The Grand Bazaar (in

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

: Bazar Bozorg, بازار بزرگ) is a historical market located in

Isfahan Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, also known as the Qeysarriyeh Bazaar (in

: بازار قيصريه), Qeysarie bazaar or Soltani bazaar. The main commercial activities in the Qeysarie bazaar are

carpet A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester hav ...

and

kilim A kilim ( az, Kilim کیلیم; tr, Kilim; tm, Kilim; fa, گلیم ''Gilīm'') is a flat tapestry-woven carpet or rug traditionally produced in countries of the former Persian Empire, including Iran, the Balkans and the Turkic countries. Kili ...

selling. The bazaar was one of the greatest and luxurious trading center in the

safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

era. It was built in 1620 on the northern side of

Naqsh-e Jahan Square Naqsh-e Jahan Square ( fa, میدان نقش جهان ''Maidān-e Naghsh-e Jahān''; trans: "Image of the World Square"), also known as the Shah Square (میدان شاه) prior to 1979, is a square situated at the center of Isfahan (city), Isfah ...

. It connects the Naqsh-e Jahan Square to the

Kohneh Square Atiq Square or Atigh Square or Kohneh Square or Old Square, in Persian:(میدان عتيق or میدان کهنه) was a focal point of the city of Isfahan for centuries. In the eleventh century when Isfahan was the capital of the Seljuk dynas ...

and

seljukid The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes by the Turk ...

part of Isfahan. The Qeysarie bazaar includes these parts: * Orian bazaar * Harounie * Nimavard-e Golshan * Makhlas * Samavarsazha (

Samovar A samovar (russian: самовар, , literally "self-brewer") is a metal container traditionally used to heat and boil water. Although originating in Russia, the samovar is well known outside of Russia and has spread through Russian culture t ...

makers) * Maqsudbeyk In the Qeysarie bazaar, there are many historical buildings such as

Nimavar school Nimavar school ( fa, مسجد نیماور) is a historical school in Isfahan, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to ...

Sadr school Sadr Madrasa ( fa, مدرسه صدر) is one of the largest madrasas in Isfahan, Iran. It was built by Mohammad Hosseyn Khan Sadr Esfahani, the famous governor of Isfahan in the era of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar. Although the structure and decorations o ...

, Khayyatha mosque, No mosque, Zolfaghar mosque, Shishe mosque and Jarchi mosque. The

Qeysarie gate The Qeysarie gate is a historical gate in the main entrance of the Bazaar of Isfahan and Qeysarie Bazaar in Isfahan, Iran. The gate had had originally 3 floors, but the third floor was destroyed later. The destroyed third floor had been a Naqqa ...

is the main entrance of the bazaar.

History

It was originally constructed during the 11th century, on the southwest wing of

Jameh Mosque A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.* * * * * * * ...

and

but various arcades and rooms were later added to it. The present remnant dates from the

Safavid Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...

period, during which the Qaysariya Bazaar was built on the north wing of

, a square which was developed as a substitute for

. The bazaar, one of the oldest and largest

bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...

s in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

, dates to Saljuqid and Safavid era and is the longest roofed market in the world. The site has been destroyed several times and the contemporary bazaar dates to the 17th century. The bazaar is a vaulted two-kilometre street linking the old city with the new. In the Middle-East, bazaars were typically situated in close proximity to the mosque and the Isfahan Bazaar is no exception. The Bazaar of Isfahan is located in downtown old Isfahan, Iran, in the northern section of the

. The main entrance called Qeisarieh stretches through to the Friday mosque

the oldest mosque in Isfahan, and one of the oldest in Iran. Before entering the Grand Bazaar visitors can see views of the square, which is one of the biggest squares in the entire world. All around the square are bazaars full of Persian handicrafts.

References

Bibliography

* A. Bakhtiar: ‘The Royal Bazaar of Isfahan’, Studies on Isfahan, ed. R. Holod, 2 vols, Iran. Stud., vii (1974), pp. 320–47 * H. Gaube and E. Wirth: Der Bazar von Isfahan (Wiesbaden, 1978) *

External links

Iran Chamber Society on Architecture of the Bazaar at Isfahan
Buildings and structures completed in the 10th century Buildings and structures in Isfahan Architecture in Iran

Tourist attractions in Isfahan 17th-century mosques {{Iran-stub

History

See also

References

Bibliography

External links