Saqqez

Saqqez or Saghez (in Persian: سقز, in Azeri: Saqqız in Kurdish: Seqiz), is a city located at 36°23′N 46°28′E, in Kurdistan Province of Iran. Its estimated population as of 2005 is 151,237. [1]

Medes have lived in Seqiz and surrounding areas since approximately 7,00 B.C., and many believe that Medes, the city's first known inhabitants, are direct ancestors of the present-day people of western Iran. In addition the name of the city, which is a Turkish word that means: "Chewing Gum" or "Number 8", reveals that the inhabitants of the city after Medes and before Kurds Had been Turkish people, with taking a look at the Azeri names of its surrounding villages, it can be proved that the whole region belongs to Azeri People. In pre-Islamic era, Seqiz and surrounding areas comprised a small country known as Sagapeni, which is believed to be related to the name of the ancient Iranian Sakas from which the name of the city is derived.

At an altitude of 1,493 meters (4,898 feet), Seqiz has a seasonally varying climate with cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers. During summers, there is a large daily temperature range due to the combination of thin, dry air, produced by the high elevation, and low summertime humidity.