Khomarlu, Iran

Khomarlu (Persian: خمارلو) is a city located in the Central District of Khoda Afarin County, within the East Azerbaijan province of Iran. It serves as the administrative capital for both Khoda Afarin County and the Central District, as well as functioning as the administrative center for Keyvan Rural District. Originally established as a rural settlement, the village of Khomarlu was officially granted city status in 1998.

History and Early Accounts

Historical descriptions of the settlement date back to early travel literature. Robert Mignan documented the village of Khomorloo as being situated upon a deep ravine between steep calcareous and barren mountains. Historical Iranian Army files cited in the Dehkhoda Dictionary reported a population of 396 individuals in the late 1940s. During the early 1960s, in the wake of the White Revolution, a clan of the Mohammad Khanlu tribe consisting of 60 households utilized Khomarlu as winter quarters.

Following the Iranian Revolution, revolutionary institutions such as a Friday Prayer office were established in the settlement. In 1988, the local notary branch relocated from Abbasabad to Khomarlu, enhancing its administrative importance in the region. The settlement was formally declared a town by central government decree in 1999, a transition significantly bolstered by the construction of the nearby Khoda Afarin Dam.

Demographics

According to the 2006 National Census, the population of Khomarlu was 1,222 people residing in 334 households, at which time it functioned as part of Kaleybar County. By the 2011 census, the population increased to 1,659 people in 474 households, following the separation of the district to form Khoda Afarin County. The 2016 census recorded a population growth to 1,902 people across 560 households.

Geography and Landmarks

Khomarlu is located near regional infrastructure and historical sites, most notably the Khoda Afarin Bridges. Situated in the vicinity of the Khoda Afarin Dam project, the area features these historic bridges, one of which lies in ruins while the other spans approximately 160 meters and remains accessible to pedestrians.