Tabriz, in the northwest of Iran and near the Turkish border, was built in the third century. The city is home to the Azeri people, the second largest ethnic group in Iran.
Tabriz Bazaar, the largest covered bazaar complex in the world, and one of the oldest bazaar in the middle East, has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tabriz has plenty to offer visitors, including the 13th-century Blue Mosque and the 14th-century Ali Shah Mosque, known as Arg-e Ali Shah, with 85-feet-high walls. The Saat Tower is the symbol of Tabriz, and is also known as Tabriz Municipality Palace.
According to USA Today, because Tabriz is the second oldest city in Iran, “its origins are shrouded in legend.” The newspaper says although the city’s Blue Mosque has suffered earthquake damage, its blue tiles, particularly those in the entrance, are still exquisite. “Perched on a crag outside of the city is the Babak Castle, where the Zoroastrian leader Babak made his late 9th century last stand against Islamic invaders,” the article reports.
On November 12, 2014 the British newspaper the Guardian published a collection of photographs depicting everyday life in the bazaar on its Iran blog, featuring people passing the time at teahouses, a napping shopkeeper, shops overflowing with merchandise and, of course, carpet sellers.
According to official Iranian media, over 2,000 foreign visitors travel to Tabriz each year.
The 14th-century Moroccan explorer Ibn Battuta described the Tabriz complex as “one of the finest bazaars” in the world, where his “eyes were dazzled by the varieties of precious stones” and jewels.
Further reading: Tabriz Bazaar, The First World Heritage Site of its Kind
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