Analysis of Ardabil's Business and Communication Routes in Survival and Prosperity Based on Historical Texts and Archaeological Data

In the early Islamic centuries, Ardabil is considered to be the oldestand the first city in the Azerbaijani province due to its regional biodiversity ingeographical texts. The present study investigates the communication routes tothe peripheral points in the Islamic period and their role in the survival of thecity based on historical literature and archeological data. The importance andsafety of roads and communication routes were two important components thatinfluenced each other, making Ardabil a city in the center of commercial andtrading routes in the North-West. This situation can be seen and prosecutedduring the Islamic period from the beginning of Islam to the late Islamiccenturies. The research method is historical-analytical and the data werecollected through the study of historical and geographical literature and theuse of the archaeological reports of the area. The main question of this articleis: “What effect did the communication routes have had on the survival of theIslamic period until the end of the Safavid period?” The results show that in theearly centuries, the city's communication routes were significantly prosperous.The description of the roads and the importance of the buildings and the citiesinside them are described together. In this period, roads have played a leadingrole in the survival and prosperity of the city. In the Middle Ages, this citybecame a trivial city in the region as the capital, trade and communicationroutes changed. During the Safavid period, the city was once again restored toits former prosperity due to the importance of the tomb complex of Sheikh Safiad-din Ardabili to the kings of the dynasty as well as the conversion of the cityto the site of the Silk Road. During this period, numerous routes were createdand led to the orientalists and tourists’ travelling to this ciy