You might have heard about the top tourist attractions of Tabriz, in Iran, a lot. As one of the cities along the ancient Silk Road Tabriz has enjoyed prosperity for a long time now. It also became the capital city of Iran for a long time.

The city is the center of Eastern Azerbaijan Province in north-west of Iran. The beautiful tourist attractions of the city are must-see destinations for travelers. Let’s take a look at 6 of these historical sights.

Arg-E Tabriz

Arg-e Tabriz, which is also called Arg-e Alishah, is in fact the remnant of a fortification built in the 14th century. The original building was intended as a complex of a mosque and prayer halls, library, and a mausoleum. However, with the death of Alishah, the governor of Tabriz at that time, and problems in construction, the building was left unfinished.

Later on, as Iran got involved in various battles with Russia and then England, the citadel was put to use as a military fort. During the Qajar period, several sections were added to the structure to complete its military function. It was also used to store grains at this period. However, during the battle with the Russians, after conquering the city, they destroyed some parts of the fort.

Later, during the years that followed in the 20th century several Qajarid additions to the wall were destroyed. So much so that today only the southern prayer hall remains.

As one of the largest structures built in Tabriz, in its heyday, the fort occupied the horizon from a considerable distance. That is why many famous travelers have included descriptions of the fort in their travelogues.

Tabriz Bazaar

One of the top tourist attractions of Tabriz is its grand bazaar. As Tabriz was located on the ancient Silk Road, the bazaar of Tabriz was one of the important trade spots for Iran and the neighboring countries.

Dating back to the 11th century, the bazaar has been enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is one of the longest covered marketplaces in Iran, which occupies and area of about 1 kilometer. It consists of several sections (groups of shops and stalls) which are dedicated to a special trade. For example. In one subsection of the bazaar you can see the jewelers, while in another one you will see carpet merchants. As such, you will see different objects traded here.

The bazaar not only contributed to the trade cycle of the city and the country at large, it also played an important social as well as religious role. As in any other bazaar, here you will also see mosques, schools, caravanserais, and bathhouses.

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque of Tabriz represents exquisite art and architecture techniques. This beautiful historical sight in Tabriz was built in 15th century. Exquisite turquoise tiles were used in the construction of the mosque. Because of this, the mosque was called the “Blue Mosque” by Jane Dieulafoy for the first time.

The mosque consisted of minarets, a school, a library, and a convent. Unfortunately, major parts of the mosque were collapsed due to an earthquake in 1779. Even though during the 20th century the mosque was renovated, today’s mosque bears scars of negligence and harm. Still, by visiting this mosque you will see exquisite colorful tilework as well as pieces of calligraphy.

Elgoli Park

The image of Elgoli Park comes into the mind of almost any Iranian when they hear the word Tabriz. As one of the famous tourist attractions of Tabriz, Elgoli Park attracts many visitors year-round. The park was first established in the 15th century, and flourished during the centuries that followed.

The artificial lake of the park was built as a reservoir of water for Tabriz and the surrounding cities. It is 12 meters deep and 5500 square meters, and has the capacity to contain 720,000 cubic meters of water. The pavilion was added later, in the 19th century, for the court members of the Qajar family. Later, trees and pedestrian walks were added to the complex to turn it into a pleasant place for passing time.

Village of Kandovan

Do you like to see an extraordinary village? Then you should visit the Village of Kandovan, near Tabriz. This is one of the most interesting tourist attractions of not only Eastern Azerbaijan province, but also the entire Iran. Kandoo in Farsi means beehive. The reason for this naming is that the villagers’ houses are in fact carved into the volcanic rocks that have been formed on the slopes of Mount Sahand. Seen from far the houses look like beehives carved into conical shaped volcanic cliffs.

Kandovan is one of the 3 manmade cliff dwellings in the world (the other two are in Turkey and the United States). What makes this village unique is the fact that, contrary to the other two, this village is still populated by villagers.

The walls of the houses are 2 to 3 meters thick. Also, each house has been large enough to accommodate all that is necessary for a family. They included kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms, etc.

Jameh Mosque

One of the oldest historical buildings of Tabriz is its Jameh Mosque. Also known as Jom’eh Mosque, it was first established in the 11th and 12th centuries. The location of the mosque is significant, as it is built close to the bazaar.

Today’s mosque has 2 entrances and is the result of several stages of construction. This means, from the 11th to 18th century, several parts were added to the mosque. These include the upper floor porches, minarets, and praying rooms. Even though some parts of the mosque were destroyed during the earthquake of 1779, it received major renovation.

One of the oldest parts of the mosque is its shabestan (prayer hall). The prayer hall consists of octagonal pillars which hold beautifully designed domes and arches. Delicately designed bricks are used in the structure of these arches.

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