Pîranşar

Piranshahr lies in the mountain country south of Lake Urmia, near the plains and passes of the Lajan region. Earlier accounts describe the district as Lahijan, home to Kurdish tribal groups including the Balbas and Mukri. The nearby settlement of Pasveh was known to medieval geographers for its orchards. During the Safavid period the mountain frontier saw repeated contests among local tribes and larger powers, while the valleys and passes linked the lands around Urmia with the Kurdish country to the west.