Why visit Saqqez
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 14 parks and trails, 24 places to eat, 6 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Weather in Saqqez
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Saqqez
Saqqez (Sorani Kurdish: سەقز; Kurdish: Seqiz; Persian: سقز; English: sa-ghez; Persian pronunciation: [sæɣˈɣez]) is a city in the Central District of Saqqez County, Kurdistan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
From the Wikipedia article Saqqez (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Saqqez on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks2
Parks, trails and playgrounds14
2 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes24
12 more on the map.
History
Saqqez's history goes back to the seventh millennium BC. Based on historical ruins and Antiques which have been found in Saqqez, like the historical treasures of Ziwiye hoard in the Ziwiyeh Castle, experts like Roman Ghirshman believe that the modern city of Saqqez is built on the site of the ancient capital of the Median kingdom. When the Assyrian king Sargon II (reigned 722 – 705 BC) attacked the Median kingdom, he forced them to flee to Ecbatana (modern day Hamadan) and made this city his capital. On the attack of Sargon II, the ruler of Assyria, the Medes were defeated and their fortifications were destroyed. Thereafter, the Scythians tried to rebuild this city and they chose Saqqez, then named Eskit as their capital. This city was repeatedly attacked by Assyrians and Romans.
According to Vladimir Minorsky, Saqqez is the site of the earlier medieval city of Barza. According to Theophanes the Confessor, who calls the city "Barzan" (Ancient Greek: βάρζαν), the Byzantine emperor Heraclius stayed at Barza for seven days in March 628 while on his way to Ganzak. Barza was an important crossroads in the medieval period, where there was a fork in the road from Dinavar to Maragheh with one branch splitting off towards Urmia. In the early 9th century, Barza was the capital of a separate principality.
From the History section of Saqqez on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay6
Churches and places of worship22
Shopping30
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries31
Healthcare18
داروخانه دکتر شجیعی
Clinic and pharmacy
بلوارکردستان نرسیده به چراغ قرمز روبروی شرکت تعاونی روستایی, شهر سقز
Map of Saqqez
157 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Piranshahr Airport (KHA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 113 km away.
- Şāḩeb 18 km east, about 18 min by car
- Būkān 31 km north, about 31 min by car
- Bāneh 45 km southwest, about 45 min by car
- Shāhīn Dezh 54 km northeast, about 54 min by car
- Maḩmūdābād 57 km north, about 57 min by car
- Ārmardeh 56 km southwest, about 56 min by car
- Ebrāhīmābād 59 km southeast, about 59 min by car
- Sardasht 72 km west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Mahābād 75 km northwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Marīvān 82 km south, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Saqqezphotos2, Min.neel Mohammad Bajian Keyvan Firouzei Bakhtiar Samadi Ayoub Farabi, CC BY 4.0
- Saqqezcity2, GolistanK, Public domain
- SaqqezinNight, Caravaneternity, Public domain
- Saqqezcity, GolistanK, Public domain
- Saka5, دیاکو زمان, Public domain
- Saka4, دیاکو زمان, Public domain
- Nima Zandi Raad - panoramio (13), Nima ZANDI, CC BY-SA 3.0
- میدان قدس سقز - panoramio, auoob farabi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Saqez - Kurdistan - panoramio, Nima ZANDI, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Page built November 8, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.