Sopurghan (Persian: سپورغان, also Romanized as Sopūrghān; also known as Separghān, Soporghān, and Supurgan; in Armenian: Սուփուրղան)[1] is a village in Tala Tappeh Rural District, Nazlu District, Urmia County, West Azerbaijan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 243, in 71 families.[2]

Sopurghan
سپورغان
village
Sopurghan is located in Iran
Sopurghan
Sopurghan
Coordinates: 37°45′09″N 45°11′56″E / 37.75250°N 45.19889°E / 37.75250; 45.19889
Country Iran
ProvinceWest Azerbaijan
CountyUrmia
BakhshNazlu
Rural DistrictTala Tappeh
Population
 (2006)
 • Total243
Time zoneUTC+3:30 (IRST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+4:30 (IRDT)

Name edit

According to Vladimir Minorsky, the name of this village is derived from the Mongolian word suburghan, meaning a stupa.[3]: 77 

History edit

The earliest mention of Sopurghan is found in a letter to Pope Pius IV in 1562. The village is mentioned again in a manuscript donated to a church in Jerusalem in 1612.

Evidence from tombstones in the village cemetery show Assyrian presence in the village as early as 668 AD. In 1840, American Protestant missionaries built a primary school in the region. In 1862, a Russian survey showed 172 families and 2 priests living in the village. In 1883, a missionary established girls' school in the village, and in 1887, and Anglican mission established a Middle School for boys below 17.[4]

Location edit

Sopurghan is located 26 kilometres northeast of the city of Urmia and 2 kilometres from the edge of Lake Urmia.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ Sopurghan can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3086136" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
  2. ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)" (Excel). Statistical Center of Iran. Archived from the original on 2011-09-20.
  3. ^ Minorsky, Vladimir (1957). "Mongol Place-Names in Mukri Kurdistan". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 19 (1): 58–81. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica".
  5. ^ "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica".