Tabriz

Lore & Background

Tabriz was chosen as capital for several rulers from the Atropates era onward. It was destroyed multiple times by natural disasters and invading armies. After the Muslim conquest of Iran, the Arabian Azd tribe from Yemen resided there. In the 10th century, Tabriz supplanted Ardabil as the capital of Azarbayjan and became a pivotal commercial hub linking the Far East, Central Asia, Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean, Anatolia, Constantinople, and the Caucasus. Under the Ilkhanate, Ghazan Khan made it the chief administrative centre of an empire stretching from Anatolia to the Oxus River and from the Caucasus to the Indian Ocean.

Reader's Guide

Tabriz holds significance as a historical capital for multiple dynasties, including the Ilkhanate, Qara Qoyunlu, Ag Qoyunlu, and early Safavid state. Its location on the Silk Road made it a crucial nexus for trade between East and West, and it was pivotal in the development of the Caucasus, Eastern Anatolia, and Central Iran. As Iran's closest hub to Europe, many aspects of early modernization in Iran began in Tabriz. The city contains many historical monuments, most from the Ilkhanid, Safavid, and Qajar periods, including the grand Bazaar of Tabriz, a World Heritage Site. Today, it is a major heavy industries hub for automobiles, machine tools, refineries, petrochemicals, textiles, and cement, and is famous for handicrafts such as hand-woven rugs and jewelry. Its local confectionery, chocolate, dried nuts, and traditional food are recognized throughout Iran. The population is bilingual, with most speaking Iranian Azerbaijani as a native language and Persian as a second language. Tabriz is also a center for intellectual activity and houses esteemed cultural institutions in northwest Iran.

Did You Know?

• The grand Bazaar of Tabriz is designated a World Heritage Site.