| Dizmar-e Sharqi Rural District | |
| Native Name: | Persian: دهستان ديزمار شرقي |
| Settlement Type: | Rural District |
| Pushpin Map: | Iran |
| Coordinates: | 38.8311°N 46.5589°W |
| Coordinates Footnotes: | [1] |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Iran |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | East Azerbaijan |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Khoda Afarin |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Subdivision Name3: | Minjavan |
| Seat Type: | Capital |
| Seat: | Mardanaqom |
| Population Total: | 2760 |
| Population As Of: | 2016 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | IRST |
| Utc Offset: | +3:30 |
Dizmar-e Sharqi Rural District (Persian: دهستان ديزمار شرقي) is in Minjavan District of Khoda Afarin County, East Azerbaijan province, Iran.[2] Its capital is the village of Mardanaqom.[3]
Dizmar was first mentioned by the renowned historian Hamdallah Mustawfi in the mid-fourteenth century: "Dizmar is a district in the north of Tabriz which includes more than 50 villages..."[4] Mardanaqom, was also mentioned by Hamdallah Mustawfi as a thriving village.[5] The landmark, manifesting ancient history of the district, is an ancient plane tree in Kavanaq village (included on the map). The tree is about 3 meter in diameter and is said to have lived for 500 years. Moreover, on a mountain between Kavanaq and Mardanaqom, there is a castle dating from Sasanian era. It was used as a jail for high-ranking officials during Khwarazmian reign.[6]
In the wake of White Revolution (early 1960s) many clans of Qarāca Dāġ tribes used Dizmar as their winter quarters.[7] The eastern part of Dizmar was declared a part of Khoda Afarin County in 2011[8] and Mardanaqom was designated as its capital.
See main article: 2024 Varzaqan helicopter crash. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash[9] in Dizmar National Park, along with eight others, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir Abdollahian. The crash occurred around 1:00 PM on 19 May 2024.
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the rural district's population was (as a part of the former Khoda Afarin District of Kaleybar County) was 2,888 in 641 households.[10] There were 3,097 inhabitants in 865 households at the following census of 2011,[11] by which time the district had been separated from the county in the establishment of Khoda Afarin County. The rural district was transferred to the new Minjavan District.[2] The 2016 census measured the population of the rural district as 2,760 in 867 households. The most populous of its 22 villages was Marzabad, with 742 people.[12]