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Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex is one of the biggest and most important covered bazaars in the world. The bazaar borders Ali Qapu Palace, where Qajar(1785-1925) Crown Princes lived) on the east, Tabriz Jame Mosque on the west and Qouri Chai (Mehranroud) River in the north.
While the exact date of the construction of this bazaar is unknown, 10th century travelers have made reference to it in their travelogues. Between the 12th and the 18th centuries, Tabriz Bazaar was one of the most important international trade and cultural centers in the world due to its location on the Silk Road.
The Silk Road is the ancient trade route dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 CE), which helped to forge political and economic ties between China, India, Persia, Europe, and Arabia. This ancient route also allowed for the trade of culture, religions, philosophies and different technologies among the civilizations along the way.
The bazaar, which is located at the heart of Tabriz, flourished in the 16th century when the city shortly became the capital of the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736). An earthquake in 1780 devastated the bazaar and it was reconstructed using the surviving materials from the original bazaar. In 1871, a flood extensively damaged the Tabriz Bazaar and it went under subsequent reconstruction.
The bazaar has high arches and domes with moqarnas decorations as well as lightwells strategically positioned to provide sufficient lighting for the passages and shops located along its main vaulted street.
The Tabriz Bazaar includes several structures intended for commercial and trade-related activities, and social gatherings as well as schools and mosques. This bazaar has become a unique environment which brought together the people of different professions and from different cultures.
The bazaar consists of several sub-bazaars, such as Amir Bazaar (for gold and jewelry), Mozzafarieh (a carpet bazaar), a shoe bazaar, Abachi bazaar, crystal bazaar and many other ones for various goods.
The Tabriz Bazaar also played an important role in the people’s struggles during the Constitutional Revolution of the early 20th century. Constitutional revolutionaries used the bazaar as a place to organize popular protest movement and often closed this bazaar and brought economic activities in Tabriz to a halt in order to pressure the Qajar monarch into signing the order for establishing the first Parliament (Majlis).
The Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex has been register as a National Heritage Site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Imam Khomeini St, Tabriz.