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Azerbaijan Museum includes a rich and prolific collection of artifacts and works that have been discovered through archeological researches, as well as historical discoveries from different parts of Iran. This collection is the largest archeological collection of northwest and second archeology museum of Iran.

A mound is different from a typical hill. Different layers from different historical eras are formed on top of each other in time and as years go by, each is replaced by layers from new civilizations. Hasanlu mound, also known as Teppe Hasanlu, is one of the historical sites of Iran that has contained in itself some unique artifacts such as Golden bowl of Hasanlu. Located about twenty meters higher than sea level, Teppe Hasanlu is the remainder of an ancient civilization on a hill with about two hundred and sixty-five meters diameter.

The oldest humans are known to inhabit Hasanlu mound are the Mannai tribe. The bronze products of Mannai tribe are comparable with famous bronze pieces of Lorestan. The specialists have identified ten layers of different periods in Hasanlu, amongst which the oldest date back to six thousand years B.C. The ninth and seventh periods are dated between six thousand and three thousand years B.C.

The early archeological researches in Teppe Hasanlu were conducted in 1934. Two years later, in 1936, Sir Aurel Stein, the English scientist, conducted multiple surveys, which resulted in the discovery of some artifacts. Two other expeditions were carried out in 1947 and 1949 respectively. Eventually, a scientific excavation began by the Chief Archeological Office in 1949. It should be mentioned that the objects that are exhibited today in the National Museum of Iran were found during this survey. However, it was an excavation group of both Iranian and American archeologists who discovered the Golden bowl of Hasanlu in 1957.

Golden bowl of Hasanlu is considered one of the most celebrated national artifacts of Iran. It was found during the researches of Robert Dyson from America in 1958 in Teppe Hasanlu. The age of this bowl has been estimated to be about three thousand and two hundred years. Images have been engraved on its body that seems to depict an epic story. The bowl is now kept at the National Museum of Iran next to other discoveries of this site.

Teppe Hasanlu is located seven kilometers away from the Naqadeh County in West Azerbaijan. It is considered a historical site that is only twelve kilometers from Lake Urmia and between two villages of Aminlu and Hasanlu, which is the reason it has been named so.

Saqqez is the extreme northern city of Kordestan province located in 187 kilometers of Sanandaj, the capital city of the province. However, Ziwiye ancient site or Ziwiye tepe confirms the antiquity of this region.

Ziwiye tepe or castle is located 50 kilometers to Saqqez in a village with the same name. five kilometers far from the village there a high hill with structures remained from 3000 years ago. Here is the same castle, state fortress or Ziwiye treasure. The height of this hill is 1835 meters and the castle is 450 meters length and 118 meters width. Ayub Rabbani, a Jewish, who was a pothunter, got the permission of excavation in this region from then government of Iran; he discovered a treasure of gold, silver and ivory placed in a bronze casket that becomes famous as the Treasure of Ziwiye. He sold some of the discovered objects to National Museum of Iran and smuggled most of it out of the country and they are now on display in great museums like British, Louvre and Metropolitan. Later, an American delegation under the supervision of Robert Dyson starts to excavate in this region and their 12 seasons excavations in the site in collaboration with Habibollah Qeddisi, Nosratollah Motamed and Simin Lakpout have made new discoveries in the region. The first professional report on these discoveries was published in a paper entitled Ziwiye Treasure by Andre Godard in 1950.

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This castle belonged to Mana tribe whose capital was Iziriti or the same Saqqez. They are a livestock breeder that formed a union namely Manaei rule as the result of Assyrians dispute with Urartu. They had been culturally and artistically influenced by these two powerful neighbors. Consequently, the art used in Ziwiye can be considered as a combination of Assyrian and Urartu art. Girshman and Godard considered Ziwiye art to be local; Godard recognized it to be the local of Manaei and Girshman that of Meddes inspired by Urartu. Diakonoff also looks at this art as the local of Manaei that can be seen in Meddes style of Lorestan and Manaei style is categorized as the Urartu and Assyrian style.

There are no tourism facilities in this ancient hill and surrounding areas to attract tourists and history lovers to this unique place. Interesting among the other attractions of Saqqez are Domenar Mosque, Haj Saleh Historical Bath and Karaftu Cave.