The university was first established by the autonomous Azerbaijan People's Government under Jafar Pishevari on June 12, 1946, as the University of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azerbaycan Universitesi) with faculties in Medicine, Agriculture and Pedagogy. However, the university closed in November with the collapse of the autonomous government. It was re-opened on October 30, 1947, which is now officially set as its inauguration date. The university was called the University of Azarabadegan prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and renamed the University of Tabriz afterwards. In 1985, the Iranian Ministry of Health, Treatment and Medical Education took over the departments and faculties in the medical sciences and the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (tbzmed) became an independent institution.