Bijār

Bijar lies high in the rugged country of Garrus, on the old road between Hamadan and Tabriz. The district's mountains rise above the valleys of the Sefidrud and Talvar, and severe winters shape a landscape of grain fields and sheep pastures. To the northeast stands the ancient mountain fortress of Qamcheqay, whose commanding position was used through several historical periods.

Bijar was recorded as a village associated with the property of Shah Ismail, the first Safavid ruler. Only in the nineteenth century did it grow into a town. Garrus became known for its carpets, woven in Bijar and many villages around it, where household looms complemented farming and animal husbandry. The sturdy textiles brought the name of this highland district to markets far beyond the mountains.