Bazaar of Tabriz

Coordinates: 38°04′50.78″N 46°17′32.23″E / 38.0807722°N 46.2922861°E / 38.0807722; 46.2922861

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
Type Cultural
Criteria ii, iii, iv
Reference 1346
UNESCO region Asia and Australasia
Inscription history
Inscription 2010 (34th Session)
An alley in Tabriz Bazaar devoted to carpet selling

The Bazaar of Tabriz (Persian: بازار تبریز‎‎, also Romanized as Bāzār-e Tabriz) is a historical market situated in the city center of Tabriz, Iran. It is one of the oldest bazaars in the Middle East and the largest covered bazaar in the world. and is one of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.[1]

History

Tabriz has been a place of cultural exchange since antiquity. Its historic bazaar complex is one of the most important commercial centres on the Silk Road. Located in the center of the city of Tabriz, Iran, the structure consists of several sub-bazaars, such as Amir Bazaar (for gold and jewelry), Mozzafarieh (a carpet bazaar, sorted by knot size and type), shoe bazaar, and many other ones for various goods such as household items. The most prosperous time of Tabriz and its bazaar was in the 16th century when the town became the capital city of the Safavid kingdom. The city lost its status as a capital in the 17th century, but its bazaar has remained important as a commercial and economic center.[2] Although numerous modern shops and malls have been established nowadays, Tabriz Bazaar has remained the economic heart of both the city and northwestern Iran.[3]

Tabriz Bazaar has also been a place of political significance, and one can point out its importance in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution in the last century and Islamic Revolution in the contemporary time.

The bazaar was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2010.[1][4]

Ceremonies

The bazaar is used for some important religious ceremonies. The most famous one is Day of Ashura during which merchants cease trading for about 10 days and religious ceremonies are held inside the bazaar. Like other bazaars in Middle East, there are several mosques constructed behind the bazaar, the most notable of them being Jome' Mosque.

Restoration

In 2000, the Historical Hermitages Organization of Iran begin a restoration project of the Bazaar, with the full participation of the shop owners. The rehabilitation project won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2013.[5]

Photo gallery

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  2. ↑ Assari, Ali; Mahesh, Talkad; Emtehani, Mohammed; Assari, Erfan (December 2011). "Comparative sustainability of bazaar in Iranian traditional cities: case studies in Isfahan and Tabriz" (PDF). International Journal on Technical and Physical Problems of Engineering 3 (9): 18–24.
  3. ↑ Editorial Board, East Azarbaijan Geography, Iranian Ministry of Education, 2000 Text Book in Persian Archived June 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "World Heritage Committee inscribes seven cultural sites on World Heritage List". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 31 July 2010.
  5. ↑ "Rehabilitation of Tabriz Bazaar". Aga Khan Development Network. Retrieved 1 July 2013.

Further reading

External links

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