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Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan Province in northwest Iran, is famous for its UNESCO-listed bazaar, its hand-knotted carpets and the tiles of the Blue Mosque. It sits in a broad valley below the Sahand massif and the red slopes of Eynali, and for centuries it was a crossroads on the caravan routes linking Persia, Anatolia and the Caucasus. It served as a royal capital under the Ilkhanids, the Qara Qoyunlu, the Aq Qoyunlu and the early Safavids.
That history is written into the city. The vast covered bazaar is still a working market, and nearby stand the battered tiles of the Blue Mosque, the giant brick walls of the Arg of Tabriz and the Qajar mansions where the Constitutional Revolution was planned. Most people here speak Azerbaijani Turkish as well as Persian.
Plan a day for the bazaar, the Jameh Mosque and the Saheb al-Amr Mosque, another for the Azerbaijan Museum, the Constitution House and Amir Nezam House, and leave an evening for the lake at El Goli. The cave village of Kandovan and the shores of Lake Urmia are popular trips from the city.
The Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex is one of the largest covered markets in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010. Kilometres of brick-vaulted lanes link domed halls and caravanserais. Head for the carpet halls around the Mozaffarieh timcheh, then browse the spice and copper stalls.
The Arg of Tabriz is the colossal brick shell of a 14th-century mosque begun by the Ilkhanid vizier Tajuddin Alishah in central Tabriz. Planned on so vast a scale that it partly collapsed, its bare, sheer walls still dwarf the modern prayer complex built beside it. Walk around its base for scale.
The Mausoleum of Poets in the old Surkhab quarter of Tabriz marks a cemetery where many poets, mystics and scholars were buried over the centuries, among them the medieval poet Khaqani and the 20th-century poet Shahriar. Its angular, soaring towers make it a striking city landmark.
El Goli Park in southeast Tabriz surrounds a large square artificial lake, called Shah Goli in older books, with a pavilion on an island reached by a causeway. The terraced hillside behind it gives fine views. Come towards sunset, when local families gather by the water and the lights come on.
The Blue Mosque of Tabriz, also called the Kabud Mosque, was built in 1465 for Jahan Shah of the Qara Qoyunlu and was famed for its cobalt and turquoise tilework. An earthquake in 1779 brought down much of it, and restoration has rebuilt the brick shell around the surviving mosaic panels.
The Jameh Mosque of Tabriz, the city's Friday Mosque, is tucked into the bazaar and included in its World Heritage listing. Rebuilt and extended many times since the Seljuk era, its quiet brick prayer halls and rows of brick piers make a calm break from the crowded trading lanes outside.
The Saheb al-Amr Mosque stands beside the Mehran River close to the Tabriz bazaar, a Safavid-era mosque easy to spot by its slender minarets and tiled entrance portal. It overlooks a historic square that was once the ceremonial heart of the city, so pair it with a morning in the bazaar.
Saint Mary Church of Tabriz, close to the bazaar, is the most important church of the city's long-established Armenian community and the seat of the local Armenian Apostolic diocese. Look for the belfry and the carved details outside, and ask the caretaker before visiting the interior.
The Azerbaijan Museum in Tabriz, next to the Blue Mosque, is one of the leading archaeological museums in Iran, with prehistoric finds from across the region, pottery, coins, seals and manuscripts. Downstairs, a hall of modern sculptures by Ahad Hosseini is a highlight. Allow an hour.
The Constitution House of Tabriz is a Qajar merchant house where leaders of the Constitutional Revolution, including Sattar Khan and Bagher Khan, met in the early 1900s. Now a museum, it shows documents, photographs and personal items, and its glazed skylight over the staircase is a lovely detail.
Amir Nezam House in Tabriz, the elegant Qajar mansion of Hassan Ali Khan Garrousi, now houses the Qajar Museum of Tabriz. Rooms set around a garden courtyard with a long pool display weapons, coins, ceramics, glass and household objects of the period. Give the courtyard itself time, too.
Tabriz Municipality Palace, built in the early Pahlavi era, is the stately clock-tower building that gives Saat Square in central Tabriz its name. Part of it is a museum telling the story of the city through old photographs, documents and civic memorabilia. Combine it with a walk around the square.
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