Qazvin Bazaar

The Qazvin Bazaar, with its old architecture, is one of the most spectacular places in Qazvin.

Qazvin is one of the top five cities of Iran in terms of historical attractions. It dates back to the Safavid era and the Qajar era, which consists of economic, cultural, and social places such as mosques and caravanserais. Qazvin was the capital of Iran for 57 years during the Safavid era. Saraye Sa'd-o-Saltaneh was built next to the Qazvin bazaar at this time. The Qazvin Bazaar was the linking point with the west and north side of Iran, due to the development of the Qajar era. This Bazaar has an area of 14 hectares with three main entrance gates.

• Architecture

  The architectural style of the Qazvin Bazaar is similar to the Bazaar of Isfahan and Shiraz. There is a lot of sara or timche in Qazvin Bazaar. Now let’s talk about different parts of this Bazaar as follows:
   
  • Hajj Reza Sara dates back to the Qajar era, which belonged to the merchants of Tabriz and the Caucasus. Also, it's better to know about the meaning of Sara. It is a place like a caravanserai in the Bazaar.
     
  • Qeysarie Bazaar is one of the famous places for trade in Qazvin Bazaar. The brick Vaults are the prominent features of this part. There was a Sara with a cross-shaped plan dedicated to the trading of expensive stuff. Qeysarie includes some marvelous elements of the Iranian architectural style, such as an arched portal, eye-catching Qashani, and lattice windows.   
     
  • Al-Nabi Mosque is known as the Shah Mosque in Qazvin, which is considered a part of Qazvin Bazaar. This mosque dates back to the Qajar era, due to its descriptions. Also, some people have known it as a Safavid mosque.
     
  • Saraye Sa'd-o-Saltaneh is one of the most spectacular caravanserais in the traditional Bazaar of Iran. It dates back to the Naser al-Din Shah Qajar era. This brick caravanserai contains several entrance gates which some of which are linked with the surrounding streets, and the other gates are connected to different parts of Qazvin Bazaar. The entrance gates include the vestibule with a beautiful architectural style. There is a Chahar-Sough on the south side of this part with a dome above it. You will see 16 chambers with a height of one meter and wood-carving doors around the Chahar-Sough. The prominent section of Saraye Sa'd-o-Saltaneh is a place like a brick warehouse, which has 100 columns.

• Shopping in the Qazvin Bazaar

One of the exciting parts of your journey is shopping in the Qazvin Bazaar. The handicrafts and delicious pastries like the rice bread of Qazvin can be a good souvenir.

• What is the best time to go?

Due to the climate of Qazvin, if you want to enjoy your journey, Spring and Summer are the best times to visit the Qazvin Bazaar. Moreover, if you don’t have a problem with the cold weather, suggest visiting this city during the fall and winter.

• Getting there?

The Qazvin Bazaar ends with Emam Khomeini Street from the north, ends with Molavi Street from the west. One of the three entrance gates of the Bazaar is located on Molavi Street, and the others are placed in Emam Khomeini Street. You can take a taxi and reach there easily.