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City &
Highlight Sightseeing ::
Iran Bazaars ::
Highlights |
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IRAN
BAZAARS SPECIALS: |
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ALL HOTELS &
GUESTHOUSES: |
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Taking an
etymological look at the word "bazaar" , one would
be surprised at the varied facts about its origin.
The first bazaar was evidently established while
several people gathered to exchange their surplus
goods. In other words , a bazaar is a place for the
exchange of merchandise , foodstuffs and services
between two or more people.
Yet , bazaar has an expanded definition. It is a
network of bargains between salespeople and
customers. To put it in a nutshell , a bazaar can be
clearly defined as the organized concentration of a
current of exchanges by an assembly of salesmen and
customers at a certain venue , fostering contacts to
exchange goods and services.
Presently , the word bazaar has grown to cover any
place of exchange. But for a Persian reader , the
word connotes a long narrow roofed labyrinth ,
featured by shops and caravansaries on both sides.
Annual
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A review of Iran's economic and social
history indicates that the bazaar has
always been a pillar of civic
foundations. No town could survive
without a bazaar--whether big or small.
Some have allegorically described bazaar
as the economic heartbeat of the Iranian
cities.
The ancient Iranian bazaars have
gradually evolved into an encompassing
section of the town. A bazaar was not a
secluded section of the town , but home
to a wide spectrum of goods and services
, sought by the townspeople.
As the bazaar shops fell short of
meeting the people's needs for goods and
services , several arcades , specialized
outlets and service. Provides were
established to create a bazaar
consisting of a central emporium
surrounded by several smaller bazaars
and arcades.
Nearby the bazaars , there were always
other public services such as baths ,
schools , mosques , Saqqa Khanehs
(traditional drinking place) , Zoor
Khanehs (gymnasium for wrestling of
wrestling and athletics typical of the
Greek palaestra) , teahouse , and
others.
This types of complex met the people's
religious , social , economic and
cultural needs.
Among important and major emporiums are
the traditional bazaars of Vakil in
Shiraz , Qeisariye in Isfahan , and
those of Yazd and Kerman. |
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Shiraz's Vakil Bazaar
Vakil Bazaar is a monumental structure
set up by the founder of the Zand
dynasty , Karim Khan (1747-79 AD). The
cornerstone of the site is laid by a
number of huge rocks , surrounded by
four bazaars , and constructed by brick
and gypsum.
The bazaars meet at a cross point ,
which has a high dome-shaped ceiling.
Some archaeologists believe Karim Khan
himself designed the bazaar , without
imitating any foreign model , pioneering
a unique pattern for other Iranian
marketplaces.
Others argue however the Vakil bazaar is
a spin-off of the great emporium of
Larestan , built at the helm of Safavid
King , Shah Abbas I's rule. Ruins of the
Larestan bazaar still remain in place |
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Yazd Bazaar
Yazd' s bazaar is one of the oldest and
most interesting historical places of
the central Iranian town. It is
commensurably equal in significance and
grandeur with the Yazd grand mosque. The
bazaar is a major center for bargain and
the exchange of goods. Though in ruins ,
the remnant bazaar's niches and domes
are a reminiscent of a glorious past.
Like the Vakil bazaar , the Yazd bazaar
is home to a branch office of the former
Royal Bank. There is no complete
information , however , as to when or
who established the bank branch office.
During the past years , the bazaar was a
major hub for trade , containing several
key industries such as textiles ,
saddler and shoemaking. Even customers
from outside Yazd frequented the
emporium.
The invasion of mechanized industries
however , has played down the role of
some of the traditional businesses lying
at the heart of the bazaar.
Since the ramparts of the "old" Yazd is
located north of the bazaar , it may be
concluded that the bazaar had been
erected somewhere outside the town.
During the summers , the weather in the
bazaar is moderate , whereas in winters
it is cold. There are some inlets all
over the bazaar ceiling which let in
limited beams of light. |
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Isfahan Bazaar
In Isfahan , the bazaar forms a part of
the Imam Khomeini (former Naqsh-e Jahan)
Square , which is one of the largest and
most beautiful squares in the world.
The square , 500 x 160 meters , was set
up in the second half of the 16th
century AD by the Safavid King , Shah
Abbas I. At the time the square was used
for a variety of purposes including as a
polo field. Ruins of the opposing polo
goal bars , engraved into stone still
stand in front of the bazaar gate and
the Imam (former Shah) Mosque.
South of the square lies the Imam Mosque
, facing the bazaar on the north. Ali
Ghapou monumental compound on the west
and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque on the east
occupy other sides of the square.
The Isfahan bazaar is briefly described
as a district consisting numerous
streets with stores on both sides
connected together , under a high-rise
roof.
Some of the arcades , including the
textiles bazaar and the Qeisariye market
, have been ornately designed , thanks
to their proximity to the royal palaces
, and the famous mosques.
In order to provide the necessary
lighting for the bazaar's environment ,
some skylights were built on the roof to
let the sunlight in. The reorientation
of the sun in the sky changes direction
of the light beam.
Surrounded by four intersecting outlets
, the shops of the Qeisariye bazaar are
made of stone and built two-storied. The
floor of the shops are entirely
stone-carpeted and the roofs brick-made.
There was a royal coin mint in the
Qeisariye bazaar dubbed the "Imperial
House". Historians say the mint was the
only one of its kind in Iran.
The goldsmiths' bazaar , which was built
during the reign of the Safavid King ,
Shah Abbas I , was connected to the
coffee bazaar , run by Kashan traders ,
through the canvas bazaar. The coffee
bazaar branched out into four smaller
marketplaces , one of them named Dar
ol-Shafa.
Other bazaars of Isfahan are the
gun-makers' bazaar , flanked by the
samovar-makers' bazaar and the
flint-makers' bazaar. The two are
sometimes commonly described as fencers'
bazaar. |
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Tabriz Bazaar
Tourists have described Tabriz as a city
with beautiful bazaars. Tabriz' s bazaar
is comparably one of the greatest and
most beautiful bazaars of Iran ,
characterized by its unique
architectural style , numerous arcades ,
shops and magnificent mosques.
Tabriz' s bazaar is as old as the city
itself. As Tabriz was located en route
the trade caravans arriving from the
east and west , its bazaar was the focal
point for the exchange of Asian and
European goods.
With the expansion of Tabriz , its
bazaar has grown so beautifully that it
won the plaudit of many visiting foreign
tourists. Moroccan tourist Ebn Battue ,
who visited Tabriz in the early years of
the 14th century AD , praised the Tabriz
bazaar as a developed market filled with
goods , and one of the best in the
world.
"... Upon arrival in Tabriz , we
approached a great bazaar named Qazan.
It was the best bazaar I had ever seen
in the world... Each of the guilds and
professions had a special corner in the
bazaar ," he wrote in his travelogue.
The famous bazaars of the Tabriz
emporium were Amir bazaar , the
shoemakers' bazaar , foreign exchange
bazaar , Raste bazaar , Naminiduz bazaar
, weavers' bazaar , cotton-carders'
bazaar , Qezbas bazaar. and saddlers'
bazaar.
The arcades were often the centers of
wholesale business deals and
distributions. The most important of
which Hajj rasoul arcades was Rasoul ,
opened to the glass blowers' bazaar and
to Tarbiyat Street. Along with its trade
significance , the Tabriz bazaar is one
of the masterpieces of the Iranian
architecture , decorated with
magnificent stuccos and high arched
roofs. |
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Weekly Bazaars
Along with the permanent bazaars
existing in the Iranian towns and cities
, there are also some occasional , say ,
weekly markets which were erected in a
special district and were generally
named after the Day on which they were
regularly opened , such as FriDay bazaar
or SaturDay bazaar.
Rural salesmen and vendors usually put
up the weekly bazaars. The weekly flea
markets offer a variety of merchandise
at reasonable prices. They are often
packed with customers , a determining
factor that insure their survival.
Hawkers and peddlers also spread their
wares alongside the pavements and around
the squares , calling on the
window-shoppers to come closer and touch
the quality of the merchandise.
The weekly fairs offer a variety of
goods and wares ranging from fruits to
vegetables , foodstuffs , home
appliances , fowls and , even
handicrafts. Some shopkeepers oppose the
weekly marketplace , for it robs them of
their clientele. Others capitalize on
the event by selling their low-quality
goods and therefore compensate for the
short demand
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Iran Bazaar |
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