Historically, Baneh had a strategic and political importance due to its close proximity to the
Ottoman Empire. The city was part of the three Kurdish principalities;
Ardalan,
Baban and
Mokryan. The old city had two
citadels and was generally ruled by the Eḵtīār-al-Dīn family who held both religious and secular power of the city. The family was held in high esteem during the
Safavid era and received the title 'sultan'. Moreover, rulers of Baneh had the responsibility of protecting the whole area from
Khoy to
Kermanshah. In the 16th century, Mīrzā Beg b. Mīr Moḥammad became the first virtually independent ruler of Baneh and its surroundings. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the city was plagued with epidemics which killed a large portion of the population. In 1944, the city experienced turmoil as part of the
Hama Rashid revolt and was also bombed by both parties during the
Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s. Most locals fled to Iraq during the war and much of the region was destroyed. ==Climate==