The Bazaar has beautiful courtyards, caravansarais, bath houses, and old shops which are deemed among the best places in Shiraz to buy all kinds of Persian rugs, spices, copper handicrafts and antiques. All the financial, business, internal and external exchanges have been taken place in this bazaar and it had been the financial heart of Shiraz and now it still serves people’s demands and one can buy Shiraz souvenirs and handicrafts out here.
It has three pass ways (for costumers), the shop frontage (two stairs upper than the ground) and shop space (place of selling), and 5 grand doors in its 4 corners and like other middle eastern Bazaars there are a few numbers of mosques and Imamzadehs constructed adjacent or behind the Bazaar.

Also 74 multiple arches of this bazaar with more than 11 meter height are higher than the other bazaars’. This bazaar has 5 grand doors in the corners. It has also two north-south and east-west strings which are crossed.The North-south part of bazaar begins from Darvaze-Ispahan and continues to southern alley of Sara-ye-moshir. In both parts of this section there are 41 pairs of shops in front of which there exist stone made stages engraved with Toranj. For avoiding moisture, the stores are built about 1 meter upper than the ground. Each if the stores have storerooms and two floors.

Also in north eastern part of the bazaar there are some old caravansaries such as Roghani, Gomrok, Ahmadi which have doors to the bazaar. Each of them has many stores. North-south part of the bazaar is called Bazazan Bazaar (Bazaar of drapes).
East-west part has two sections:

1- Eastern part of Chahar-Soogh which is called Alaghe-Bandan bazaar and belongs to herbal medications stores.

2- Western part of Chahar-Soogh which is called Tarkesh-Dooz-Ha bazaar and is the center of Iranian carpet stores.

Cultural Heritage association has recorded Bazaar-E-Vakil in June of 1927 with the number of 924.

Address: Bazaar-E-Vakil, Shohada Square, Shiraz, Fars province, Iran

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The bazaar has a famous architecture, especially at its Timche-ye Amin od-Dowleh section, a caravanserai with a soaring, beautifully decorated dome. Dating from 1868, it’s currently being restored by the Kashani Culture & Heritage Office. There’s a tea stand at one of its entrances where you can sit and watch a steady stream of shoppers pass by. Alternatively, the 19th-century Hammam-e Khan is a popular spot for a tea and Qalyan (water pipe) in the late afternoon. Other notable features in the bazaar include the Seljuk-era Masjed-e Soltani (Soltani Mosque), located on the main thoroughfare (known as “The Main Line”), and the 800-year-old Mir Emad Mosque, located on a thoroughfare known as “The Copper Line”.

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The area around Tehran has been settled since at least 6,000 BC, and while bazaar-like construction in Iran as a whole has been dated as far back as 4,000 BC, Tehran’s bazaar is not this old. It is hard to say exactly when the “bazaar” first appeared, but in the centuries following the introduction of Islam, travelers reported the growth of commerce in the area now occupied by the current bazaar. The Grand bazaar is a continuation of this legacy. Research indicates that a portion of today’s bazaar predated the growth of the village of Tehran under the Safavids’ dynasty; although it was during and after this period that the bazaar began to grow gradually.

There are a wide variety of architectural styles on display at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, owing to that fact that it’s not just one building that was built at the one time. Nobody knows just how old the bazaar is however there is evidence to suggest that there has been commerce and trade occurring in this part of Tehran since at least 1660BCE. The oldest physical structure standing today however, is a relatively young 400 years old. One moment you’ll be walking through a passageway that dates back to the 1700s then you’ll turn a corner and be walking through a corridor that was built in the 1970s.

Many have described Tehran’s Grand Bazaar as a “city within a city”and it’s easy to see why. You could easily spend several days exploring in here. In fact, there’s even a hotel inside. It’s a fascinating place to walk through and watch life go by, in some cases unchanged from the way it’s been for centuries. Traditionally, each section of the bazaar specialised in different types of goods – a section for copper, a section for spices, a section for carpets etc. Many of the traditional traders still run stores in the traditional manner but it’s not uncommon to see more modern stores like computer shops and electronics stores too.

The Grand Bazaar of Tehran is a place where national trade is discussed along with it’s politics, and not surprising where past revolutions have started. Proud families have passed down their stores here for generations. You will also find every category of product and commodity has it’s own street, but what usually interests tourists the most is the old Bazaar Architecture, peeping into the Khomeini Mosque, tracing the old City Walls. And if navigating deep enough into the bazaar you might find the remains of an Armenian Church. Just try not to get lost!

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Tabriz has been a place of cultural exchange since antiquity and its historic bazaar complex is one of the most important commercial centres on the Silk Road. Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex consists of a series of interconnected, covered, brick structures, buildings, and enclosed spaces for different functions. Tabriz and its Bazaar were already prosperous and famous in the 13th century, when the town, in the province of Eastern Azerbaijan, became the capital city of the Safavid kingdom. The city lost its status as capital in the 16th century, but remained important as a commercial hub until the end of the 18th century, with the expansion of Ottoman power. It is one of the most complete examples of the traditional commercial and cultural system of Iran.

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex, located along one of the most frequented east-west trade routes, consists of a series of interconnected, covered brick structures, buildings, and enclosed spaces for a variety of functions – commercial and trade-related activities, social gatherings, and educational and religious practices. Closely interwoven with the architectural fabric is the social and professional organization of the Bazaar, which has allowed it to function over the centuries and has made it into a single integrated entity.

Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex has been one of the most important international places for commercial and cultural interchange, thanks to the centuries-old east-west trading connections and routes and to a wise policy of endowments and tax exemptions.

Tabriz Historic Bazaar bears witness to one of the most complete socio-cultural and commercial complexes among bazaars. It has developed over the centuries into an exceptional physical, economic, social, political, and religious complex, in which specialized architectural structures, functions, professions, and people from different cultures are integrated in a unique living environment. The lasting role of the Tabriz Bazaar is reflected in the layout of its fabric and in the highly diversified and reciprocally integrated architectural buildings and spaces, which have been a prototype for Persian urban planning.

Criterion (ii): Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex was one of the most important international trade and cultural centres in Asia and the world between the 12th and the 18th centuries, thanks to the centuries-old east-west trade routes. Tabriz Bazaar is an exceptional example of an architectural-urban commercial area, which is reflected in its highly varied and integrated architectural buildings and spaces. The bazaar is one of the most sustainable socio-economic structures, and its great complexity and articulation attests to the wealth in trade and cultural interaction of Tabriz.

Criterion (iii): Tabriz Historic Bazaar bears witness to one of the most complete socio-cultural and commercial complexes among bazaars. It is an exceptional physical, economic, social, political, and religious complex that bears an exceptional testimony to a civilization that is still living. Over the centuries, thanks to its strategic location and to wise policies of endowments and tax exemptions, Tabriz Bazaar has developed into a socio-economic and cultural system in which specialized architectural structures, functions, professions, and people from different cultures are integrated into a unique living environment.

Criterion (iv): Tabriz Historic Bazaar is an outstanding example of an integrated multi-functional urban complex in which interconnected architectural structures and spaces have been shaped by commercial activities and related necessities. A large number of specialized buildings and structures are concentrated and reciprocally connected in a relatively compact area to form what is almost a single integrated structure.

Integrity and Authenticity

The nominated property contains all the elements that are necessary to convey its significance. The integrity of the 18th century Tabriz Bazaar is well preserved and its architecture conserves a rich repertoire of commercial buildings; the connection between the physical structure and its functioning is still clearly legible, and in many cases alive. The rich historical sources bear credible witness to the importance of the Tabriz Bazaar over history and to the permanence of its layout. The fabric of the Bazaar still exhibits the design, workmanship, and materials of the period when it was constructed after the 1780 earthquake. The Bazaar is still a lively and economically active place, attesting to its rich and long-lasting economic, social, and cultural exchanges.

Source: http://whc.unesco.org/

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