The hub of the West Azerbaijan Province and bordered in by the Lake Urmia in the east and the Turkish border in the west, Urmia is a surprising mix of modern energy, multicultural heritage and enthralling Middle Eastern history. It's been tossed between various empires since the 2^nd millennium BC, imbuing its primary Azerbaijani culture with Turkic, Shia, Sunni, Christian, Armenian, and Sufi components to name just a few.

You can see them all rubbing shoulders as you wander the city with your Urmia tour guide, spying out the Qajar-era Sardar Mosque one moment and moving between the shadowy alcoves of the bustling Urmia Bazaar the next. Old ice houses and the Momma Marys Church also pepper the landscape amongst parks and coastal villages in the district, helping to weave Urmia's multicultural patchwork together.

Urmia has another trick up its sleeve: the Urmia Lake. Iran's answer to the Dead Sea, this a super-saline lake glows curious hues of orange and blue beneath the dusty Azerbaijani mountains. It's ringed by otherworldly beaches and fruit orchards, offering a perfect dose of wild and striking nature just 30 minutes' drive east of the city.