The Formation of Living World Heritage Traditional Urban Pattern (Case Study: Iran-Tabriz Grand Bazaar Complex)

Abstract

Historical urban pattern, as the architectural heritage of the past, shows the way of life and how civilizations have evolved. They convey much-accumulated information and details from the past to the present. In other words, their values are understood when the places that formed the cities are analyzed comprehensively. It is essential to examine the information mentioned for sustainable urban development as well as sustainable social development. While talking about the places in cities with Islamic architecture, bazaars are characterized by different architectural features; they played a significant role in the daily life of cities in the past and today. In this research, Tabriz's historic bazaar complex was discussed. And after determining the study area, its physical and social structure was analyzed, and the change process was evaluated by defining today's problems and possibilities.Tabriz grand bazaar complex has been one of Asia's most significant international urban areas and the World for commercial and cultural exchanges for seven centuries. Due to the historical bazaar's strategic location and architectural features, it has played an active role in the east-west trade route through the Silk Road. Looking at the past of the covered bazaar, we see traces of historical periods such as Seljuks, Ilkhanids, Kara-koyunlu Turkmens, Ak-koyunlu Turkmens, Safavids, Ottoman, and Qajar eras. Each of these periods affected on the formation and development of the bazaar. Tabriz's historical bazaar complex is on the UNESCO world heritage list as the world's largest brick-built covered bazaar. This research aims to understand the social-physical relation that formed the selected study area's features, characteristics, and spatial formation. As the gathered data evaluate it is ascertained that the area by minimal changes, continues its existence. In this context, in the further phases of the study, it will convey information that will contribute and form the bases for the conservation and development proposals.