Saqqez (Seqiz)

Saqqez (also Saghez, Kurdish: Seqiz, Persian: سقز) is a city in Kurdistan Province, west of Iran. It had an estimated population of 151,237. The population of Saqqez is completely Kurdish.

At an altitude of 1,493 meters (4,898 feet), Saqqez has a seasonally varying climate with cold, snowy winters and hot, dry summers. During summers, there is a large daily temperature range due to the combination of thin, dry air, produced by the high elevation, and low summertime humidity.

The Kurds and their ancient Iranian ancestors have lived in Seqiz and the surrounding areas since approximately 1000 B.C. By the mid-seventh century B.C., the Scythians under Bartatua reached the summit of their might in western Asia, and the region of Saqqez was their political center. In the pre-Islamic era, Seqiz and the surrounding areas comprised a small country known as Sagapeni, which is believed to be related to the name of the ancient Iranian Sakas (Scythians) from which the name of the city is derived.