MARAGHEH

Maragheh can be reached by the good 130-km asphalt road south of Tabriz in less than 2 hours. The run is delightful, skirting Mount Sahand, whose ridge 3,722 meters above sea level, protects the town from the harsh winter cold experienced in Tabriz. The town's valley is watered by the Safi Chai river.

The district of maragheh is located on the west-south part of the province, and on the outskirt of the mountain Sahand, and its distance to Tabriz is 130 Kilometers,The town of maragheh is one of the oldest and the most historical valuable towns of Iran. During the liberation battles of Babak Khorramdeen with the Arabs, This town was the headquarters of the Arab army.In 628 AH maragheh was occupied by the Moguls, and 656 AH it became the headquarters of the mogul famous commander and leader Houlako Khan. There are still many historical remaining from Houlako Khan period existed in maragheh. From the many historical places of Maragheh,one can mention the following:
The Historical Castle of Qizlar Qalasi which belong to the later Sasanid and the earlier Islamic period.
The Remainings of the maragheh Observatory which belong to the Houlako period.
The Five Domes (Surkh, Kabood, Modawwar,Ghaffareyyeh, and Guei Borj) which belong to the Moguls period.
The famous Cave of Kabootar which is located on the south-east of maragheh.
The Old Mosques of Molla Rustam, Moezel Deen,Shaykh Baba,as well as the Maragheh Jami’ Mosque, all belong to different Islamic periods.
The Tomb of the famous Azarbijan poet,Aohadi Maragheh.
The Mineral Water Springs:Varjavi, Gushayesh,Sari Su,Shour Su, and Okoz Boughaz.the beautiful Valley of Gushayesh which is located near to the Kabooter Cave.
The Beautiful Outskirts of Mountainous Forests of Sahand which are located on the easter side of the district of Maragheh

Maragheh Observatory
Maragheh has an unbreakable connection with the Mongols, who made it the capital of Azarbaijan for some time, presumably on account of the excellent grazing for their countless horses, and between 1260- 72 AD, in the time of Hulagu, built an astronomical observatory and a university for Khaje Nassir od-Din Tussi, in 15 years and within a distance of 2 km to the west of the town. Its remains are still visible. Khaje Nassir od-Din, born in Tus, near Mash had in 1200 AD, used Hulagu's naive belief in astrology for his own ends.
He persuaded the pagan convert to Buddhism that he could only guide the destiny of the Mongols (who had rescued him from the assassination at Alamut) if a huge observatory and a library to house his 400,000 volumes were constructed.
With it were associated the endeavors of numerous scholars, whom Khajeh Nassir od-Din mentions in Zij.-e Ilkhani, an astronomical almanac. Brockelmann lists 56 works by this eminent scholar, of which most are in Arabic, then the language of Near Eastern science, but Khajeh Nassir od-Din also wrote poetry in Persian.
It had been active until about 680 years ago. It turned into the present state as a result of repeated earthquakes and lack of governmental support. After suppressing the riot of Mokri Tribe supported by the Ottoman Sultan Morad the Third, Shah Abbas the Great arranged for repair of the observatory. However, this was not commenced due to the king's early death.
Maragheh is famous for its mosques, imamzadehs, places of worship, and principally for its funerary towers (gonbads), all of which can be accessed using a taxi.