Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province, is one of the cities which has been engaged in great events throughout history. Tourazh, Tavriz, and Daverizh are some of the names that have been attributed to this city in historical resources. Tabriz (literally means something that breaks the fever) has been considered the most appropriate name because the good climate, hot water springs and the softness of the mild atmosphere at the foot of Sahand Mountain would break the fever. This city, which was the capital of Iran during the period of the Mughal Dynasty and Shah Ismail Safavi became a residence for the crown prince during the Qajar period; the king was in Tehran and his crown prince was in Tabriz. Although this city was saved from destruction during the Mongol invasion, it was occupied many times by the Ottoman and Russian troops in the Safavid and Qajar periods. The resistance and stability of the people of Tabriz against the encroachment of foreigners into this region of Iran and their expulsion from this land are among the historical honours of the people of this city. Tabriz played a prominent role in the Constitutional Revolution. The freedom-seeking people of the city did not give up and brought the government forces to their knees during the era of Mohammad-Ali Shah, who suppressed freedom and imposed authoritarian rule.
After the end of World War II (1945), the Soviet forces did not withdraw from the Azerbaijan region of Iran and helped to form an autonomous government by the democratic sect of Azerbaijan. Tabriz was the center of this separatist government, but in 1946, the central government defeated such a movement and the map of Iran remained intact. With the beginning of the Islamic Movement in Iran in 1963, several groups of clerics and intellectuals of Tabriz got involved in revolutionary struggles. The existence of scholars such as Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad-Ali Qazi-Tabatabai, the University of Tabriz, the combatant bazaris (merchants) and the political-cultural history of Tabriz made it one of the leading cities in this Movement. The uprising of the people of the city on February 18, 1978, was one of the factors contributing to the victory of the Islamic Revolution.
Tabriz has been a prosperous city in most of the historical periods. In his travelogue, Ibn Battuta called the market of Tabriz (1330) unique in the world. The French traveller Tavernier (1636) considered Tabriz to be the most important commercial city in Asia. But terrible earthquakes in 858, 1041, 1640, and 1779 destroyed the city. However, due to the closeness to the Silk Road, Tabriz once again regained its past prosperity. Today’s Bazar in Tabriz is a reminder of the renovations after the 1779 earthquake. Amir Bazar built by Mirza Mohammad Khan Amir Nizam Zanganeh, Timcheh Mozafaryyeh built by Haj Shaykh Mohammad-Jafar Qazvini, Raste Bazar and Shisheh-Gar Khaneh Bazar are among the most famous areas of Tabriz Grand Bazar.
Contemporary, Tabriz has been one of the sources of science and culture in Iran. After Dar al-Funun, the second school named Mozaffari School with the same style was built in Tabriz in 1876. The first primary school was established in this city in 1887 by Mirza-Hasan Rushdieh. Of course, Talebiyeh School, built in 1676, is older and its teachers used to employ traditional methods of learning. It is worth mentioning that in 1883, American Protestant missionaries opened the Memorial School in Tabriz. One of the teachers of this school was a supporter of Baskerville who sided with the freedom fighters in the Constitutional Movement and was eventually killed by the dictators. The first local newspaper titled Ahvalat-e Azerbaijan, the first weekly newspaper of Iran and the first magazine in a foreign language were published in Tabriz. The University of Tabriz, which is one of the oldest universities in Iran, was opened in 1947 with three faculties. It has made a significant impact on the culture and politics of this city. There are many historical places in Tabriz. Among them are the Kabud Mosque, which was built in 1378; Arg-e Alishah the construction of which was completed in 1324; Jame Mosque of Tabriz, the date of its construction is not clear, but it was rebuilt after the earthquake in 1779; Maqbarat-o-Sho’ara, which is one of the places of exile where dozens of writers, mystics and scientists are buried (one of the late intellectuals who was buried there is Shahriar, the famous poet of Tabrizi); Shahgoli, which is one of the buildings dating back to the Qajar period, and its large pool with the surrounding nature, is considered one of the tourist attractions of Tabriz.
Carpet weaving is one of the handicrafts of Tabriz. Tabriz’s carpet is world-famous. The first famous carpet in Tabriz was woven from silk during the reign of Shah Tahmasp I, which is now kept in the Victoria Albert Museum in London.
Apart from the historical aspects, Tabriz is an industrial city as well. Many factories that belong to the light and heavy industries are located around this city; from making matches to tractors. Tabriz’s food industry has made significant progress in the last few years.
Tabriz Refinery is one of the most important petroleum refineries in Iran. Iraqi air fighters bombed this refinery on the first day of the Iran-Iraq War (September 22, 1980).
Among the contemporary prominent figures of Tabriz, we can mention the following people: Sattar Khan, Baqer Khan, Thiqat al-Islam, Shaykh Mohammad Khiabani, Ahmad Kasravi, Hasan Taqizadeh, Allamah Sayyed Mohammad-Hoseyn Tabatabai and Sayyed Mohammad-Hoseyn Bahjat-Tabrizi (Shahriar).
4,617 of the people of Tabriz sacrificed their lives during the struggles against the Pahlavi regime and the eight-year War.
According to the 2022 census, Tabriz had a population of more than 1,644,000.
Reference: The Encyclopedia of the Islamic Revolution.
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Archive of The History of the Islamic Revolution
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