Ardebil Ardabil, or Erdebil, a town of Persia, in the province of Azerbijan, 110 m. E. of Tabriz, and 35 m. W. of the Caspian, situated 5,000 feet above the sea, at the foot of the Sa-valan mountains; pop. about 4,000. A fine and fertile situation has made it a favorite resort of Persian princes. Abbas Mirza had a fort built there as a protection against the Russians, who were for some time in possession of the town during the war of 1826-8. It'was flourishing in former centuries under the Suffices, whose founder as well as the first shah of that dynasty are buried here in a beautiful mausoleum which is a resort of pilgrims. The town has been devastated by earthquakes and is in decay, though still retaining some commercial importance.