), Vakil al-Raaya and Moruj House (Khalilzadeh) are all historical mansions of the Qajar period in Ardabil, which have been registered in the list of national monuments of Iran. Seyed Hashem Ebrahimi’s house was also built in the Zandiyeh period and Manafzadeh’s house was built in the first Pahlavi period.

Spring in Ardabil with its cool weather, green nature and the coming to life of Sablan slopes is the perfect time for nature tourism and city sightseeing. Among the best places to see in Ardabil in spring, we can mention the following:

• Shorabil Lake
• Fandakhlo forest
• Sablan domain
• Sain stone caravanserai

Photographer: Benyamin shamis / unsplash.com

Ardabil’s mild summers make this city one of the popular destinations to escape from the heat of other parts of the country. Among the best sights of Ardabil in summer, we can mention the following:

• Neor Lake
• Hir suspension bridge
• rare hill
• Vargesaran waterfall

Photographer: MeSSrro / unsplash.com

The autumn of Ardabil, with its warm colors of nature and cool weather, provides a calm and pleasant atmosphere for less crowded trips. Among the best places to see in Ardabil in autumn, we can mention the following:

• Fandakhlo forest
• Shorabil Lake
• Tomb of Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili
• Historical bridges of Ardabil

Photographer: Erfan Habibi / unsplash.com

Ardabil’s cold and snowy winters make this city an attractive destination for those interested in winter scenery and snow activities. Among the best tourist attractions of Ardabil in winter, we can mention the following:

• Alvarez ski resort
• Shorabil Lake
• Historical collection of Sheikh Safiuddin Ardabili
• Ballyqlo Chai River

Photographer: Parham Lotfinejad / unsplash.com

The nights of Ardabil with a calmer atmosphere create a good opportunity to walk and experience the different moods of the city. Among the best places to see in Ardabil at night, we can mention the following:

• Shorabil Lake
• Ardabil historical market
• Ardabil Grand Mosque
• Aaliqapu Ardabil

Where should we go at night in Ardabil?

Night walks and sightseeing at night are important parts of the trip. Ardabil also has beautiful attractions where you can spend the nights of your trip.

If you plan to plan your trip to Ardabil more purposefully, we suggest you to see the complete list of Ardabil sightseeing places in Kejaro and make your travel plan more accurate by choosing your favorite attractions.