THE BAZAAR OF TABRIZ DURING THE RULE OF QAJARS (ethnographic research)

Abstract

Tabriz bazaar is one of the oldest bazaars in the world. As Tabriz located on the Silk Road the bazaar complex which combined production and sale was formed here since early middle ages and became one of the biggest trade centres in the East. Bazaar considered not only place for craft and trade, but also place with public, political and religious significance. Bazaars were specialized for the goods sold there and most of them called by the name of the goods. For instance, Abachi (a cloak-maker) Bazaar, Gandchilar (sugar maker) Bazaar, Pambigchi (cotton maker) Bazaar, Parchasatanlar (cloth seller) Bazaar, Duzchu (salt) Bazaar and so on. Sometimes they were called for the honour of its founder (Hajı Alakbar palace, Amir Bazaar, Muzaffariyya shop and so on), and sometimes showed the identity of the people who use from them (Georgian timcheh). Some bazaars were famous for the name of professions working in bazaars (Nejjarlar (carpenter) Bazaar, Borkcu (hat maker) Bazaar, Misgar (copper maker) bazaar, Serrajlar (saddlemaker) bazaar, Bashmagchi (shoe maker) Bazaar and so on). The magnificent Tabriz Bazaar Complex which consists of Gaysariye (main passage of bazaar), charsug (intersection of two perpendicular rastas), rasta (a double row of shops aligned along roofed linear path), timcha (a small caravanserai), shops, cells, forushgah (trading centre), palace or caravanserai, workshops, dalan (covered alley that connects two rastas), madrasah, mosque, bath and etc. was reconstructed during Gajars period and operates till present days. Tabriz Bazaar Complex was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO from 2010.