Pishkinids of Ahar, 1212-26 AD., Mahmud bin Pishkin as vassal of the Ildegizid ruler Uzbek bin Muhammad, Ahar mint, Æ Dirham, Album 1916.

Pishkinids (Atabeks) of Ahar, Mahmud b. Pishkin as vassal of the Ildegizid ruler Uzbek b. Muhammad (1211-25), Ahar mint (today East Azerbaijan Province, Iran), struck AH 608-623 / 1212-26 AD.,
Æ Dirham (ø 27-28 mm / 15,44 g), copper, axes irregular alignment ↑← (ca. 250°),
Obv.: citing the Ildegizid Atabeg Uzbek b. Muhammad, five lines horizontally aligned Arabic script, two(?) lines vertically aligned text flanking, all in a plain circle. .
Rev.: Kalima citing the Abbasid Caliph al-Nasir li-Din Allah, five lines horizontally aligned Arabic script, two(?) lines vertically aligned text flanking, all in a plain circle.
ref. IS-3249 ; Album 1916 ; Zeno 26368 , - 35800 , - 37429 ; Kouymjian 13ff ; Paris 1581-1584 .

Ahar (Persian: اهر‎) is a city in and the capital of Ahar County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. According to the 2006 census, Ahar was the fifth most populated city of the province with a population of 85,782 in 20,844 families.
Ahar is one of the ancient cities of Azerbaijan, its name before Islam was "meimad". In the 12th-13th centuries, Ahar was a minor and short-lived, but prosperous emirate ruled by the Pishteginid dynasty of Georgian origin (1155—1231). Yaqut al-Hamawi, writing in early thirteenth century, describes Ahar as very flourishing despite its small extent.
The city lost most of its importance during the rule of Ilkhanate. Hamdallah Mustawfi, writing in mid fourteenth century, descries Ahar as a little town. He estimates the tax revenue of the town to be comparable to that of Mardanaqom, which presently is a medium sized village.
Ahar was in the focus of Safavid dynasty's agenda for casting of Azerbaijan as a Safavid dominion. Thus, Shah Abbas rebuilt the mausoleum of Sheikh Sheikh Shihab-al-din in Ahar.
Ahar suffered enormously during Russo-Persian War (1804–13) and Russo-Persian War (1826–28). Western travelers in 1837-1843 period had found Ahar, a city with around 700 households, in wretched condition.