Ardabil

Ardabil, in northwestern Iran, was home to the Safavid Sufi order. Its namesake Safi al-Din died in 1334, and his son Sadr al-Din Musa inherited leadership of the order.

By the mid-15th century the order had adopted Shiite beliefs and turned militant under Junayd and Haydar, who died in battle in 1460 and 1488 respectively. Haydar's son Ismail launched his campaign from Ardabil and founded the Safavid dynasty in 1501, making Tabriz his capital and Twelver Shiism the state religion. Ardabil retained the shrine of Safi al-Din and Ismail's tomb.