Iran's Tabriz bazaar named by UNESCO as World Heritage site
Farzin Farzad
TEHRAN, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Grand Bazaar of Tabriz, a historic
complex located in Iran's northwestern province of East Azarbaijan was
named as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO World Heritage Center,
the official IRNA news agency reported on Sunday.
The decision was made in the 34th meeting of the World Heritage
Committee which is being held in Brasilia, Brazil, from July 25 to
Aug. 3, head of the East Azarbaijan's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts
and Tourism Organization Torab Mohammadi told IRNA on Sunday.
"This is the first time that the UN Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Center selects a '
bazaar' as a valuable cultural heritage," Mohammadi was quoted as
saying.
Located in the center of the city, the Bazaar of Tabriz is one of the
oldest bazaars of the Middle East and the largest covered bazar in the
world. This spectacular structure consists of several sub-bazaars and
has different economic and cultural spaces.
Although numerous modern shops and malls have been established
recently, the Bazaar of Tabriz remains the economic heart of the city
and northwestern Iran.
Bazaar in Iran is used for some of the important religious ceremonies
too. The most famous one is Day of Ashura while merchants cease the
trade for about 10 days and religious ceremonies are held inside the
Bazaar. Like other bazaars in the Middle East, there are several
mosques constructed behind the bazaar.