Maragheh

Maragheh is one of the great cities in East Azerbaijan Province and recognized as the official center.
The city stretches beside Sufi Chai River, on the southern slope of Sahand Mountain.
Covering an area of 9,725 square km, it has a population of 859,163. In 1390, solar calendar, it was regarded as the second largest and most highly-populated city after Tabriz.
Maragheh is also the second most ancient city in Azerbaijan after Oromiyeh. It is located 135 km south of the center of the province. In 1387, solar calendar, the plan of economic region was approved by the government.

Name

The word Maragheh was common since the second century AH. According to the historians, the city's other names were Afrah Rud (Ahmad Belazari), Afrazeh Ruh( Moejam Albeldan), Afrahruz (Ahmad Bin Yaeghubi), Afrazeh Rud (Yaghut Hamavi), Afrazha Rud (Bartold), Emdadha Rud, Marava or Maarava (Kasravi) and Maragha (Wilson, an English Explorer).
The name of the city in the southeast of Oromiyeh Lake (on the map: known as Shahi Lake) is recorded as Maragha.
On why it is given several names there are theories which are as follow:

Marava

Ahmad Kasravi in his Azeri book ( perhaps ancient version of Azeri) writes:
Undoubtedly, the true name of the city is Marava or Maarava and so it is a place settled by the Medes.

Maragha

Wilson, the English Explorer, in his logbook says that Maragheh has been taken from the name of a famous nestorian bishop named Maragha.

Markiyana

Some researchers attribute the name of Markiyana to Oromiyeh Lake which has been mentioned in the Ptolemy's geography book,