Tabriz, Iran, nestled in the crossroads of Europe and Asia, has lost many of its historic treasures over time. Enough of its imperial and commercial history remain, however, to reward the intrepid traveler with a glimpse into the ancient world. While travelers can cover most of Tabriz’s major sites in a day or two, some of its surrounding sites can merit a longer stay, particularly given the difficulty for Westerners in arranging travel to Iran.
Learning the History
The most populous city in northwestern Iran, Tabriz is steeped in history. Once a major stop on the Silk Road trade route connecting Europe and Asia, it served as a capital city to several empires throughout the ages, including the Mongols, the Turkmen tribal groups and the Safavids, a major rival of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries. More recently, Tabriz has seen rapid modernization, with widened streets, public gardens and a university all added within the last century. Today, it serves as the capital of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province. It remains an important industrial center for Iran, with such products as carpets, agricultural machinery, motorcycles and textiles all developed there.
Preparing for the Climate
Tabriz’s weather ranges from dry, hot summers to rather chilly winters. It has little rain throughout the year, though April tends to be the rainiest month. In the summer, high temperatures can hover around the 90s. Even when it’s hot, visitors will be expected to adhere to local dress codes, which includes covered heads for women and men avoiding shorts and sleeveless shirts. In the winter months, temperatures tend to stay around the freezing mark. Tabriz also is prone to earthquakes.
Exploring the Sites
Unfortunately, a combination of earthquakes and floods along with invasions and neglect have destroyed much of Tabriz’s historical sites over the years. Some – or at least what remains of some – are still available to visit today.
The Citadel of Tabriz, also known as the Ark, was once a massive fortification in the city, built in the 14th century on the site of a collapsed mosque. Shelling by the Russians caused extensive damage in 1911. A pair of giant arches remain, and they have undergone restoration efforts in recent years.
Tabriz also is home to the Blue Mosque. Travelers who have seen the similarly named site in Istanbul might be disappointed, as an earthquake in 1780 left it in ruins and destroyed many of its namesake blue tiles. Major reconstruction work began over the past several decades. Today, visitors can still see the blue tiles on the mosque’s northern facade and the mosque’s dome and roofing. Additionally, it houses calligraphic works of art.
Several other religious sites in Tabriz merit a visit. The Majestic Jame Mosque of Tabriz combines modern and traditional architectural features, thanks to reconstruction work following earthquakes, and it features two three-tiered minarets and blue, geometric mosaics. Tabriz also has churches built by Armenian Christians over the years, including the 12th century St. Mary Church and the St. Stephanos Monastery in nearby Jolfa, an isolated, 9th century structure that often draws large crowds.
Of historical prominence is Tabriz’s Constitution House, which was a gathering place for leaders during and after Iran’s Constitutional Revolution in the early 20th century. Built in 1868, the two-story house has several rooms and halls to visit, most notably a corridor adorned with brightly colored glass and mirrors. The house also contains sculptures and memorabilia from Iran’s revolutionaries, including an exhibit detailing women’s role in the revolution.
Tabriz is home to the mausoleum of the poet Shariar, a well-known figure in literature to Persian and Azerbaijani Turkic speakers. The mausoleum stands about 100 feet high.
For a little relaxation, locals enjoy the hillside garden and park, El Goli, just outside the city. The nearly 55,000-square-meter park surrounds an artificial lake. Visitors can enjoy strolling along the trees, catching a view of the city and playing a game of badminton. The park also houses a reasonably priced restaurant featuring local cuisine.
Shopping and Dining
The heart of shopping in Tabriz is at its Historic Bazaar Complex. The winding, maze-like bazaar has earned a spot among UNESCO’s World Heritage sites, having served as a commercial hub over centuries and even earning a mention by Marco Polo during his travels. The current architecture of the bazaar is slightly more modern, dating back to the mid-18th century, and it contains several historical buildings, including Jam’s Mosque, Talebieh School and Sadeqieh School.
While just strolling along the bazaar’s high-domed ceilings and storefronts can be entertaining on its own, visitors also can pick up some of its wares. In particular, its Mozaffar Market has carpets for sale. Other items readily available include jewelry, spicing and copper cookware.
Among the local foods to sample is Bonab kababi, named after the nearby city of Bonab. These large kababs are made from ground beef, onions and spices. As with many regions of the Middle East, Tabriz features its own take on the meatball, or koofteh. Besides the ground beef, these often feature dried fruit, such as apricots, and boiled eggs at their core and can be served with shredded Sangak or Lavash bread. Visitors to Tabriz also can sample several different types of aash, a thick soup made with noodles and kashk, a fermented dairy product. Varieties in Tabriz include those made with tomatoes, cabbage, lentils and yogurt.
Visitors with a sweet tooth won’t want to miss Turkish baklava while in Tabriz. Unlike baklava found in other regions, Turkish baklava contains a few thin layers of pastry surrounding layers of almond and saffron, pistachio and cardamom with almonds and rosewater. These are especially popular during the New Year, Nowruz, which occurs around the spring equinox in late March.
Planning Nearby Excursions
Tabriz can serve as a launching point to visit several nearby tourism hot spots.
About 40 miles to the east lies Sarein in Iran’s Ardabil Province, a city in the mountains known for its therapeutic hot springs. In all, the area is home to nine different hot springs; the hottest, Gavmesh Goli, can reach temperatures as high as about 150 degrees Fahrenheit. The small town is usually quite busy with tourists from elsewhere in Iran, particularly in the summer when its temperatures remain relatively mild. Locals say the sulphur in the water has healing properties. Men and women must bathe separately in the hot springs.
After a dip in one of the hot springs, visitors can shop in one of Sarein’s many honey shops and pick up a jar of honey made from local beehives. Sarein’s yogurt-based aash also is readily available.
Hardier travelers can trek to nearby Sabalan, an inactive volcano that is Iran’s third-highest mountain. Climbing to the summit requires moderate levels of fitness and should take a few days to complete. As a reward for completion, tourists will see the stunning natural lake on the mountain’s summit.
In the foothills of Mount Sahand, about an hour’s drive from Tabriz, is Kandovan Village. In this tiny village of fewer than 700 people, visitors can see man-made cave dwelling carved directly into the mountain’s stone, some of them at least 700 years old. There’s even a hotel carved into the rocks if visitors want to stay the night.
Getting Access
For Americans, Canadians and the British, getting a visa to visit Iran can be a difficult process that can take several months, but it is not impossible. Prior to 2013, travelers from the United States and other Western nations could not get visas at all, but that changed when President Hassan Rouhani was elected.
Despite that thaw, the U.S. and many of its allies do not have diplomatic relations with Iran, so there are no embassies nor consulates through which to get them.
Additionally, travelers from these countries must travel as part of a tour group, so the best method is to secure a visa through a tour operator. It’s a two-step process, in which travelers first secure an authorization code from Iranian authorities, which they can use to get a visa through a visa service provider. This process is part of the reason travel to Tabriz is on the expensive side, as tours to Iran can often start at several thousand dollars or even up to $10,000 per person or more.
Travelers with passports indicating travel to Israel will need to get fresh passports, and government employees are likely to be denied visas by Iran. Additionally, temporary bans of visas altogether can spring up, depending on the political climate.
Finding a Flight and Accommodations
The major carriers from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom do not serve Iran, but several major brands around the world do. Turkish Airlines is one of the few that provides direct services to Tabriz. Several others, including Lufthansa, Air France, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Alitalia and KLM offer service to Tehran, whereupon travelers can connect on a local carrier to Tabriz. Of course, flights will be managed by the tour provider, so they will determine the best route. They also will find hotels, which will not be the well-known brands to which Western tourists are accustomed. Some might be fairly basic in terms of amenities, particularly the smaller guest houses, but Iranian hospitality can make up for that. Most of the major hotels in Tabriz do offer guests free Wi-Fi as an amenity.
Travelers from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada will need to have all transportation arranged by their tour groups, as citizens of these countries are not allowed to drive in Iran.
