Visiting the local markets, often known as Iran bazaars, is one of the most popular tourist activities in Iran. They are not only rich in history and architectural beauty, but they are also excellent locations for purchasing local handicrafts and other items.
You won’t find somewhere else where people from all walks of life, from all districts and socioeconomic and cultural levels, mingle with one another and trade things, words, greetings, and suggestions like around these basic and charming stores.
Colors, perfumes, flavors, spices, herbs, blue decorations, and, wait for it, Persian carpets abound in Iran bazaars.
Table of contents
Tehran Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar in Tehran is a tangle of passageways teeming with stores, carriages, commodities, and people. The city’s economic heart, it’s said to play a key part in the country’s economic growth, and if you can make your way through the crowds, you’ll see why. If you visit the Iranian capital, this is a must-see.
The Grand Bazaar in Tehran, Iran, is an old historical bazaar. It is divided into many corridors spanning 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), each specialized in different sorts of goods, and has many entrances, the primary one being Sabze-Meydan.
The Grand Bazaar also has mosques, guest homes, and banks in addition to stores. It has connectivity to the Tehran Metro’s fast transit system through the Khayam and Khordad 15th stations.
Address: Tehran Grand Bazaar, Tehran – Iran
Tabriz Bazaar – top Iran bazaars
Tabriz has traditionally been an important commercial city due to its strategic location along the Silk Road. Its medieval bazaar, which was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010, is one of the Middle East’s oldest.
The complex is connected by a tangle of red brick buildings with high ceilings and arches. The rug market, however, is the most prominent location. Visitors may see the modern-day trade of this centuries-old custom as merchants bring piles of carpets, patch together loose ends, and chat business over tea.
Address: Bazaar, Tabriz, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran
Kashan Bazaar – top Iran bazaars
Kashan, like Tabriz, was a well-known city on the Silk Road. Kashan Bazaar was formerly one of the world’s most lucrative and busiest marketplaces, since Kashan was formerly regarded a commercial center.
It is still living and reacting to people’s needs after more than 700 years. Kashan Bazaar features two major lanes and is not as vast and congested as the preceding two Bazaars. The 18th-century Amin-O-Dole Timeche is one among the attractions that visitors may enjoy at their leisure. It’s the perfect spot to unwind with a cup of tea at one of the entrances.
Another alternative is to visit the tea store in Hammame-Khan (Khan Bath), a public bathhouse that goes back to the nineteenth century. Kashan Bazaar also features two almost 800-year-old mosques, Masjed-e Soltani and Masjad-e Mir Emad.
Address: Isfahan Province, Kashan, Bazaar of Kashan, Iran
Isfahan Bazaar – top Iran bazaars
Isfahanis have always known how to serve guests and make it simpler for them to find their favorite goods. This is most likely why the city’s market was built immediately around Imam Square, the first site that every tourist visits when visiting Isfahan.
This market is also rather old. Despite the fact that its initial stores date back to the 11th century, and new areas being built gradually during the Safavid era.
Address: Esfahan Bazaar, Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Esfahan
Tajrish Bazaar – Tehran
Tarjish Bazaar is located to the north of Tehran, in one of the city’s oldest areas. It is less hectic and more attractive than Tehran’s Grand Bazaar. This bazaar is the go-to spot for fresh and hard-to-find goods, as well as dairy products from camels and a plethora of atâri, or apothecaries, that entice tourists with the scent of herbs and spices.
Try some local street cuisine on Shahrdari Street in between shopping. If you’re in Iran right before Nowruz, this is the place to be in Tehran to witness the excitement of the new year’s preparations.
Address: Tajrish Bazaar, Tajrish Square, Tehran
Vakil Bazaar Shiraz – top Iran bazaars
Bazaar-e Vakil, Shiraz’s main bazaar, is located near Vakil mosque in the ancient center of Darb’e Shahzadeh. Its principal architectural feature is brick-vaulted walls, which are considered a masterpiece of the Zand dynasty.
It’s the ideal spot for a couple of hours of wandering, shopping for souvenirs, or relaxing in the courtyard adjacent to the pool under the shade of fragrant orange trees. Persian carpets, herbs, a variety of teas, and the ever-present khakishir, a famous detoxifying seed-based drink, are just a few of Shiraz bazaar’s features.
Address: Vakil Bazaar, Saraye Moshir, Shiraz
Ganjali Khan Bazaar Kerman
This bazaar is part of Kerman’s Ganjali Khan Complex, which also includes a famous hammam, a coin museum, and the Vakil teahouse. Four ways lead to the charsouq, a crossroads noted for its ceiling paintings and for being the ideal tiny corner to buy spices, particularly cumin, which is famed in Kerman.
Before going on to the copper bazaar, where you’ll see some of the largest pots you’ve ever seen, try some warm ghavoot, a powdered blend of different spices, nuts, and seeds. Pateh, the city’s traditional handmade textile produced from wool and natural dyes, can also be found here in plenty.
Address: Ganjali Khan Complex, Ganjali Khan Square
