Aynalu Protected Area

Aynalu Protected Area is located in East Azarbaijan Province, 45 km from Kalibar and 232 km from Tabriz. This area is part of the Arasbaran Biosphere Reserve. The extraordinary beauty of the scenery of this region has made it one of the main tourist destinations in northwest Iran.

Features and Geography of Ayanlu Protected Area

The height of the protected area of Aynalu is about 1500 meters above sea level, and endangered animal species live there. This area is located near a village of the same name. There is a famous building related to the Qajar era (19th century) in this village, which was built by an Armenian businessman named “Tomanians” on top of a mountain. Despite the fact that only the walls of this building have survived, local people tell many stories about it according to which the roof of the building had beautiful mirror works and was, therefore, called “Ayinehlu” which was later changed to “Aynalu” and also became the name of the village in which it is located.

Aynalu was one of the 17 Armenian villages of Arasbaran at the beginning of the 20th century. Sometime later, with the migration of Armenians to Tabriz and Tehran, Muslims began to settle in the village.

Flora and Fauna of Aynalu Protected Area

The flora of the region includes oak, European hornbeam, maple, wild cherry, taxus, sorbus torminalis, elm, juniper, walnut, wild pear, hawthorn, and pomegranate. Certain medicinal plants and wildflowers grow throughout the area.

White-headed duck, ewe, black-eared hen, leopard, deer, Caucasian black rooster, brown bear, caracal, forest cat, beech marten, rabbit, jackal, common fox, European hedgehog, crowned newt (a type of amphibian), platyceps rhodorachi, ophisops elegans, and lattice-backed snake comprise among the most important fauna of this area. Caucasian black rooster is one of the rare species of this region.

Maral (Red Deer) and Aynalu Protected Area

The main reason for creating this protected area was to prevent the extinction of the Maral (Red Deer), which is the largest species of deer, and the length and weight of which are about 170 cm and 230 to 320 kg respectively. Some adult Marals have long horns, the length of which reach 120 cm. Due to the reduction of forests and the expansion of industrial activities, mining, and urbanization, the area inhibiting this mammal had considerably decreased in the past few decades. The main habitat of Maral, which is also called “Caspian Deer”, was the forests of northern Iran and Arasbaran forests. In addition, a number of Marals have also been identified in the oak forests of Zagros and Fars.

The number of Marals began to reduce about half a century ago and finally, no trace of it remained could be found in the Arasbaran region. In order to increase the number of these deer, seven deer were transferred from the Golestan Biosphere Reserve to this area and a 5.3-hectare forest area was fenced. As a result of these efforts, their number increased considerably in this area and the area marked as their habitat was increased to 180 hectares.

Visiting Aynalu Protected Area

Due to the fact that the Aynalu Protected Area attracts many tourists, accommodation and hygiene facilities have been created around the area to provide them with better services. It should also be noted that Aynalu is located in a cold region, and, therefore, it would be more appropriate and pleasant to visit it in the moderate and warm seasons of the year.

There are other sightseeing areas near this protected area that can be of interest to visitors. The dense forests of the area look extremely beautiful on foggy days.