Tabriz (تبریز)

The earliest documented history of Tabriz dates from around 1000 BC. Since then, many empires have ruled it and as a result Tabriz features countless historical monuments. Most of the city's historical sites were constructed during the reign of the Ilkhanid, Safavid and Qajar.

The city is famous for its handicrafts, including hand-woven rugs and jewelry. The local confectionery, chocolate, dried nuts and traditional Tabrizi food are known throughout Iran and are considered some of the best in the country.

Tabriz has been destroyed by earthquakes numerous times and not all historical monuments were rebuilt. Nevertheless, the city still offers a wide variety of interesting sites.

Places of interest

The historic Aji Chay Bridge features 16 spans and has a length of 105 m. It has been damaged and rebuilt numerous times over its history and as a result it does not have a uniform appearance. The last major reconstruction took place in the 19th century. A new bridge was built next to the old one in the 10th century and the historic bridge has been for pedestrians only ever since.
The Ararat Cultural Complex.
The Arg Alishah (ارگ تبريز, Arg of Tabriz) is also known as the Arg-e Alishah, the Arch of Alishah, the Arg Citadel and Masjid Ali-Shāh, is all that remains of a large acropolis fortification, a city wall and a mosque. The structure has always been visible from afar, but recent buildings have obscured it partially.
The Baghmisheh gate (دروازهٔ باغمیشه), or Baghmasha gate, is an old gate, located in the Bazaar of Tabriz. The city was once protected by a defensive wall that included the 8 gates of Baghmisheh, Gajil, Istanbul, Khiyaban, Mahadmahin, Nobar, Shotorban and Sorkhab. The Baghmisha gate is one of only 2 that still stands. The other one is the Nobar gate.
The Bāzār-e Tabriz (بازار تبریز, Bazaar of Tabriz) is the largest covered market in the world, as well as one of the oldest in the Middle East. It was inscribed into the UNESCO list of world heritage sites in 2010. It is an excellent place if you want to buy a souvenir.
Behnam House was built at the end of the 18th century as a residential house. It features a beautiful andaruni(اندرونی, inner courtyard) and a biruni (بيرونی, outer courtyard). It currently houses the school of architecture.
The Boulourchian house.
Chay Kenar is the riverfront of Tabriz.
Darb Nobar is one of the remaining city gates. It is located at the beginning of Tarbiat street.
Dr. Hariri's house (خانه دكتر حريری) is a 19th-century building. It has been home to the Iranian Azerbaijan Press Museum since 2017.
The Khaneh Mashrouteh, (Constitution House of Tabriz) was built in 1868. It was the gathering place for supporters of the Constitutional Revolution. It is located at Motahari Avenue, adjacent to the Grand Bazaar.
The Daneshsara is a beautiful building that houses the faculty of education.
The East-Azerbaijan State Palace (کاخ استانداری آذربایجان شرقی) has the main office for the governor of Iran's East-Azerbaijan Province since the Iranian Revolution from 1979. The original palace was probably contrcuted somewhere during the 16th century, when it was known as Aali Qapou. Later, its name was changed to Shams ol-Emareh. In 1933, first a fire destroyed large parts of the main building and later a flood took down the rest. The current building was constructed after that.
The El Goli Building.
Ferdowsi street (خیابان فردوسی) connects Bazaar Alley with Imam Avenue. It is lined with numerous historic buildings and there are many hotels and shops. It is located in the Bazaar suburb, not far from the Arg Alishah.
Ghadaki house.
The historic stone-arch Qari Bridge, or Ghari Bridge, spans the Quri River. It dates from the 19th century and it connects the Grand Bazaar with the northern districts of Tabriz. The bridge is part of Seghat-ol-eslam street. It has 7 arches.
The historical Haidarzadeh house was restored in 2001 and currently houses the Tabriz Tourism Information Center. It is located in the Maghsoudieh suburb, to the south of the Tabriz Municipality building.
The House of Seghat ol Islam is home to a museum that is dedicated to the Qajar era local reformist Seqat-ol-Eslam Tabrizi.
The Khaneh-e Amir Nezām (خانه امیرنظام, Amir Nezām House) was built somewhere between 1789 and 1833. The building had long be neglected, but in 1993 a renovation was begun, which was completed in 2006. The building has housed the Qajar Museum of Tabriz since its renovation was finished.
The Madrasah Akbarieh.
Maqbarat-o-shoara (مقبرةالشعرا, tomb of poets), or Maqbaratoshoara, is a maqbara (graveyard), where Iranian poets, mystics and other notable locals are buried. It is located in the Surkhab district.
Mansoor bridge.
Sa'at Tower (کاخ شهرداری تبریز) is also known as the Tabriz Municipality Palace. It was built in 1934 and it used to house city hall and the main office of the city's municipal government. In the 2000s, it was converted into the Municipal Museum. In 2008, its dome was reconstructed. The palace features a hall, a clock tower and a small garden.
The historic Nobar bathhouse has been in use as a public bath until 1994, after which it fell into disrepair. The remains were later restored. The bathhouse is located close to the Nobar gate, which was one of the old gates of Tabriz.
The Ordobadi house.
Pahlavi street used to be called Imam street.
Pol Sanghi (پل سنگی, Stone bridge) was built in the 19th century and it spans the Quri River in front of the Pol Sangi Mosque in the district of Chaykenar.
The Roshdieh school.
The remains of the Rab'-e Rashidi (رَبع رشیدی, Rabe Rashidi University) are all that is left from a complext that included a school and a workshop for producing books. It was originally founded in 1307, but later, other buildings were erected at the site, all of which are now in ruins.
The Salmasi House is home to the Measure Museum.
Shahnaz street is lined with istoric buildings, shops and churches.
The Sharbatoglu house.
The Sheykh ol-Eslam's House (خانه شیخ الاسلام) was built during the Safavid and Qajar eras.
Sorkheh-i house.
Tabriz Art University was formerly known as Charm Sazi-e Khosravi (faculty of Applied Arts). The university was founded in 1997.
The Tabriz Fire Fighting Tower (برج آتش نشانی), or Yangin Tower, is a 23 m high tower that was built in 1917 to spot fires in tabriz. The tower was permanently manned to look for any signs of fire and/or smoke. If any evidence was noted, firemen were dispatched to the location of the incident. the tower was part of the firefighing station, which was established in 1832, making it the oldest on in Iran.
Tabriz Railway Station (ايستگاه راه اهن تبریز) dates from the 1950s.
Tarbiyat street is a pedestrian street in central Tabriz. The street was converted into a pedestrians-only area in the 1990s. Darb Nobar, one of the city gates is located at the beginning of Tarbiat street.
Two Kamals tomb, or 2-Kamal Tomb, is the resting place of 14th-century poet Kamal Khujandi and 15th-century miniaturist Kamal ed-Din Behzad, as well as several other artists and poets. The graves are marked by a simple stone dome. The dome had deteriorated over the centuries and it was restored in 1959. In the 2010s, a school was built around it. The school includes a museum and a library that exhibit works from the artists that were buried there.

Museums

Amir Nezam House is home to the Qajar museum. The historic building was restored from 1993 to 2006.
The Azerbaijan Museum was established in 1958, making it the oldest museum in the region. Its collection mostly consists of artefacts that were recovered from archaeological excavations. There are 3 main halls, a side yard and a library that contains some 2,500 historic books. The museum is located adjacent to the Blue Mosque.
Constitutional Revolution House of Tabriz (Mashrouteh museum).
Document Museum.
The Iranian Azerbaijan Press Museum is housed in Dr. Hariri's House.
The Iron Age museum was built over an iron age burial site. The museum contains artefacts that were uncovered from the archaeological dig. It was established in 2006.
The Measure museum houses a collection of historic weighing tools, including goldsmith scales, large scales for field vegetables, balance weights, oil modules, astrolabes, meteorology-related assessment tools, compasses and watches. The museum also houses the remains of a Pliocene tree, which is about 5 million years old. The museum is located in the Salmasi House.
The Muharram museum.
The Municipal Museum is housed in the Sa'at Tower.
The Ostad Bohtouni Museum is located in the Sheshghelan suburb.
Pottery museum houses a collection of ceramics, as well as glass and pottery items.
The Qajar Museum of Tabriz is dedicated to the Qajar dynasty (1781-1925). It is housed in the Amir Nezām House, which dates from the period and has been beautifully restored between 1993 and 2006.
The Qur'an museum.
The Seqat-ol-Eslam Tabrizi Museum is dedicated to the Qajar era local reformist. it is located in the House of Seghat ol Islam.
Shahryar literature museum is also known as the house of Shahryar.
The Tabriz Museum of Natural History has collections related to the wildlifein and around tabriz. The exhibition consists of a large amount of stuffed animals, including mammals, reptiles, birds and fish. There is also a section where sculptures of dinosaurs are on display. The museum was established in 1993.
Tabriz Vocational Museum was established in 2017 to showcase historical professions from the region. It was closed in 2020 for lack of funds.

Mosques

Awn ibn Ali's Mausoleum (بقعه عون بن علی), Imamzadeh Awn ibn Ali, or Imamzadeh Zayd ibn Ali, is a Twelver Shia imamzadeh and mausoleum complex. The building dates from the 14th century and it contains 2 tombs, which are said to contain the remains of two sons of Ali ibn Abi Talib. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 1641, but rebuilt in the 19th century. The complex is located on Mount Eynali, just north from Tabriz.
Imāmzādah Sayyid Hamzah Imamzadeh Hamzah (امامزاده سید حمزه) is a Twelver Shi'ite imamzadeh, mausoleum and mosque. The complex contains the grave of Hamzah, who was son of the Twelver Imam, Musa al-Kazim. The Imāmzādah Sayyid Hamzah is located in the Sheshghelan suburb, adjacent to the Maqbaratoshoara and the Ostad Bohtouni Museum. The mausoleum was erected in the 14th century.
Imamzadeh Ibrahim.
Masjid-e-Jāmeh Tabrīz (مسجد جامع تبریز, Jāmeh Mosque of Tabriz), or Jame’ Mosque of Tabriz, is a large Shi'ite Friday mosque. It used to be called Kabiri Jame. It has been remodeled many times over its history and nowadays actually consists of 4 interconnected mosques. The Masjid-e-Jāmeh Tabrīz is located adjacent to the Grand Bazaar and the Constitution House of Tabriz.
The Masjed-e-Kabūd (مسجد کبود, Blue Mosque), is also known as Goy Masjid, Masjed-e Moẓaffariya and as the Kabood Mosque. It was completed in 1465, but an earthquake destroyed it in 1970 and despite of ongoing reconstruction efforts, most of it is still in ruins. Some surviving parts are preserved as a museum.
The Shi'ite Masjid-e Sāheb ol Amr (مسجد صاحب‌ الامر, Sāheb ol Amr Mosque) is also known as the Shah Tahmasp Mosque. It is thought to have been built in the middle of the 16th century. The mosque first appeared in documented history, when it was reconstructed in 1636, but it had been destructed and repaired many times even before that. It was named after Sāheb ol Amr (Master of command), who was the last Twelver Shī'ah Imām. The mosque is located on the east side of Saaheb Aabaad square.
The Shohada Mosque (مسجد شهدا) is a Shi'ite Mosque that was constructed in the 19th century. Shohada means 'martyr' and the mosque is dedicated to the martyrs of Islam. The mosque is located in Shohada Square, in the center of Tabriz.

Churches

The Armenian church of Adontist.
The Assyrian Church.
The Catholic church of Tabriz.
The Protestant church of Tabriz is located in south Shahnaz street, not far from the Ararat Cultural Complex.
Surp Mariam Asdvadzadzin Church (Թավրիզի Սուրբ Մարիամ Աստվածածին եկեղեցի), T'avrizhi Surb Mariam Astvatsatsin yekeghets'i (کلیسای مریم مقدس), or Saint Mary Church of Tabriz, is an Armenian Apostolic church. It was inaugurated in 1785 and it is the largest and oldest Christian church in Tabriz. The church is located at the corner of North Shariati and Jomhuri avenues in the historical neighborhood of Dik Bashi.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is also an Armenian church.

Parks and green spaces

There are more than 130 parks in Tabriz, but despite of this, the green space per capita is below the average for cities.
Baghlar Baghi.
Baghmesha Park.
El Goli (ائل گلی), or El Göli, is also known as Šāh Goli (شاه گلی, Shah Goli Park). The park measures 55.000 m² (592.015 sq ft) and features a large artificial lake. The park was laid out in the 18th century.
Eynali (عینالی), or On ibn Ali (عون بن علی) is a state forest park north of Tabriz. The park is located in the Eynali Mountains, which include the peaks of Eynali (1,800 m), Halileh (1,850 m), Pakeh-chin (1,945 m), Bahlul (1,985 m) and Dand (2,378 m). At the top of Dand is a tomb, which is believed to hold the graves of two clerics.
Ghaem Magham is a small park in the Sheshghelan neighborhood.
Golestan Baği (Golestan Park) was originally a public cemetery. It was converted into a park in the 1940s. A marble clock tower once stood at the entrance of the park, but it collapsed for lack of maintenance. There is also a small pond in Golestan Park. The park is located near Qonqa Square in central Tabriz.
Khaqani Park (پارک خاقانی) is also known as Boostan-e Khaqani (بوستان خاقانی) is a small park that was named after Khaqani Shirvani, who died in Tabriz.
Mashrouteh Park, or Saeb Tabrizi Garden, is dedicated to the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, which took place between 1905 and 1911.
Shams-i Tabrīzī (شمس تبریزی, Shams Tabrizi Garden) is also known as Shams al-Din Mohammad Garden. Shams al-Din Mohammad was a poet who lived from 1185 to 1248.

Tabriz has always been important in the development of Iran. Its location, as the country's closest hub to Europe, caused many aspects of early modernization in Iran to start there. The city was the traditional residence for Qajar crown princes until 1925.

There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Tabriz. The city sits in the Quru River valley, about 130 kilometers from the border with Azerbaijan and 510 km northwest from Tehran (Teheran).

Because of the war with Israel and the United States it is not recommended to travel to Tabriz (تبریز), or any other destination in Iran at this moment.

Hotels in Tabriz

Images

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