By the formation of civilization, cities and villages, good exchange became a crucial part of culture of societies and the bazaars gradually appeared.

Grand Bazar of Tabriz, Tabriz, Azerbaijan Sharqi (East) Province, Iran
Photo by Rei nikoo via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

Bazaar is an economic-social unit which can be architecturally indoor or outdoor, periodic or permanent, geographically urban or suburban. In large cities, bazaar is an indoor complex with sale units and relevant buildings which are held permanently.

The bazaars start from out of city gates and continue till the city center. The structure of market consisted of different parts including: rasteh (Part of a market containing a series of shop) as the main elements which create charsou once intersecting each other, rasteh (where guilds are located), corridor and hall (trading company), khanbaar, as a place to store and analyze goods, store, homogeneous and qeysarie trading company, as the workplace of craftsmen like jewelers. There were some others units like mosques, bathrooms, café, restaurants, service or cultural units to fulfill needs of traders, seller and buyers who use the services of a bazaar.

Grand Bazar of Tabriz, Tabriz, Azerbaijan Sharqi (East) Province, Iran
Photo by Kianooshmohebian via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

Bazaar, an urban news center

Bazaars as an economic- social unit had close relation with society since it was always the urban news center, official information and news were firstly published in main bazaar and then spread all over the city. Holding official ceremonies like national- religious celebrations or mourning is another representation of cultural relation between bazaar and populace. Norwruz is an occasion which annually boosts bazaars, on the other hand closing bazaars to take part in mourning or any other important religious occasion has an old background. Also, bazaar and some of its rasteh like bookseller’s rasteh is the circle of scientists, philosophers, poets, and other thinkers, sometimes these people were among craftsmen. Besides, in all political- social movements like Mashrouteh movement which occurred in Iran a trace of marketers can be observed.

The indoor bazaar of Tabriz has been registered in UNESCO as the representative of Iran in bazaar architecture and economic – traditional system.

All cities of Iran have traditional bazaars like Tehran bazaar, Isfahan bazaar, Shiraz bazaar and Tabriz bazaar. The architectural structures which have attracted tourists in addition to preserving economic approach.

The indoor bazaar of Tabriz has been registered in UNESCO as the representative of Iran in bazaar architecture and economic – traditional system.

The post Iranian Traditional Bazaar appeared first on Persia Advisor.

Historic bazaar of Tabriz is one of the most massive covered interconnected brick structures in the world. Tabriz, the biggest city in North West Iran (East Azerbaijan Province), used to be Iran’s capital in various historic eras.

Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex was registered in UNESCO World Heritage list in 2010. This vast traditional complex involves two dozen caravanserais, 22 Timches, and more than 5500 different storefronts.

Timche is a domed hall and caravanserai consisting of a courtyard surrounded by a set of rooms. Most Timches and caravanserais include three floors; the middle floor is to trade and sell goods, the lower floor is the warehouse, and the upper floor is for rest and sleep. Both modern and traditional merchandizes are available in the bazaar some of which occupied a section of it.

Plan of Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex – Persia Advisor Travels
by Negar Ganji

Jewelry, herbal remedies and species, copper products, shoes and leather, hats, fruits and vegetables, kitchen utilities, and cloth shops are among the most popular parts of the bazaar. Nonetheless, Mozaffarieh Timche, dedicated for colorful carpet trades, is the most photographable part of the bazaar.

Tabriz Historic Bazaar, Tabriz, Azerbaijan Sharqi (East) Province, Iran
Photo by Rei nikoo via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

The function of Tabriz historic bazaar is not only confined to shop and trade but over centuries it has been developed into a key social, political and religious center. Movements in the bazaar of Tabriz highly influenced both Constitutional and Islamic Revolutions of Iran. It also has a clear religious function concerning all around noticeable Shia banners and shutting down the bazaar for ten days in the Month of Muharram. Furthermore, there are several mosques inside or in the vicinity of Bazaar among which the Blue Mosque is the most prominent.

Tabriz Historic Bazaar, Tabriz, Azerbaijan Sharqi (East) Province, Iran
Photo by Kianooshmohebian via Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-4.0

According to some historical paintings, the Bazaar existed during Seljuk era. However, it had its zenith during Ilkhanid and Safavid eras between 13th to 16th centuries CE when Tabriz was the capital and a key stop in the northern route of Silk Road. Although the Safavid king changed the capital of Iran from Tabriz to Qazvin in the 16th century, due to the empowerment of Ottoman Empire, the bazaar of Tabriz retained its standing as a commercial center until the 18th century.

The Tabriz historic Bazaar delineates the traditional, cultural, and commercial systems of Iran. Despite experiencing severe incidents such as fire and earthquake, the bazaar of Tabriz has still gloriously beaten heart of the city and is even more popular than recently established malls.

The post Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex (Traditional Bazaar of Tabriz) appeared first on Persia Advisor.

East Azerbaijan’s area is 45,491 square meters, introducing it as the 11th largest province of the country. It has 21 counties such as Marand, Maragheh, and Mianeh as its most populated cities. It contains about five percent of the country’s population with Tabriz as its center city. The people living in this region speak Turkish with Azari Dialect.

The history of East Azerbaijan province dates back to the pre-Islamic period and the time of the Median Empire (678-549 B.C.) during which it was known as Little Medes. During the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 B.C.) and later after the invasion of Alexander, Azerbaijan became independent under the command of Atropatene. After the advent of Islam in 651 A.D. and when Omar became the Caliph, Muslims took control of Azerbaijan and then with the uprising of Babak Khorramdin, the influence of the Abbasid Caliphs was declined in the region.

Following the Mongol invasion and the arrival of Hulagu Khan during the 13th century, Azerbaijan was chosen as the center of the vast Mongol Empire. During the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736), Shah Ismail I chose Tabriz as the capital of Iran and later in the Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925), Tabriz became a center of hosting Qajar princes.

This province has various types of climate due to its large area and high altitude. For example, on one hand, Mianeh and Jolfa have the highest temperature and on the other hand, Bostanabad has the lowest temperature. The cold and semi-arid climate of the province is attributed to its proximity to the Caspian Sea, Lake Urmia, the Black Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea. The highlands of this region are snowy and suitable for winter sports. Due to its natural and historical attractions, East Azerbaijan has become one of the favorite destinations in the country, attracting foreign and domestic tourists every year.

Some of the historical sites of the province include Tabriz traditional bazaar, the church of St. Stepanos in Jolfa (registered in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list), Tabriz Blue Mosque, the remnants of the Maragheh Observatory, and Kandovan Village.

The province is also rich in handicrafts and souvenirs, one of which includes Tabriz Carpet as a famous carpet of the province and Iran as well. Among its other souvenirs, a variety of nuts as well as various types of pastries such as Nougat, Rees, Baslogh, and Qurabiya are notable. Besides, Kebab and Kufteh are the most famous dishes of the region. Bonab Kebab which is a kebab made in the city of Bonab is such popular that it has turned into a national food, being served in most Iranian restaurants across the country.

In contrast, Kufteh is usually homemade food and one cannot find it in restaurants. When it comes to prominent figures, Sattar Khan and Baqir Khan as two leaders of Iran’s Constitutional Revolution were from East Azerbaijan. The province is also known for its literary and poet figures such as Gholam Hossein Sa’edi, Shahriar, Khaghani, Saeb Tabrizi, Parvin Etesami, Aref Murav, and Shams Tabrizi.

The post East Azerbaijan (Sharqi) appeared first on Persia Advisor.