Tabriz Things to Do

The Blue Mosque in Tabriz was constructed in the 15th century, and it was long known for its beautiful blue tile work and calligraphy. Unfortunately the mosque was destroyed in an earthquake in 1773 and largely lay in a pile of rubble until the 1950s when reconstruction of the mosque begun. On the walls you can clearly see the difference between the old tiles and where it has been lost as the patterns there are only painted. The mosque has got nine domes and resembles early Ottoman mosques in architecture.

Entrance fee is IR 3000 (June 2006).
There is a souvenir shop inside the mosque.

In down town Tabriz is the Municipality Hall, a building constructed in 1934 over an ancient graveyard and under German supervision. It has a tower with a four sided clock (Sa’at Tower) and the clock rings every 15 minutes.

Azarbayjan Museum, which was inaugurated in 1962, is not a large museum but have some fine artefacts, especially on the ground floor. There are a lot of pottery, bronze items, coins and jewellery from excavations in Iranian Azerbaijan. For example the bronze helmet on the photo is a 3000-year-old helmet from Hasanlu.

Entrance fee is IR 4000 (June 2006).
The museum is open Saturday - Thursday 8am - 5pm (8pm in summer) and Fridays 8am - 1pm.

Babak Khorram-Din and his followers promoted a purely Iranian religion as an alternative to Islam. During a 20-year rebellion (816-837 AD) they killed many of the Abbasid Caliphate's (750-1258 AD) troops. In the early 1990s, an armed opposition organization called the Babak Khorramdin Organization (BKO) assassinated some Iranian Islamic officials

It all began about 6000 years ago when the dwellers of the sweeping plains of what is now Southwestern Iran began to establish settlements that would grow into cities bustling with rich commerce. Susa (Shush), capital of the region known as Elam, was first among them, and it would be followed by the Elamite cities such as Anshaan.
Standing as it did between the Indus valley to the east and the ancient civilization of Sumer to the west, Susa became a focal point for trade. It also became a rich prize for conquerors.
Although the history of the time is murky, the third millennium B.C. seems to have been marked by frequent warfare between Elamites and Mesopotamian forces from Akkad, who eventually overran and occupied Susa. In time the armies of Elam regained the city, but control would fall intermittently to Elamites and to Mesopotamians for centuries to come.

Wandering around outside the centre.
Many parts of the city don't look like a 4 million metropolis. But these suburbs extend to the horizon, they are huge, and that's the way how most of the people live. But be aware that many people will look at you very intersted and curiously.

Visit the big park in the outskirts of the town. Especially on friday everybody comes there for a picnic or just for a tea in the wonderful teahouse (see photo), and you can find many Iranians playing football or cycling. It's a very relaxed atmosphere.

Would you like to buy some souvenirs for your dears? Come follow me to go to one of the best .... Bazaar of Tabriz (Timcheh-e-Mirza Shafi in picture)
Anywhere which is talking about Tabriz its bazaar is a proof for its vastness, importance and dignity. It was cross over point of ancient cultures many centuries because of its special geopolitical conditions. It was the main communication link between east and west and also between north and south, from china to Europe and from Egypt to Russia and one of the important cities on silk-road. Marco polo has said:' Tabriz is a big and imposing city where a great treasure has been hidden in its bazaar.'
The earthquake which happened in 1771 A.D. and exterminated the entire city was important deathblow for bazaar. Bazaar was made immediately in same place with stand brick and reached its former thrive.
Our bazaar with up to 210000 squared meter vastity is the largest one in Asia.
Remember, when you want to visit bazaar, bring so much money because there is all souvenirs that you want to buy.