Dizmar-e Sharqi Rural District



Dizmar-e Sharqi Rural District is in Minjavan District of Khoda Afarin County, East Azerbaijan province, Iran. Its capital is the village of Mardanaqom.

History
Dizmar was first mentioned by the renowned historian Hamdallah Mustawfi in the mid-fourteenth century: "Dizmar is a district in the north of Tabriz which includes more than 50 villages..." Mardanaqom, was also mentioned by Hamdallah Mustawfi as a thriving village. The landmark, manifesting ancient history of the district, is an ancient plane tree in Kavanaq village (included on the map). The tree is about 3 meter in diameter and is said to have lived for 500 years. Moreover, on a mountain between Kavanaq and Mardanaqom, there is a castle dating from Sasanian era. It was used as a jail for high-ranking officials during Khwarazmian reign.

White Revolution
In the wake of White Revolution (early 1960s) many clans of Qarāca Dāġ tribes used Dizmar as their winter quarters. The eastern part of Dizmar was declared a part of Khoda Afarin County in 2011 and Mardanaqom was designated as its capital.

2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in Dizmar National Park, along with eight others, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir Abdollahian. The crash occurred around 1:00 PM on 19 May 2024.

Population
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the rural district's population was (as a part of the former Khoda Afarin District of Kaleybar County) was 2,888 in 641 households. There were 3,097 inhabitants in 865 households at the following census of 2011, by which time the district had been separated from the county in the establishment of Khoda Afarin County. The 2016 census measured the population of the rural district as 2,760 in 867 households. The most populous of its 22 villages was Marzabad, with 742 people.