The oldest established higher education center in Azerbaijan is the Maragheh Observatory, which dates back to more than eight hundred years ago. This ancient university center included the fields of Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, which was founded by Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi, a famous Iranian scientist. The Maragheh Observatory had a library of more than 400,000 books, bringing together scientists from around the world. This center has valuable publications such as "Zij Ilkhani", "Tahrir Euclid", "Sharh al-Isharat", "Asaf al-Ishraq", "Astralb", "Qawaid fi Teb", "Sadr al-Akwab" and so on.
It adorns the world's most prestigious libraries, including Iran, Paris, London, the United States, Western Europe, Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Tashkent, Dushanbe and St. Petersburg.
The famous Maragheh Observatory Globe is housed in the Spangger Museum in Brazil and is the oldest astronomical globe in that center. It should be mentioned that, Maragheh Observatory is not only the most complete observatory ever built, but also the first equipped observatory before the camera was discovered. So that until three hundred years later, no equipped observatory was established in the West.

 

The history of the establishment of the university in Tabriz dates back to more than 700 years ago, i.e. to the eighth century AH or the thirteenth century AD (symmetrical to the Middle Ages in the West). The large scientific, educational, endowment and university complex of Rabe-e Rashidi was built by Khajeh Rashid al-Din Fazlullah Hamedani, the minister of science and resourcefulness of Ghazan Khan in Tabriz, the capital of the great empire of Iran. Khajeh Rashid al-Din has written the rules and regulations of the Rabe-e Rashidi collection in an exquisite book called "The Rasheed Endowment, in the endowment line, in the statement of the tapes of the endowment matters, the banks".

Fortunately, the original and the manuscript of the endowment letter has been preserved so far and is an ornament of the Central Library of Tabriz. The endowment of Rabe-e Rashidi or the charter of Tabriz University 700 years ago in 2007 was one of the first written works of Iran and was registered in the UNESCO World Memory. Due to Khajeh Rashid al-Din Fazlullah being a physician and the great interest of Ghazan Khan and other patriarchs in medicine, "Dar al-Shifa" or Rab'Rarshidi Hospital and Medical School of Tabriz was of special importance. The head of "Dar al-Shifa" or the oldest medical school Tabriz was "Mohammad Ibn Nili" who was known as "Galen Zaman". In addition to treating patients, each doctor taught five to ten students. The duration of study at the medical school was five years. After this period, if they were able to treat the patients, they would receive "permission" or, in modern terms, "encyclopedia". Students taught in the mornings in theory and in the afternoons in practice. The medical students, like the other students, were in a full-time quarter, and all their needs were well met. They received "Saboun baha" (cleaning money), "Halva baha" (food money) and "Jame baha" (clothing money). Surgery, kahali (ophthalmology), and surgery (fracture) were common specialties in the Rabe-e Rashidi hospital, and foreign physicians from many countries of Egypt, Syria, China, India, etc. were gathered in the hospital.
Like other Rabe-e Rashidi schools, many students from different Islamic countries were studying in Dar al-Shifa, and the university had a completely international aspect. It was one of the largest libraries of that era. This great university had many publications. The translation of the medical book "Tanksuqnameh" from Khatai language into Persian by Khajeh Rashid al-Din and his colleagues can be mentioned as an example of Rabe-e Rashidi Medical Publications. The book "Tenksuknameh" is fortunately preserved and is kept in one of the most prestigious museums in Turkey. This university has been operating for 20 years and after that it has been closed and destroyed for various historical reasons. The unique features of this scientific, educational and endowment center, valuable efforts have been made to "revive the Rab’Rashidi".

"Dar al-Fonun of Tabriz” is the first new higher education school in Azerbaijan, which was opened in 1293 AH during the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar in Tabriz. Dar al-Fonun of Tabriz is the second new higher education center in Iran, which was established after "Dar al-Fonun of Tehran". Dar al-Fonun of Tehran is one of the valuable living steps of the memory of Mirzataghi Khan Amirkabir in line with his renovation plans during his presidency. Sending students to Europe began during the time of Abbas Mirza. Amir Kabir, who was acquainted with these French scholars in Tabriz, had decided to refrain from sending students to Europe and to establish a school with the same style and program as French teachers in Iran.
The Dar al-Fonun of Tabriz accepted 50- 70 students every year, and some of them studied for free and around the clock. This high school has made a valuable contribution to the education of a generation of Azerbaijani intellectuals, so that the graduates of this school have been selected for important jobs in the military and national administrations. During his twenty years of life, the Tabriz Dar al-Fonun or Mozaffari School trained, skilled physicians, so that the most famous physicians in Tabriz a hundred years ago were the same physicians who graduated from this school. In this school, military techniques and medicine were taught. Therefore, both military officials and doctors graduated from this school. Students admitted to this school must have basic information and have completed special schools.



The teachers of the Academy of Arts taught the following courses:
Medicine, Geography, Mathematics, Infantry, Artillery, Calligraphy, French, English, Arabic, Persian and Quran recitation.
Dar al-Fonun of Tabriz, on the 15th of Rabi 'al-Thani 1311 AH, in addition to its educational activities, succeeded in publishing a publication (monthly) called "Vargheh", which is the organ of this school. This publication is managed by Iraj Mirza, a famous Tabrizian poet who was in charge of the school, was published. The paper can be called the first university journal of Tabriz.
The Dar al-Fonun of Tabriz was reopened in 1311 AH (after a short closure) and was renamed the "Mobarakeh Mozaffariyeh School" by the order of "Amir Nezam Grossi", the representative of Azerbaijan.
In the days when the head of this school was Mirza Mohammad Nadim Bashi, a booklet has been published which includes the regulations and curriculum of the Dar al-Fonun. "Mozaffariyeh School" or "Dar al-Fonun of Tabriz" has continued its fruitful scientific and educational life until 1314, and it is a pity that this center, like the large Rabe-e Rashidi complex, has not lived for more than 20 years.

The establishment of the National University of Azerbaijan in Tabriz was approved by the National Assembly to satisfy the colonial ambitions of the Soviet communist government. According to this decree, the National University must start working on the first of Mehr, 1325. For this purpose, two solutions were considered.
Firstly, the building of the Tabriz Preparatory University, which was a well-equipped building, was evacuated and handed over to the university. Therefore, a place was quickly prepared for the transfer of the boys' elementary school, and the building was given to the university and prepared for the admission of students in the next academic year.
Secondly, a suitable place should be considered for the university and the building and equipment of a modern university should be implemented there.
Dr. Jahanshahloo (one of the most influential leaders of the separatist sect of Azerbaijan) was elected president of the university and a 7-member commission was appointed to prepare for the opening of the university (in October 1325) and to determine the courses and professors and to regulate affairs.
On 22/3/1325, construction of the building began. The amount of 2 million Tomans was allocated for the building and its administrative expenses, half of which was for the first phase of the building and the other half for equipment and other running costs. It should be noted that the amount of two million Tomans was more than the total annual budget of the (self-made) Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan.
Enrollment for the current academic year (Mehr 1, 1325) began and took place from Tir 10 to Mordad 15. Those who had a 6th high school diploma were accepted without an entrance exam, and fifth-year high school and elementary school graduates passed the entrance exam. The entrance exam was held in Shahrivar and the classes were started on time. The university consisted of two faculties:
1) School of Medicine, 6 years of study and 60 students.
2) The Faculty of Teacher Training includes 4 disciplines: Language & Literature, History & Geography, Physics & Chemistry, Mathematics & Physics. The study period in this faculty was 3 years and 30 students were accepted in each field. Schools of Agriculture & Law were to be established in the future. The professors were selected from experienced physicians and teachers of Tabriz and engineers. Only one professor of higher mathematics, Mohammadov, was hired from Baku. University hours were from 2 to 8 p.m. In this way, employed professors and those students who were employed could get to work and study.

After the developments in Azar 1325 and the suppression of the seditionist and separatist leaders of the disbanded democratic sect of Azerbaijan and the withdrawal of the administration of the Azeri provinces from the hands of the Soviet government and their internal mercenaries and the closure of Azerbaijan University in Dey 1325, a delegation consisting of Dr. Eghbal, Dr. Habibi (Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tehran), Dr. Khanbababiani (Professor, Faculty of Literature, University of Tehran) and Dr. Shafaq were sent from Tehran to Tabriz to study and reopen the University of Tabriz and announce their final opinion.
Following the favorable opinion of the delegation as well as the assistance of the representatives of Azerbaijan province in the National Assembly, the Ministry of Culture decided to prepare a letter of approval on the establishment of the University of Tabriz and submit it to the National Assembly.
Unfortunately, symmetrically, there were changes in the cabinet and as a result, the approval was delayed. During this period, the culture-loving people of Azerbaijan, using all available means and facilities, drew the attention of the government to the importance and necessity of (re-establishing) the University of Tabriz. On second of shahrivar 1326, according to the proposal No. 6527 of the Ministry of Culture, a resolution was passed by the Cabinet, which, due to the urgent need of Tabriz University, will be authorized by the Minister of Culture for two months from the date of this resolution. The decision contained in this resolution is to hire and prepare the necessary legal plan for the establishment of the university and submit it to the National Assembly for approval.

In the message of Dr. Iqbal, the next Prime Minister, on the occasion of the thirteenth year of the establishment of Tabriz University, it is stated:
“Thirteen years ago, in Shahrivar 1325, I visited the cities and villages of the vast region of Azerbaijan with a delegation, the cult was astonished and worried, they did not know what their fate would be. In such a description, on the morning of Saturday the 14th of Shahrivar 1325, we gathered in the office of the Tabriz Preparatory University (where Azerbaijan University is located) and discussed the fate of the university. There were many arguments for and against the dissolution or continuation of this institution. I stated that, we should put aside the negative discussion and only discuss in this regard how the University of Tabriz can be established sooner and easier and as completely as possible and to confuse this group of hopeful and innocent youth (Students recruited in 1325) ended. Finally, a proclamation was prepared. The proclamation was as follows: “On Saturday, Dey 4, 1325, a commission was convened in Tabriz with the presence of Dr. Iqbal (Minister of Health) composed of Dr. Habibi, Dr. Kasemi, Dr. Bayani, Sadeghnejad (Minister of Culture) and Dr. Rezazadeh Shafaq; the unity of opinion was achieved namely the need to continue the university activities.”


 

Since its establishment in 1325, Tabriz University has been active in three different types of government with three titles: Azerbaijan University, Azarabadgan University and Tabriz University.
The history of the Faculty of Medicine is the same as the history of the establishment of Tabriz University because the first faculty established in this university is the Faculty of Medicine.

The first president of the university at the time of its initial establishment was Dr. Jahanshah Jahanshahloo, who taught sociology. After the reopening of the university in 1326, the university was headed by Khan Bababiani. The presidents of this university, respectively, are:

The Cabinet of Ministers, in accordance with the approval letter No. 11624 dated 5/6/1326, authorized the Minister of Culture to select the teachers of Tabriz medical and literature schools from from the first of Shahrivar in 1326 for two months. After the advertisement was published in the Information (Etela’at) newspaper, more than seventy people in Tehran and Tabriz registered. Dr. Mostafa Habibi selected the following persons and suggested them to Dr. Siddiq Alam, the then Minister.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ghaffar Bineshpour was elected as the editor and head of the medical school library, so the medical school resumed its activities with ten lecturers.

After registering the names of the volunteers on the 7th of Azar 1326, Dr. Habibi (Dean of the School of Paramedical Sciences) inaugurated the first class session in the amphitheater of Tabriz Boys' University. Thus, the academic years 1326-27 ended with the above teachers and 75 students were engaged in education.

Two years after hiring ten primary professors, six new lecturers were recruited to the medical school in a different way. So that in the academic years 1328-29, after the announcement was published by the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Culture and a commission consisting of the Ministry of Culture and the Deputy of Tehran Medical School, the following men were selected as associate professors and assistants.

In the academic year 1328-29, the following four Austrian physicians were recruited and sent to teach and supervise medical schools in hospitals:

The first dean of the medical school was Dr. Habibi, who died after the academic years of 1326-27, and his deputy, Dr. Mohammad Shafie Amin, was appointed to replace him.

In the academic years 1327-28, associate professors and teachers were not hired and selected for the second year. Only Dr. Naser al-Din Balshad and Dr. Mohammadkar came to Tabriz on a mission and taught embryology and histology.
 

The first issue of the journal of the medical school states: "In Bahman 1338, the first issue of the journal of the Tabriz medical school was published. This journal is published every three months under the supervision of the editorial board selected from among the professors of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tabriz, including medical and scientific articles. "Apart from Iranian universities, it is also sent to major universities in foreign countries, and for the use of foreigners, abstracts are published in French and English."
The first issue of the journal of the medical school is in fact the first issue of the journal of pharmacy because in these days (1338) the school of medicine and pharmacy was common, so the full name of the journal was also the journal of the school of medicine and pharmacy.
In the first issue of the Faculty of Medicine, articles by Dr. Mohammad Shafi Amin, Dr. Abdolhamid Ganjavian, Dr. Amin Al-Ashrafi (two articles) Dr. Arista, Dr. Farjaleh Durandish, Dr. Ganjehzadeh and two students named Yadollah Kamali and Tariqi. Dr. Shafi Amin and Dr. Amin Al-Ashrafi were Concessionaire and manager of this publication, respectively.

In 4/29/29, the head of the university office told the governor of Azerbaijan: “In Shahriver 1328, according to a law passed by the National Assembly, Bouali, Women's, Infectious Diseases, and Ophthalmology hospitals were attached to the Faculty of Medicine (Tabriz). Because the location of Bu Ali Hospital was not enough for the surgery and internal medicine ward, a place was prepared for the internal medicine ward. Currently, Habibi Hospital consists of two departments (pediatrics and ENT)."
The officials of the six hospitals affiliated to the medical school in 1329 were:

"During the academic years of 1327-28, the council of the medical school approved the need to establish midwifery, medical and pharmacy classes. It was established in Esfand 1327.

Based on the decision of the Council of the School of Medicine (in the academic years 1327-28) and following the establishment of midwifery and medical classes, from the academic years 1328-29, pharmacy classes were started and the field of pharmacy was established and the sign "School of Medicine and Pharmacy" was installed on the head of the school.