Tourism Information of Tabriz
Once the economical and chosen capital of Iran, the Azeri people are known for being good traders and are definitely hospitable to their guests too. Tabriz is a welcoming city with good foods, and a stunning bazar, to be more specific: world’s oldest and biggest bazar! Furthermore owns the city a beautiful scenery surround, like the red-stone-tinted mountains or the green environment of Qa’ale Babak (castle).
Tabriz, fourth largest city of Iran and capital of the East Azarbayjan province, lying about 4,485 feet (1,367 metres) above sea level in the extreme northwestern part of the country. The climate is continental, hot and dry in summer and severely cold in winter.
Tabriz, As the country’s closest hub to Europe, many aspects of early modernisation in Iran began in Tabriz. Prior to forced ceding of Iran’s Caucasian territories to Imperial Russia, following two Russo-Persian Wars in the first half of the 19th century, Tabriz was at the forefront of Iranian rule over its Caucasian territories. Until 1925, the city was the traditional residence for the crown princes of the Qajar dynasty.
Iran has so many mosques displaying ancient Persian art and architecture. One of the historical and important mosques of Iran is Blue Mosque. It is a rare mosque in blue. The reason it is called the Blue Mosque or Kabud Mosque is the blue tiles used in the structure. It is one of the main attractions of Tabriz.
The history of the mosque dates back to the 15th century. The various tiling works, calligraphy lines, and different patterns have concluded the fact that why it is called the Turquoise of Islam. It is also called Kabud Mosque, Shah Jahan Mosque, and Mozaffarie Mosque. Due to the 18th century earthquake, the mosque has been destructed vastly. Although these days the last vestige of the mosque is nothing but a portal and some pillars, it is a witness of the wonders of this 9th-century mosque.
Kabud Mosque is one of the valuable Persian sites. Its architecture is different from other mosques. People who love art will fall in love with this historical site. The cyan tiles have come in a geometrical pattern that creates a unique architectural construction.
This is the biggest roofed bazaar of Iran. Bazaar of Tabriz is the vastest roofed bricky complex. It has 6500 stores, 25 Timchehs (small Caravanserai), 11 corridors, and some schools, mosques, and baths. You can find 40 kinds of occupations in the bazaar.
The center of Bazaar is located in a four-edged shape. The eastern part of the bazaar is Ali Qapu (The king’s son’s palaces complex) and in the west of the bazaar, you can see Jameh Mosque of Tabriz.
There are some documents of tourists mentioning the bazaar in the 10th century. The other significant point of the bazaar is its location on the Silk Road. The gates of this bazaar were considered as the city’s main gates. It is famous since the Seljuq Dynasty. Since the Ilkhani Era in which Tabriz was selected as Iran’s capital, the importance of this bazaar was highlighted. At that time, there were three docks on the Silk Road. One in Tabriz, one in Rome, and one in China. It was famous during the Safavid Dynasty. So many people went there to trade. Due to the earthquakes, the bazaar has been destructed several times. It has been renovated several times and some buildings were added to the complex. In the late Zand Era and early Qajar Era, it was renovated under the command of Najaf Gholi Khan. In the Qajar Era, it was a prominent export center and was the main Iran export center to Europe. They exported silk, weapon, tobacco, dried fruits, and paints. They also imported mirrors, silk and velvet cloths, sugar, and metal.
Known as the second wealthiest history museum of Iran (after National Museum of Iran), Azerbaijan Museum is a great place to see some of the significant objects that belong to the various historical periods of Iran. You will be surprised to see unusual and interesting objects, along with the artworks and sculptures of artists.
Azerbaijan Museum is host to an extensive collection of Persian history from 1958. It consists of several parts such as three major halls, a lovely yard, office rooms, and a library that has more than 2500 books about history, archaeology, art, and Persian culture. Some of these books are valuable as they are handwritten.
The second most important history museum of Iran has three major halls with an area of 800 square meters. Azerbaijan Museum has a special hall in the ground floor for ancient coins and seals that might be interesting for those who like collections.
One beautiful and must-see museum of Eastern Azerbaijan province, Tabriz, is the Constitution House of Tabriz. Tabriz was an influential city in Qajar era and change of the dynasty to Pahlavi. Therefore, this house has a lot to offer from those times.
The very first owner of Constitution House of Tabriz was Haj Mehdi Kooze Kanani who was a well-reputed tradesman. However, it was constructed by Haj Vali Memar in 1868. When Mohammad Ali Shah blew up the parliament, Haj Mehdi Kooze Kanani dedicated the house to constitution followers as he was one of their supporters. Hence, the house became the association of the most highlighted constitution characters in Eastern Azerbaijan. Sattar Khan, Baqer Khan, and Seghat-ol Eslam Tabrizi are some of these characters. Constitution House of Tabriz was officially established in 1996 with a change in the hall and rooms.
Constitution House of Tabriz was registered in the National Heritage Sites Organization in 1975 and was bought by the Cultural Heritage Organization in 1988.