Western Iran - Iran - page 180

This charming Qajar-era courtyard house is historically significant as a headquarters dur-
ing the 1906-11 constitutional revolution, but although many labels are in English the nu-
merous photos and documents are unlikely to excite nonspecialist tourists.
At the bazaar's northeast corner, the well-proportioned former Saheb Ul-Amr Mosque
now houses a Quran Museum ( 527 2733; Madani St; admission US$1;
8am-6.30pm Sat-Thu, 8am-1pm Fri) . Its most intriguing exhibit is the scripture-covered
under-shirt worn by Qajar monarchs during coronations.
Tabriz has had a Christian community almost as long as there've been Christians. St
Mary's (Kalisa-ye Maryam-e Moqaddas) is a 12th-century church mentioned by Marco
Polo and was once the seat of the regional archbishop.

CENTRAL TABRIZ

Kabud (Blue) Mosque
(Imam Khomeini St; admission US$1; 9am-7pm Sat-Thu, 9am-1pm Fri, earlier in
winter) When it was constructed in 1465, the Blue Mosque was among the most glorious
buildings of its era. Once built, artists took a further 25 years to cover every surface with
the blue majolica tiles and intricate calligraphy for which it's nicknamed. It survived one
of history's worst-ever earthquakes (1727), but collapsed in a later quake (1773). Devast-
ated Tabriz had better things to do than mend it and it lay as a pile of rubble till 1951,
when reconstruction finally started. The brick superstructure is now complete, but only on
the rear (main) entrance portal (which survived 1773) is there any hint of the original blue
exterior. Inside is also blue with missing patterns laboriously painted onto many lower
sections around the few remaining patches of original tiles.
A smaller domed chamber further from the entrance once served as a private mosque
for the Qareh Koyunlu shahs. Steps lead down towards Jahan Shah's tomb chamber but
access would require some minor gymnastics.
The Khaqani garden outside, honouring 12th-century Azari-Persian poet Shirvani
Khaqani, is a good place to meet English-speaking students.

MOSQUES

Azarbayjan Museum
(Imam Khomeini St; admission US$1; 8am-2pm & 4-8pm Sat-Thu summer,
8am-12.30pm Fri, 8am-5pm winter) This museum is 50m west of the Blue Mosque. Enter
through a great brick portal with big wooden doors guarded by two stone rams. Ground-
floor exhibits include finds from Hasanlu (an Iron Age town that developed into a citadel
over 4000 years), a superb 3000-year-old copper helmet and curious stone 'handbags'
from the 3rd millennium BC. Found near Kerman these were supposedly symbols of

MUSEUM