Vakil Bazaar

Constituting the commercial part of the Zandiyeh complex next to the mosque, bathhouse, and citadel, Vakil Bazaar is a very atmospheric and architecturally impressive market built under the reign of Karim Khan Zand, the founder of Zand Dynasty in the heart of his capital city with the goal of making Shiraz a great trading center in the 18th century.

As one of the most vibrant bazaars in Iran, this historical market with the antiquity of 200 years includes a wide range of businesses in nearly 200 Hojrehs or traditional shops selling goods such as handicrafts, clothing, carpets, rugs, antiques and spices in a friendly and photogenic environment.

This long beautifully designed bazaar includes courtyards, caravanserais, bath houses, and two rows of old shops with wide corridors and high vaulted brick ceilings to adjust the interior weather in all seasons of the year. Also, the openings in the ceiling let air circulate and light penetrate enabling the continuous flow of fresh air inside.

Constructed of yellow bricks following the design of the earlier royal bazaar in Isfahan, the main bazaar is diverged into different sections on all four directions comprising arched alcoves. The floor of the shops is elevated as high as about 70 centimeters from the ground level fronted with a nearly one-meter-wide shelf all along the corridors.

Having passed all the thoroughfares, enjoying the Zand era architecture, and buying beautiful commodities, visitors end up in a two-story caravanserai called Saraye Moshir on the south of the main bazaar corridor coming from the Zand Street, a pleasant place for spending some time off, taking photos, and doing a little bit souvenir shopping. All in all, for those who travel the fantastic city of Shiraz, going to the Vakil bazaar will be worthwhile to experience enjoyable moments.