tabriz grand bazaar
Tabriz Grand Bazaar is one of the largest indoor grand bazaars in the world which is registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Persiana Travel and Tourism Agency invites you to read this article to get acquainted with the largest world heritage record of Iran in city of Tabriz.
Get familiar with Tabriz Grand Bazaar
Tabriz and its bazaar prospered in the 13th century, when this city in East Azarbaijan Province became the capital of the Safavid rule. This city lost its status as a capital in the 16th century, but remained an important trading center until the end of the 18th century with the expansion of Ottoman power. This bazaar is one of the most complete examples of Iran’s traditional commercial and cultural system. The historical building has a length of 1 km, 6500 rooms, 40 types of jobs, 20 rows, 35 houses, 25 Timchehs (warehouses), 11 corridors and several mosques, schools and baths. It is one of the most important and complete international places of Tabriz which was a connection of west to east for centuries.
This building is located in the middle of a quadrangle that extends from the east to Ali Qapo (crown prince palaces in the city). From the west it extends to the Grand Mosque of Tabriz and from the north to parts of the Meydan-chai river. The north and south of this building are connected by a wooden bridge. However, the northern part has lost its prosperity for some reasons.
In general, the function of this Bazaar is retailing, distribution and collecting goods. Various goods are sold in it, the most important of which are handmade carpets, leather bags and shoes, herbal and medicinal products, spices, fabrics, etc. This place has the atmosphere of traditional bazaars and has modern advanced devices such as mobile phones and computers. This bazaar is one of the most important sights of Tabriz and included in the list of national monuments of Iran in 1975. It was also registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 as part of the Silk Road and the largest roofed structure in the world.
Architecture of Tabriz Grand Bazaar
Tabriz Bazaar is built in a way that its outer part is in harmony with the urban texture and is similar to ordinary buildings. In addition, the importance of this place is not only for its size it is also for its mastery of architects in the use of bricks and brick potteries. One of the interesting features of this building is the vents in the center of its niche that allow hot air to escape. In addition, in some parts of it, no valves have been installed to prevent stream. The thick walls of this structure also retain heat in winter.
Timchehs: Timchehs or warehouses are dedicated to the sale of a particular commodity and the price of its commodities are more expensive. For example, there is a separate space for shoemakers, cloth sellers, fruit sellers, hat makers, coppersmiths, etc. In this bazaar, timches are built in three floors. The lower floor is for storage of goods or warehouses, the second floor is used as a place of work and business, and the third floor is used for rest.
Lines: The main lines of this structure are connected to each other by sub-lines in which timches and houses are built at the distance between them. At the intersection of the lines, there are quadrangle that are decorated with brick dome arches. The lines of this bazaar are public passages with roofs and no entrances. The most important rows of it are the old bazaar, Kafashan bazaar, Safi bazaar, Juma Masjid bazaar, Yemeni Doz bazaar, Abolhassan bazaar, Dalehzan bazaar and etc. Due to the rain and cold weather of Tabriz, the lines of this structure have been covered.
The most famous parts of Tabriz Grand Bazaar
This complex is composed from different sections such as cell, caravanserai, timcheh, corridor, bazaar, square, bazaar line, intersection, gate, mosque, library, bazaar bridge, tomb, school, zurkhaneh, bath, museum, house and etc. Here it is some important parts of this Bazaar.
Amir Bazaar
this part is dedicated to the jewelry exchange and it is one of the most beautiful and prosperous sections of this Bazaar. It is popular not only among customers, but also among tourists. There are about 112 shops in this sector, most of which sell jewelry and some sell fabrics, perfumes and cosmetics. Mirza Mohammad Khan Amir Nezam, who had gone to Tabriz during the reign of Abbas Mirza Nayeb al-Saltanah, built Amir Bazaar.
Mozaffariyeh Timcheh
Mozaffariyeh Timcheh is one of the most famous historical Timchehs in the traditional Bazaar. It dates back to 1888 during the reign of Mozaffar al-Din Shah Qajar. This Timcheh is one of the most important centers for selling hand-woven carpets and rugs in Tabriz and East Azarbaijan province. In addition, matters such as design and repair of carpets and carpet tableaus are also done in this bazaar.
Sadeghieh Bazaar
It is parallel to the new Bazaar, starts from the four Sadeghieh streets and extends to Sadeghieh Timcheh.
Grand Mosque: It is one of the historical monuments of Tabriz, which dates back to the Seljuk to Qajar period. It is located at the end of this Bazaar.
Khan Bathhouse
Khan Bathhouse dates back to the Qajar period. It is one of the oldest historical baths in Tabriz. This bath is decorated with brick arches and stone columns. Meanwhile, there is a very spectacular garden in its outer courtyard. It doubles the beauty of this bathhouse.
Renovation of Tabriz Grand Bazaar
Tis structure experienced several historical events, including the earthquake in 1779. This earthquake caused great damage to it. But under the leadership of Najafgholi Khan Danbali, the ruler of Tabriz, it was repaired. A terrible flood also flew in 1871, which led to the destruction of a large part of the city and this structure. The destructions included the Mesgaran Bazaar, the Yemeni Doz Bazaar, Sahib al-Amr Square, the Kafashan Bazaar.
The son of Haj Mirza Ali Akbar Ghavam-ol-Molk Shirazi, with the help of merchants and the 10,000 Tomans he had received as a gift from Crown Prince Muzaffar al-Din Mirza, built a dam on the Mehran River. In 2009, this traditional bazaar was on fire. In 2019, it was also on a large fire which led to the burning and collapse of part of it. It was restored from the early 70s to the mid-80s. About 70% of the cost of the restoration was borne by the marketeers and 30% by the Cultural Heritage Organization.
These restoration works made this Bazaar as a model for restoring other bazaars in the country. In addition, its Renovation Project was selected in 2013 as one of the winners of the Agha Khan Award in the field of architecture with a $ 20,000 prize. The prize spent on the restoration of it.
Tabriz Grand Bazaar is one of the most important commercial centers on the Silk Road. Tabriz Grand Bazaar includes a set of interconnected structures, roofs, brick buildings and enclosed spaces for various functions. In this article, Persiana Travel and Tourism Agency has gathered complete information about this historical monument for you.