The Grand Bazaar
is an old historical bazaar in Tehran, Iran. It is split into several corridors over 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) in length, each specializing in different types of goods, and has several entrances, with Sabze-Meydan being the main entrance.
In addition to shops, the Grand Bazaar contains mosques, guest houses, and banks. It has access to the rapid transit system of Tehran Metro through Khayam and Khordad 15th stations.
Trade and early bazaars in Tehran
The area around Tehran has been settled since at least the 6th millennium BC, and while bazaar-like constructions in Iran as a whole have been dated as far back as the 4th millennium BC, Tehran’s bazaar is not that old. It is hard to say exactly when the bazaar first appeared, but in the centuries after the Muslim conquest of Iran, travelers reported the growth of commerce in the area now occupied by the current bazaar. The Grand Bazaar is thus a continuation of this legacy.
Research indicates that a portion of today’s bazaar predated the growth of the village of Tehran by the time of the Safavid Empire, although it was during and after this period that the bazaar began to grow gradually. Western travelers reported that by 1660 CE and beyond, the bazaar area had still been largely open and only partially covered.
Development
Despite relying heavily on this historical legacy, much of the bazaar itself was constructed much later. The oldest surviving buildings, that is to say, the walls and passages in the bazaar, rarely exceed 400 years, with many being constructed or rebuilt within the last 200 years. The bazaar grew as a “city within a city” for much of the 19th century, and was able to expand largely and without much outside interference. However, under the reign of Reza Shah, as Tehran began to grow and reform exponentially in the early 20th century, the changes brought by this rapid development saw much of the bazaar disappear.
The old sections of the bazaar are generally similar in architectural style, while the parts added in the 20th century often look remarkably different. Critics say that little consideration had been given to the construction of these new sections. However, in the late 20th century, some projects were undertaken in order to beautify the bazaar through the use of plaster molding and decorative brickwork.
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Photography
Location
Tehran, Iran
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