A Contemplation on Tabriz's Contemporary Structural Changes And Their Effects on City's Identity

Historic cities contain an old urban structure, which have been formed over time, based on the city’s identity features and have emanated in the form of historical relations and elements; Therefore the quality of interventions took place in these contexts couldn’t be ignored. Tabriz is one of Iran’s most important historic cities that its structural identity has changed throughout history due to various human factors, wars and earthquakes. This changes especially those that took place in modern era, with emergence of new needs and functions in cities, have disturbed the integration of old town and have trembled the dignity and potion of historical elements and their contexts. These changes created the phenomenon problems associated with the old town structure, which unstable the role of many historic elements. The emergence of new urban relations contrasts with the spatial structure of the old city. The modernization of Iran’s cities happened at a time that they did not have the actual conditions of an industrial city or even took the transition phase to modernism or had and understanding of the first principles of this evolution. These changes only imitate the underlying principles of modernization and in practice reject the old continuum of the city. This paper’s goal is to identify the physical and structural changes of Tabriz’s old town due to contemporary interventions, which effects the city’s historic identity. Therefore to understand the modality of these changes, the condition of three important historic areas of Tabriz city, Saheb-ol-amr Square, Ark Alishah (Alishah Citadel) and Bagh Shomal (North Garden) have been analyzed. Also these areas have been compared with three global models, Piazza San Marco of Venice, Piazza del Duomo of Milan and Jardin des Tuileries of Paris, which are remarkable and successful historic urban areas. By that maybe an understanding of effects of urban interventions on city’s historical identity could be achieve. In this regard to understand the dignity and position of these sets in the continuum of old town, by using historical-interpretive strategy, the historical maps and documents of old city and its elements and structure have been analyzed. Also current situation of these historic areas in city, and the semantic and functional transition in them due to contemporary interventions, using qualitative strategy, have been analyzed. Finally, analysis makes it clear that contemporary interventions on city’s historical structure have jeopardized their position in city’s continuum and by interrupting their semantic and functional structure, made them unable to continue their rightful role as important historical and cultural elements in urban life. Also analysis and comparisons of Tabriz’s historic areas and global models clarifies that the dignity and position of historical areas in urban life must be strengthen by directing the flow of urban life to these areas and sometimes provide a new function for them. By that maybe they can obtain a decent and active role in the continuum of city, because these elements and areas form the city’s historical identity that their loss and destruction means the loss of city’s historical identity.