Qatur

Qatur (Persian: قطور ) is a city in, and the capital of, Qatur District of Khoy County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran. It also serves as the administrative center for Qatur Rural District.

Etymology

The city's name is said to originate from a disease very common in dogs and goats in Turkish language (qotur), and the warm water springs in this area helped to treat the disease and alleviate its symptoms. This gives rise to the idea that people living in the area may not have been Kurds originally, but rather immigrants from other parts of Turkey.

History

Following the Treaty of Berlin in 1878, Qatur was handed over from the Ottoman empire to Iran.

Demographics

Language and ethnicity

Qatur is adjacent to the Iran–Turkey border and is populated by Kurds of the Shakak tribe.

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, Qatur's population was 3,962 in 652 households, when it was a village in Qatur Rural District. The following census in 2011 counted 4,663 people in 1,000 households, by which time the village had been elevated to the status of a city. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 5,147 people in 1,193 households.

Climate

Due to its elevation at 1,961 m (6,433 ft) above sea level, Qatur has a cold continental mediterranean climate (Köppen: Dsb). Winters are cold and snowy while summers are warm and far dryer. The average annual temperature in Qotur is 6.9 °C (44.4 °F). Precipitation here is about 414mm (16.3 in) per year.