Unesco registers Iranian bazaar in world heritage

UNESCO awarded Tabriz Bazaar, an ancient Iranian monument, world heritage certificate in a ceremony attended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran held an official ceremony in the northwestern city of Tabriz to celebrate the registration of the town's historic bazaar complex on the UNESCO's World Heritage List. As inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2010, Tabriz historic bazaar complex is the largest covered bazaar in the world and one of the most significant commercial centers on the Silk Road. This remarkable structure consists of several sub-bazaars, such as Amir Bazaar (for gold and jewelry), Mozzafarieh (a carpet bazaar), and a shoe bazaar. The brick covered Bazaar has been one of the most important international trade and cultural centers in not only Asia but also the world between the 12th and the 18th centuries. The place became particularly famous in the 13th century, when Tabriz, located in Eastern Azerbaijan, became the capital city of the Safavid kingdom. Over the last thirty years, a number of restoration projects have been carried out on this commercial structure.