Things to Do in Tabriz, Iran

1. Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex

Get ready to get lost in Iran's oldest and largest covered bazaar. You will travel through time among centuries-old caravanserais, domed passageways, and handmade carpets.

Quick facts: This covered bazaar, one of the most important trading stops on the Silk Road since the 14th century, resembles a giant labyrinth with corridors stretching over 7 kilometers. Housing more than 20 inns, around 30 mosques, and countless caravanserais, the structure is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Highlights: When you stand in the middle of the bazaar and look around, you will realize you are standing at the point where 24 different covered markets intersect. Each market (haci) has its own unique metalwork, scent and color world; the smell of wool and silk in the carpet sellers' market mixes with the sharp aromas of the spice merchants.

2. Blue Mosque (Masjed-e Kabud)

Masjed-e Kabud

One of Iran's largest and oldest mosques, this structure famous for its turquoise tiles will enchant you. A peaceful atmosphere awaits you with the sounds of water echoing around the huge marble altar and octagonal pool.

Quick facts: The mosque was begun in 1465 by order of Jahan Shah but was completed after his death by the Aqqoyunlu ruler Uzun Hasan. Although the turquoise tiles on its exterior facade have fallen off over time, some of the tile work in the interior has survived to the present day, and some of these tiles influenced architect Victor Horta, considered a pioneer of the Art Nouveau movement.

Highlights: On the qibla wall of the mosque, there is a giant marble mihrab unparalleled in Iran. But what is truly enchanting are the marble gargoyles carved in the shape of lion heads lined around the octagonal pool at the entrance of the mosque: the water flowing from each one adds a mystical sound to the courtyard.

3. Kandovan Village

What is it like to live in houses carved not by human hands but by volcanic mountains? While sipping tea brewed in stone rooms accompanied by pristine mountain air, you will find yourself thousands of years in the past.

Quick facts: In the rock-carved houses, people and animals live side by side, and some of the houses are still used as old-fashioned stables. Each house is connected to another by tunnel-like passages, and neighbors can reach each other without knocking on doors.

Highlights: The walls of the houses in the village reach 2 meters in thickness, staying cool inside like natural air conditioning in summer while requiring no heating in winter. Additionally, each house has small chimneys on top; due to temperature differences reaching up to 40 degrees in winter, steam rather than smoke comes out of these chimneys.

4. El Goli (Shah Goli) Park

On a hot summer day, escape the noise of the city and find yourself on the shore of a cool lake. Along with thousands of other people, you will sip your tea and watch the silhouette of the mountains reflected on the lake.

Quick facts: Its 55,000-square-meter artificial lake, reflecting the mountains rising to the south like a mirror, offers a cool oasis right in the center of the city. Hosting more than 30,000 people on summer evenings, this park is the first stop for locals to enjoy tea.

Highlights: The hexagonal pavilion in the middle of the lake was actually a summer palace for princes during the Qajar period and appears to float in the center of the pool. Now you can sit here, sip hot tea while watching the large and small carp gliding beneath your feet.

5. Azerbaijan Museum

Open the doors of a treasure that is hard to handle. A journey to a different era awaits you in each room.

Quick facts: This magnificent structure in the heart of Tabriz is just a 5-minute walk from Iran's largest covered bazaar. The museum, housing 18 different sections, has been beating as the cultural heart of the region for over 500 years.

Highlights: The bronze doors weighing 2.5 tons that greet you at the entrance dazzle with their fine craftsmanship and are decorated with 12 panels, each telling a different story. The 2,000-year-old salt man mummy on display was found in Iran's Zanjan region and the traces of tattoos on his body are still visible.

6. Saint Stepanos Monastery

This mystical monastery hidden among the mountains of Iran carries a thousand years of silence in its stone walls. Visitors are captivated by its arches reaching toward the sky and its magnificent courtyard.

Quick facts: The legendary monastery that inspired Hezarfen Ahmed Celebi's flight experiments offers a timeless silence with its 7th-century stone walls. Bearing traces of four different civilizations, the structure is known as one of the oldest Christian buildings in Iran.

Highlights: When you stand in the shade of the plane tree rising in the courtyard, you find a time capsule lost among the Armenian and Persian inscriptions carved into the stones. Beneath each stone lies a prayer, behind every arch an age-old whisper.