TABRIZ

Lying at an altitude of 1,340 meters above sea level, 619 km northwest of Tehran, the second largest city in Iran until the late 1960’s and one of its former capitals (with a population of 1,400,000 according to 1992 census), Tabriz is located in a valley to the north of the long ridge of Mount Sahand. The valley opens out into a plain that slopes down gently to the northern end of Lake Orumieh, 60 km to the west.

Provincial capital of Eastern Azarbaijan, it is 310 km southeast of Bazargan (Iran-Turkey frontier); 159 km south of Jolfa on Iran-Azarbaijan Republic border, can be reached by good road, rail (742 km from Tehran, with connections to Europe and Moscow), and air from Tehran and other major cities.

The 160-km long Aji Chai or Talkheh River is the major river of the city, formed by merging of three smaller rivers, namely the Ab Nahand, Quri Chai, and Ojan Chai, all of which originate from the Sabalan Mountain and the heights in the southeastern part of the town. The river and streams join the Orumieh Lake after passing through the valleys between the Sorkhband and Yekkeh Chin Mountain north of Tabriz and Osku district. Mehran River or Maidan Chai, also called Liqvan River, originates from the peaks between Karim and Sultan Mountains overlooking the Liqvan village (a major center of cheese production in Iran) near Esparakhoun and Qeshlaq.

By virtue of its situation, Tabriz has an agreeable summer climate, but the cold in winter is severe. Altogether, it has a continental climate with low humidity. The average annual rainfall is 288 mm.

Its worst natural disadvantage, however, is its vulnerability to earthquakes, one of which utterly destroyed the city in 858. Rebuilt in a minor key, it was again devastated in 1041, when more than 40,000 people lost their lives.

The town has a long and checkered history: Although the early history of Tabriz is shrouded in legend and mystery, the town’s origins are believed to date back to distant antiquity, perhaps even before the Sassanian era (224-651 AD). The oldest stone tablet with a reference to Tabriz is that of Sargon II, the Assyrian King. The tablet referrers to a place called Tauri Castle and Tarmkis. The historians believe that this castle was situated on the site of the present Tabriz.

It was the capital of Azarbaijan in the 3rd century AD and again under the Mongol Illkhanid dynasty (1256-1353), although for some time Maragheh supplanted it.

During the reign of Aqa Khan of the Illkhanids, as well as under the reign of Ghazan Khan, Tabriz reached the peak of glory and importance. Many great artists and philosophers from all over the world traveled to Tabriz. During this same period Khajeh Rashi od-Din Fazlollah, the learned historian and Minister of Ghazan Khan, built the famous Rob’e Rashidi center.

In 1392, after the end of the Mongol rule, the town was sacked by Tamerlane. It was soon restored under the Turkman tribe of the Qara Qoyunlu, who established a short-lived local dynasty. Under the Safavids it rose from regional to national capital for a short period, but the second of the Safavid kings, Shah Tahmasb, moved the capital of Qazvin because of the vulnerability of Tabriz to Ottoman attacks. The town then went into a period of decline, fought over by the Iranians, Ottomans and Russians and struck by earthquake and disease.

Tabriz was the residence of the crown prince under the Qajar kings, themselves of Turkish stock, but the town did not return to prosperity until the second half of the 19th century. The greatest boost to Tabriz came with the opening up of Persia to the West at the turn of this century, when it became the main staging post between the interior of Iran and the Black Sea and, for a short time, the economic capital. In 1908 it was the center of a revolt against Mohammad Ali Shah, which was only put down with the brutal intervention of the Russians.

In the second Irano-Russian War the city was occupied by the Czar troops. However, it was returned to Iran following the signing of Turkmanchai Treaty, a peace and trade settlement that ended the Irano-Russian War of 1826-1828.

The Iranian Constitutional Revolution originated in Tabriz and culminated during the reign of Mohammad Ali Shah of Qajar dynasty (1179-1925). Sattar Khan and Baqer Khan were the two most prominent leading figures behind the movement.

Tabirz was occupied by Russians several times in the first half of this century, including most of both world wars. A railway line to the border at Jolfa, built by the expansionist Russians, was of little importance until recently, but it has increased in significance in the 90’s as a result of Iran’s friendlier relations with its northern neighbors.

With a very rich history, Tabriz used to house many historical monuments. Unfortunately, many of them were destroyed in repeated invasions and attacks of foreign forces, negligence of the ruling governments, as well natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. What remains now mostly dates back to the Illkhanids, the Safavids, and the Qajars. Some of the monuments are unrivaled masterpieces of architecture.

The Shahrdari Square is the center of the town, on the south-west of which stands the imposing edifice of Municipality. The railway station (5km from the center of the town) is at the western edge of the town. The Quri Chai river runs through Tabriz, and most places of interest to the visitor are to the south of this river and along or north of Imam Khomeini Avenue.

Azarbaijan Museum

Azarbaijan Museum, constructed in 1957 and inaugurated in 1962, is on Imam Khomeini Ave (next to the Blue Mosque). With an area of 3000 square meters, it consists of the following three main sections: A) Ethnological Section, representing costumes and characteristics of various tribes and peoples of Iran; B) Archaeological Section, exhibiting objects dating back to the fourth millennium BC. Here one can see coins, weapons, decorative objects, and domestic utensils and tile works. These objects were excavated in Mushlan, Hassanlu, Qara Tappeh, Khosrow Shah, and Marlik. C) History of Constitutional Revolution Section, containing photographs and documents of interest from the Constitutional Revolution of Iran.

Visiting hours: Everyday 07:30 a.m. 14:30 p.m. Tel: (041) 66343, 65298.

Bazaar

Strolling in the center of Tabriz, particularly Motahari Avenue, one is reminded very forcibly that it is a commercial city: one cannot miss its very large and 15th century covered bazaar occupying an area of one square kilometer. It is already much diminished in its variety of goods, but still a great place for getting hopelessly lost amid its dusty architectural splendors. It’s architectural style, numerous caravansaries, mosques, and schools have added further beauty and glory to this complex. Exact information on the history and origin of the bazaar is not available; however, historical buildings such as the Jam’e Mosque, Talebieh School, and Sadeqieh School indicate that the complex is one of the oldest structures of the city. The present structure of bazaar dates back to the closing years of the Zand dynasty (1750-1779 AD). While seeing the real bazaar, the visitor will understand with the amusement of recognition the shocked tone of the Moor, that indefatigable traveler Ibn Battuta, who visited Tabriz in 1334:

"I passed through the jewelers’ bazaar, and my eyes were dazzled by the varieties of precious stones that I beheld. They were displayed by beautiful slaves wearing rich garments with a waist sash of silk, who stood in front of the merchants, exhibiting the jewels to the Turks’ wives, who bought them in large quantities to outdo each other. A riot broke out among them – may Allah preserve us from such a din! We went on to the ambergris market, and witnessed the same rowdiness, if anything even worse."

The complex has high brick domes and arches. It includes several small bazaars, or bazaarches, each for a specific guild and craft. Carpet making is the main trade, but Tabriz is also renowned for its silverware and jewelry. The spice bazaar, one of the most pungent and impressive in Iran, is an excellent place for picking up henna. Look out also for the traditional Azari hats resembling those worn by the gypsies of Western Europe.

Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque (or Masjid-eKabud) on the north side of Imam Khomeini Avenue, is a 15th century structure destroyed by one of Tabriz’s recurrent earthquakes. Despite showing a sorry ruin, it was recently restored with the utmost skill. Because of the blue tiles used in the decoration of both interior and exterior of the mosque, it has become to be known as the Turquoise of Islam.

What remains of the mosque is a witness to its earlier grandeur and splendor. Completed in 1465 by Nimatullah ibn Mohammad Bavvab, architect of Prince Jahan Shah Torkman Salimi (of the Qara Qoyunlu rulers) even today its Timurid tilework (main entrance) with a blue-on-white inscription band of mosaic tile in Riqa’ calligraphy is of a magnificence rivaling that of the Sanctuary of Mashhad, as well as a remarkable aspect of the new techniques, designs and wider range of colors used here.

The entrance portal with its two minarets appears to have been connected with the main prayer hall (Shabestan) under the largest cupola of the mosque, by means of vaulted corridor. On both sides along the corridor, there stand the remains of the chambers with vaulted roofs. The walls of the mosque have been riveted with marble slabs and decorated with superb mosaic tiles. Some of the blue mosaics in the mosque’s portal are heavily damaged and half missing. The mosque is now almost permanently closed, but renovation work and eventual reopening seem inevitable.

Arg-e Alishah

Citadel of Tabriz (also called Masjid-e Alishah and Arg-e Tabriz) in Imam Khomeini Ave, is the impressive remainder of a great and imposing building in the town. The Arg, a huge and crumbling brick citadel, is a notable landmark that was built in the early 14th century on the site of a massive mosque which collapsed over 500 years ago, and which must have been one of the largest ever constructed.

But inside the Citadel there is nothing except two arches and an indication of the position of the mirhab; Ali Shah’s court has been covered with ignoble buildings, the sanctuary walls have been rebuilt and propped up, and it is hard to believe that any part of this place was ever a mosque. In earlier times criminals would be hurled from the peak of the citadel into a ditch below, and it is said that one woman sentenced to this end was saved from death by the parachute-like effect of her chador.

Golestan Garden

Also called the National Park, this garden in Honarestan Square is one of the main recreation centers of the city and covers an area of 53,000 square meters. It was built in place of an old cemetery some 60 years ago and has many huge pools surrounded by green and trees.

Bagh-e Melli or El Goli

Before you leave Tabriz, do not miss El Goli or the National Park (former Shah Goli), a pleasant hillside garden and park around an artificial lake to the area of 54,675 square meters in the style of the much smaller Bagh-e Takht north of Shiraz or the Qasr-e Qajar north of Tehran. El Goli, only 4 km south of downstream Tabriz, is so lovely a place that it deserves an illustration. It is a popular weekend resort for the locals.

A hill in the eastern side of the park leads down to the pool with steps and a fountain from the top of the hill flows down to the pool. In the center of the pool there is a grand hexagonal building. The pool itself is said to have been built during the reign of Aq Qoyunlu kings. However, it was extended by the Safavids. During the rule of Qahraman Mirza, son of Abbas Mirza of Qajar dynasty, it was fundamentally repaired. Recently a big park has been built on the Airport Road, which attracts many visitors.

Poets Mausoleum

Known as the Sh’ara Cemetery, the Mausoleum is the resting place of more than fifty famous Iranian poets, mystics, scientists, and theologians in Seqat ol-Eslam Avenue. Bodies of Assadi Tussi, Khaqani Shervani, Zahir-e Faryabi, Qatran Tabrizi, Mohammad Shirin Maqrebi, Homam Tabrizi, Salman Savaji, Falaki Shervani, Qazi Beizavi, and the celebrated contemporary poet of Tabriz, the late Mohammad Hossein Shahryar are buried there.

Constitutional House

The edifice is located next to the Tabriz grand bazaar, on Motahari Ave. During the years which led to the Constitutional Revolution and afterwards, the house was used as the gathering place of the leaders, activists, and the sympathizers of the movement, among them Sattar Khan, Baqer Khan, Seqat ol-Eslam and Haji Mirza Aqa Farshi.

The two-story building was constructed in 1868 by Haj Vali Me’mar-e Tabrizi. It has numerous rooms and halls. The most beautiful part of the house is a skylight and a corridor decorated with colorful glasses and mirrors.

Churches

From the earliest days of Christianity there has been a sizable Armenian community in Tabriz, and the city boasts a number of churches, including one mentioned by Marco Polo on his travels.

Nowadays Tabriz has six churches, the most important of which are: Saint Serkis Church, located in the Armenian quarter of Tabriz, Baron Avak, which was renovated in 1845; probably the most interesting and the oldest but substantially rebuilt Church of St Mary (Kelisa-ye Maryam-e Moghaddas) which was completed in 1785, on the corner of North Shari’ati Ave and Jomhuri Ave; Able Mary Church which was built in 1910 and is on Miar Miar quarter of Tabriz.

Other Places of Interest

Other buildings and places of interest in and around Tabriz are: the Poets’ Mausoleum; the Ostad Shagird Mosque (mid 14th century) on Ferdowsi Ave, built in 1332 AD by Amir Hossein Chupani known as Ala od-Din; the Hojjat al-Islam Mosque (an old building which has been much restored); the Mausoleum of Seyed Hamza; the Shrine of Ain Ali (situated on the summit of a hill to the east of the city); the Municipality Building (a modern building which stands on the site of the former Ali Qapu and the Shams ol-Imara to the southwest of Shahrdari Square); Aji Chai Bridge; Sangui Bridge; and the Railway Station.

EXCURSIONS AROUND TABRIZ

KANDOVAN

A living example of human adaptation to exceptionally unusual natural surroundings, Kandovan village is located 50 km to the south of Tabriz, Osku, on the northern slopes of a valley at the foothills of Mount Sahand. A river originating from the Sahand peaks passes through the valley. There are a number of natural springs to the north of the river, the water from which has traditionally been used for the treatment of kidney stones, according to the locals. The physical structure of the village looks like images from fairy tales. Natural cones, scattered over a vast area, serve as human dwellings on rock formations which themselves seem to have been the work certain sculptors. The road from Tabriz goes through this natural artwork. On getting nearer to the dwellings, the visitor finds out two or three of these hollow interconnected cones with features such as openings on their surface playing the role of actual windows. The lowest cones are used as tables and those on top as the living quarters.

The interiors of the dwellings, usually divided into a living and bedroom, are dimly lit; however, the villagers are used to it. The interconnecting corridors are very narrow. From the outside, the dwellings look so similar to each other that one may easily get lost in the village. Steep pathways and steps are made of rock pieces for animals as well as human beings.

As the legend goes, the first people to settle here were the soldiers involved in military operations nearly 800 years ago, who found the cones by chance and used them as their temporary camouflage and accommodation. However, among archaeologists, it is considered to be of Pre-Islamic Period.

MARAGHEH

Maragheh can be reached by the good 130-km asphalt road south of Tabriz in less than two hours. The run is delightful, skirting Mount Sahand, whose ridge 3,722 meters above sea level, protects the town from the harsh winter cold experienced in Tabriz. The town’s valley is watered by the Safi Chai River.

Maragheh Observatory

Maragheh has an unbreakable connection with the Mongols, who made it the capital of Azarbaijan for some time, presumably on account of the excellent grazing for their countless horses, and between 1260-72 AD, in the time of Hulagu, built an astronomical observatory and a university for Khaje Nassir od-Din Tussi, in 15 years and within a distance of two km to the west of the town. Its remains are still visible. Khaje Nassir od-Din, born in Tus, near Mashhad in 1200 AD, used Hulagu’s naive belief in astrology for his own ends. He persuaded the pagan convert to Buddhism that he could only guide the destiny of the Mongols (who had rescued him from the assassination of Alamut) if a huge observatory and a library to house his 400,000 volumes were constructed. With it were associated the endeavours of numerous scholars, whom Khajeh Nassir od-Din mentions in Zij-e Illkhani, an astronomical almanac. Brockelmann lists 56 works by this eminent scholar, of which most are in Arabic, then the language of Near Eastern science, but Khajeh Nassir od-Din also wrote poetry in Persian.

It had been active until about 680 years ago. It turned in to the present state as a result of repeated earthquakes and lack of governmental support. After suppressing the riot of Mokri Tribe supported by the Ottoman Sultan Morad the Third, Shah Abbas the Great arranged for repair of the observatory. However, this was not commenced due to the king’s early death.

Maragheh is famous for its mosques, imamzadehs, places of worship, and principally for its funerary towers (gonbads), all of which can be accessed using a taxi.

Gonbad-e Sorkh
The most ancient monument of the town, Gonbad-e Sorkh or the Red Tower of 1147-8 AD, situated in the south west of the town, was built by the order of Sa’d Badim, the then ruler of Azarbaijan, according to a northern front Kuffic inscription. In the lower part of the structure, there is a crypt where a tomb can be seen. The monument is square, with its exceptionally beautiful blue tile and kiln-fired brick works and fine plaster molding in a geometrical design. The entrance portal is on the northern side of the structure, where seven steps lead to the tomb chamber and the crypt. Godard remarks on its historical importance for the first known appearance of glazed ornament on the exterior of a monument in northern Iran. The Red Tower also provides the most exciting solution in Iran to the problem of the squinch. It is not, of course, proven (too many monuments have been destroyed for us to tell) but it seems likely that the squinch – a corner arch connecting two walls at right angles – may be a Sassanian invention. If so, the dome of London’s Cathedral of St. Paul’s (and all other domes before or since) is a development of this principle. The concept of squinch grew from the aesthetic urge to set a circular dome on square walls, squinches supporting the dome in each of the Four Corners. Roman engineers never solved this problem at all. Another outstanding decorative feature of the monument is the combination of turquoise colored and blue enameled tiles on a brick background.

Borj-e Modavvar
Borj-e Modavvar, or Cylindrical Tower, is situated 10 meters to the north of Gonbad-e Kabud (the Blue Tower), or tomb of Hulagu’s mother. According to its Kuffic inscription found on the front of the portal, it was built in 1167-8 AD. The builder and the person buried inside a crypt in the lower part of this two-floor tower are so far unidentified. The architectural techniques used in the building, its decorations, and above all, the color scheme adopted in its construction, provide enough support for including it among the most remarkable monuments of the Islamic period in Iran. Attractively colored tiles used in exquisite designs in its construction, endow the tower with a particular charm indicative of the development of the tile industry in that period.

Gonbad-e Kabud
The Blue Dome (Gonbad-e Kabud) of 1196-7 and coinciding with the Seljuk period, also known as the Mausoleum of Hulagu’s Mother, is in the center of Maragheh. Resting upon a stone base, it is octagonal, with a brick false arch on each of its eight sides, and adorned with superb blue tiles and bricks and beautiful stalactite decorations. There is no inscription in the dome. A funerary stele inside the dome forms part of the masonry. Despite the prevailing belief, the monument has no connection with Hulagu’s mother and the story has never been confirmed.

The Ghaffarieh Tower
The Ghaffarieh Tower (Gonbad-e Ghaffarieh) to the north of a bridge over the Safi Chai river, the next sepulchral structure of Maragheh, was built during the rule of Abu Sa’id Bahador Khan (1317-34 AD) of Illkhanid dynasty. This is erected on top of a crypt, with the same square plan as the Red Tower and is believed by Godard to be the tomb of Shams od-Din Qara Sunqur al-Charkasi al-Mansouri, viceroy of Syria, who was killed and buried here by Abu Sa’id Bahador Khan. On each of its four sides, brick pilasters with lozenge-shaped decorative motifs attract the visitor’s attention. The entrance of the monument faces to the north and has two false arches on either side, together with an inscription frieze. The decorations of the monument include enameled tiles of black, white, blue, and azure colors.

Maragheh Museum

Already closed, the museum was regionally part of a library located next to the mausoleum of the Iranian poet Owhadi Maragheh’ei. It has been transferred to a museum and open to the public since 1976. The museum is divided into the following three sections: A) Prehistoric Section, B) Parthian Section; and C) Sassanian period. Also preserved here are numerous coins from the Islamic era, including Umavid, Abbasid, Safavid, and Qajar periods.

ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS

ACCESS AND DISTANCES:

597 km to Tehran, 278 km to Zanjan, 216 km to Ardabil, 297 km to Orumieh, 482 km to Rasht, 553 km to Hamadan.

ACCIDENTS:

115, 35051-5.

AIR AGENT:

The Iran Air office is in its own building on the northeast corner of Azadi intersection 35501-4, 79079-80.

AIRPORT:

Taxis are available from the airport (22504) into town and vice-versa. There is no airport bus. Flight information 79079. Air ticket 35501.

BANKS AND EXCHANGE OFFICES:

Bank Mellat, Jomhuri Ave 66937.
Bank Melli Iran, north side of Shohada Square 25251.
Bank Sepah, Daraei Street 878965.
Bozorgui Exchange Office, Jomhuri Street 29000.
Enterzari Exchange Office, Shohada Street, Mohammadi Shopping Center 73773.
Kebria Manesh Exchange Office, Imam Khomeini Ave 340018.
BUS TERMINAL:

Jomhuri Eslami Ave 57134. Buses usually leave punctually. There are local services to all major towns and provincial centers from Tabriz.

CITY DIALING CODE NUMBER:

The dialing code for Tabriz is 041.

EMERGENCIES:

115, 118, or 35053.

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE:

Ostandari, east of Bank Melli Iran on Shohada Square 22696. For visa extension go to the police headquarters near the Arg, Kucheh Arg.

MEDICAL SERVICES:

The casualty clinic is close to Darvazeh Tehran on the Far Eastern edge of town. Here is a list of some hospitals in Tabriz.

ASAD ABADI, Shahid Ranjbar St, 807263-6.
AZAR, Khayyam St, 57851-3.
IMAM KHOMEINI, Tabriz University, 347045-9.
TALEGHANI, Railway Station, 442071-3.
See also EMERGENCIES.

MUNICIPALITY:

In the southeastern side of Shahrdari Square.

POLICE:

Kucheh Arg, near the Arg 110, 30322, 47050, 44533.

POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS:

The main post office is at the East Side of Shohada Square, opposite Bank Melli Iran 22084. The main telegraph office is in Seqat ol-Eslam Ave, immediately to the south of the river.

RAILWAY STATION:

There are two overnight daily trains to Tehran 47666.

RESTAURANTS:

There are more than a dozen of restaurants and places to eat in Tabriz. One of the best chelo kababis of Tabriz is Ulduz (not marked in English) on the south side of Imam Khomeini Ave, which has good veal schnitzel as well as steaks and some other Continental dishes. In addition to all sorts of dishes found in Iran, Tabriz is the best place for abgusht or dizi, a stew made of fatty meat, usually beef or mutton, thick chunks of potato and split peas, traditionally served in a pipkin and eaten in a bowl with a spoon. A pestle is provided for grinding up the meat and potatoes. It is a good idea to take a local with you the first time you try this triumph of Iranian cuisine. Here is a brief list of some restaurants in Tabriz:

BORDBARI, Bazaar-e Shams, 68534.
EFTEKHARI, 17th Shahrivar Ave, 66544.
HAJ ALI, 29th Bahman Blvd, 307007.
MOMTAZ, Sharifi St, 57187.
MAHTAB, Dr Shari’ati Ave, 50131.
LUNA PARK, El Guli, 309912.
TAXI:

You can take shared and solo taxis from outside the bus terminal, railway station, and the airport. These places can best be reached by a taxi, too. Getting around is a matter of saying mostaghim (straight), as in Tehran and most other towns.

TOURIST MAP:

Available in English and Persian.

TOURIST OFFICE:

Locally known as Ershad-e Eslami, it is a few meters west of Daneshsara Square 806071.