Market sights in Iran
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Bazar-e Vakil
Shiraz’s ancient trading district is comprised of several bazaars dating from different periods. The finest and most famous is the Bazar-e Vakil, a cruciform structure commissioned by Karim Khan as part of his plan to make Shiraz into a great trading centre. The wide vaulted brick avenues are masterpieces of Zand architecture, with the design ensuring the interior remains cool in summer and warm in winter. Today, it’s home to almost 200 stores selling carpets, handicrafts, spices and clothes and is one of the most atmospheric bazaars in Iran, especially in the early evening when it is fantastically photogenic. As usual, it’s best explored by wandering without concern…
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B
Bazar-e Bozorg
Esfahan’s Bazar-e Bozorg links Imam Sq with the Jameh Mosque, 1.7km northeast. The bazaar’s arched passageways are topped by a series of small domes, each with an aperture at its apex spilling shafts of light onto the commerce below. While the oldest parts of the bazaar, around the Jameh Mosque, are more than a thousand years old, most of what you see today was built during Shah Abbas’ aggressive expansions in the early 1600s.
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Grand Bazaar
Stretching for 1200m from Tohid Sq northeast to Shohada Sq, Kerman's Grand Bazaar is one of the oldest trading centres in Iran. This main thoroughfare is made up of four smaller bazaars, and a further 20 or so branch off to the north and south. It is, however, easy enough to navigate and has a vivacity that should keep you interested, especially in the morning and late afternoon.
Starting at Tohid Sq, the first section is the Bazar-e Ganj Ali Khan, built in the 17th century for Ganj Ali Khan (the governor of Kerman), which soon opens onto the pretty Ganj Ali Khan Square. Built in the Safavid period, this courtyard is home to what was once Kerman's most important hammam,…
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C
Bazaar (covered bazaar)
The magnificent, labyrinthine covered bazaar covers some 7 sq km with 24 separate caravanserais and 22 impressive timches (domed halls). Construction began over a millennium ago, though much of the fine brick vaulting is 15th century. Upon entering one feels like a launched pinball, bouncing around through an extraordinary colourful maze, only emerging when chance or carelessness dictates.
There are several carpet sections, according to knot-size and type. The spice bazaar has a few shops still selling herbal remedies and natural perfumes. A couple of hat shops (Bazaar Kolahdozan) sell traditional papakh (Azari hats, from around IR100,000,) made of tight-curled astrakhan…
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D
Bazaar
Kashan’s bazaar is one of the most enjoyable in Iran. Busy but not hectic, traditional but with a wide variety of goods, large enough to surprise but not to get lost in, it is a great place to wander for a couple of hours, especially before lunch and in the late afternoon. The multidomed roof of the bazaar dates from the 19th century, but the site has been the centre of trade in Kashan for much longer.
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E
Caravanserai Azizolaof
Lanes around the Haram's various entrances are full of tourist trinket sellers but also a selection of real markets. The run-down, century-old Caravanserai Azizolaof contains down-market electronics stalls run by Afghans. Hurry to see this area before it's all demolished as the Haram precinct plans to expand yet again.
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Covered Bazaar
The extensive, much restored covered bazaar slopes up from Modarres St. It's well worth exploring with a couple of dilapidated old caravanserai courtyards at the western end. Within the bazaar, Ehmad Dohla Mosque (Jewellery Bazaar), entered through an attractive tiled portal, has a Qajar-era clock tower.
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Ehmad Dohla Mosque
The extensive, much restored covered bazaar slopes up from Modarres St. It's well worth exploring with a couple of dilapidated old caravanserai courtyards at the western end. Within the bazaar, Ehmad Dohla Mosque, entered through an attractive tiled portal, has a Qajar-era clock tower.
reviewed
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F
Bazar-e Nou
On the north side of Zand is the less touristy but still pleasingly proportioned Bazar-e Nou, built during the Qajar era.
reviewed