Vakil Bazaar is one of the many ancient attractions of Shiraz that you would definitely enjoy visiting. iran tour One important tip about this bazaar is that you should keep this in mind that you might buy many things here as the high-quality commodities are offered at low prices. Its amazing structure, which is inspired by Safavid architecture, will take your breath away.
Location of Vakil Bazaar:
Vakil Bazaar is located in the center of Shiraz, the city of gardens. So, you will not confront any difficulties if you wish to access this bazaar. All you need to do is to get to Shohada Square and visit Vakil Bazaar as well as Vakil Mosque, Vakil Bath, Karim Khan Citadel, Pars Museum, and Atiq Jame Mosque.
History of Vakil Bazaar:
Shiraz has been an important city in Iran for a long time. After being selected as the capital city by Karim Khan Zand, peace and welfare found their way to Shiraz for 2 decades. People were assured of stability and security by the construction of enormous fences and castles around the city. Vakil Complex was constructed in 1758 and was not perfectly completed until 1777. Vakil Bazaar has been the beating heart of the city since it was born and many merchants used to and still go to this bazaar. Vakil Bazaar was registered in Iran National Heritage list in 1972.
Architecture of Vakil Bazaar:
The first factor that catches the attention in Vakil Bazaar is its large area. 21840 square meters is large enough to turn this bazaar into an extensive complex. The best architectures of the time were summoned upon building this awesome structure. The architecture is said to be an adaptation of Safavid architecture. The material used in the building of Vakil Bazaar are brick, stucco, and lime. The structure is built on columns made of hard rocks. The material has contributed a lot to the building to be resistant to earthquakes during all these decades. Like any other traditional bazaar, Vakil Bazaar has different particularized departments for each branch of commodity. Some of these departments are Glass Bazaar, Sword-Making Bazaar, Tailors Bazaar, and the like. One special feature of Vakil Bazaar is the height of its ceiling. The ceiling is estimated to be 10 meters above the ground. Moreover, it is wider than its other counterparts. There are some apertures on the ceiling that stop the direct glow of the sun in summer and keep the inner salon from rain and snow in autumn and winter. Furthermore, there are some windows above each Hojreh or small store that act as an air conditioner that balances the air inside. Therefore, people would not get irritated in summer because of the lack of circulation of the air. Another significant issue is that the bazaar is built at a lower level than the ground. You need to climb down 6 stairs to get to the bazaar. The last but not least, the most peculiar part of this bazaar is its tremendous ‘Chahar Sugh’ or intersection where the two main paths of bazaar meet. It is of highly decorative beauty and leaves everyone in appreciation.