فصلنامه اثر
پیاپی 53 (تابستان 1390)

This study was carried out through descriptive approach using data from both library research and fi eld investigation. The present paper sets to re-analysis and re-identify the cover of ceilings of southern Amir Timcha as a case example of the ceilings of Tabriz Bazaar in order to draw the plan of the structure and the architecture of the cover to enable us to take steps to restore and preserve or to reconstruct the complex of these covers that refl ect part of the history and are part of the identity of the pure Iranian architecture.

Though at present reduced to a mere name in books or a pretext to some national and international symposiums, the mythological route of the Silk Road was a historical fact that connected east and west for over 4000 years. Grasping the full details of this road therefore requires extensive studies to bring to light the numerous unknown aspects of the history and cultures of several societies. It served not only to transfer merchandise and facilitated trade activities but also was the most important medium for cultural exchanges and acquainting different communities with the customs and traditions of other regions. During this long period that spanned some centuries, given the important political-social role of Tabriz and the great bazaar of this city, which still preserves its signifi cance, the road underwent important changes. The main objective of the present study also is the mutual infl uences of the Silk Road and Tabriz Bazaar, for one of the major criteria that qualifi ed Tabriz bazaar as a world heritage site was that this road passed right through Tabriz Bazaar. The research was carried out through both library research as analyzing the documents and written evidence, and fi eld investigation in the form of test excavations and archaeological work. The results are hoped to be helpful for the archaeologists and historians interested in this issue.

The idea of registering Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex into the World Heritage List started in 2007 by painstaking works of perseverance of the East Azerbaijan Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism General Offi ce. Its inscription in this list is very important in the future of the country, Tabriz city, and Tabriz bazaar itself. This accomplishment, besides enhancing tourism industry through which large numbers of tourists will travel to Iran and further promoting the local traditions and arts, will contribute to creation of more job opportunities and growth of the local industries.The present paper sets to describe the different phases of the work carried out by the offi cials from East Azerbaijan and Iranian Cultural Heritage Organizations in the way of registering this monument.

The experience of restoring Tabriz Bazaar is among the most particular incidents in the history of Iranian architectural remains restoration and repairing. Extensive involvement on the part of local people in decision making processes and raising funds as well as implementing the restoration project make this experience unique and exceptional. The consequences of this considerable action have had such a deep infl uence on the social life of Tabriz that necessitates its analysis and study. The preset work seeks to present the outcomes of this process through describing its background and situations that affected its implementation. The study aims at proposing an indigenous model for public involvement in restoration and repairing processes, the results of which will be generalized to other Iranian regions.

The present paper gives a report on the experience of getting the local merchants involved in rescuing the remaining parts of Tabriz bazaar from its unfavorable previous situation, and describes the ways in which they entered the scene and how amiable relationship was established between them and the experts from Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization, and how the offi cials including the Governor-General, the mayor and other related agents were participated in this process.This paper also gives some information on Tabriz Bazaar and its establishment as well as the experience of its reconstruction and restoration.

The available defi nitions of the coffer tend exclusively to attribute a decorative function to this architectural feature. This might have resulted from the fact that the coffers of the most seismic regions such as Tabriz have not been observed and analyzed. The present paper attempts to offer a more precise defi nition of coffer drawing on the existing defi nitions and adding some new examples. In this novel defi nition, unlike the previous ones, especial attention is given to the structural function of the coffer, and the emphasis on its decorative value is therefore reduced.

Traditional bazaars have always played a major role in spatial organization of urban centers in Iran and other Islamic regions. One of these bazaars which has now entered into the World Heritage List as the largest integrated covered bazaars of the world is Tabriz Bazaar. The fabric and space of this bazaar were formed as a large urban complex as a result of diverse activities carried out in it and its environmental situations. However, the existence of active faults in the Azerbaijan region and Tabriz city from one hand, and the vulnerability of Tabriz Bazaar in terms of architectural and city planning aspects affected by the requirements of the past periods as well as its compacted fabric and dense population from the other makes this bazaar susceptible to disaster in case of an earthquake. This situation suggests that a crisis resulting from an earthquake during the open hours of the bazaar when large numbers of people are present in the complex is very probable. With the above notes in mind, the present paper sets to explore the potential vulnerable aspects of this bazaar in term of its fabric and the preset individuals in case of an earthquake drawing on available evidence from previous studies and data collected from fi eld studies as well as written documents on the current characteristics of Tabriz Bazaar. At the end, in order to guarantee the continued activity of this place in the city in normal situations and prevent predictable crises resulting from earthquakes, it reviews the approaches to decrease structural-spatial fragility in different constituent layers of the bazaar (functional, access ways, visual and aesthetic indices, social, economical, administrative and structural).

One of the most important indigenous technologies of any nation and society is manifested in designing and establishing spaces for residence and social interactions. In Iran, also, the technology of putting up traditional structures is ranked among the most advanced and at the same time most sophisticated examples among the countries with traditional technologies. In studies of Iranian traditional and local architecture, any space includes three intertwining sections. The fi rst and most important of these is “structure.” Then come the other structural elements to create “architectural space.” The last section concerns the decorations, which are related to appearance and façade of the building. While structure assumes the fi rst role in establishment of any building, hardly any attention has been given to its analysis, and most studies have focused on the decorations, and with lesser frequency on the architectural space. Therefore, in order to compensate for this hiatus, the analysis of the technology employed in putting up the traditional buildings is of great importance.The structural relationship between architectural space and the structure in coffers of Tabriz Bazaar suggests that the architectural shape somehow was a function of preparing space for social interactions of the bazaar, and the construction technique in particular structural construction of the Timchas was designed in relation to them. In this context, Haji Mohammad Gholi Timcha is interesting given its particular structure and presence there of evidence on particular photographs taken during its reconstruction operation. Here, a special kind of coffer was employed, which has a structural function, while does not follow the regular geometry of coffers. The present work seeks to describe this relationship on the basis of library research and fi eld investigation and the interaction between architectural space and structure in coffers with structural function employed at Tabriz Bazaar, with particular emphasis on the case of Haji Mohammad Gholi Timcha.

According to internationally registration of Tabriz Bazar as a World Cultural Heritage, it is necessary to investigate and study the details of bazaar components in greater depth. Since the bazaar was a multi-functional place and its role has not been limited to producing and supplying commodity, bathroom was one of bazaar components. Mosque, Tekyeh, Hosseinieh, bathroom and Gymnasium are among the non-commercial bazar’s spaces. Because of basic diffi culties and problems during this study, just a fi eld research of bathroom’s roofs was conducted, consequently little information was acquired. However, it was decided to gather and record this little information, so that new information and details be added to the gradually and little by little it will results in thorough understanding of the features of bazaar’s bathrooms. In this study, the distribution’s bathrooms of the bazaar’s context, the bathrooms’ entrance and the number of them, and some physical properties such as multiplicity and whether these bathrooms include women special section or not, are investigated.

As the earliest core of the city the original construction of which dates from early Islamic centuries, the Tabriz Jami Mosque complex lies at the heart of the historical Bazaar of Tabriz, and is comprised of several mosques, schools and libraries. The long history of the complex exhibits several episodes of serious damages, occasionally leading to its total destruction. However, each disaster was followed by a reconstruction under the auspice of the local rulers, governors and citizens. The most clear remaining architectural period at Tabriz Jami Mosque is the phase that witnessed the general reconstruction of the structure and construction of the dome chamber a year after the completion of the Blue Mosque. The plethora of colorful tiles among the debris removed during 1964 earthwork shows the structure of the mosque witnessed frequent and fundamental repairs during the four centuries that elapsed between the earthquake of 434 AH/1042 AD and the reconstructions of the Aq Qoyunlu period. The present work deals with the reconstructions of these 400 years that mark the reign of Rawadian dynasty in Azerbaijan, contemporary with the early Seljuk period.