TEHRAN – A fire museum is scheduled to be launched in Tabriz, East Azarbaijan province, northwest Iran, the provincial tourism chief has said.

In collaboration with Tabriz Municipality, the museum, which is the first of its kind in the country, will be set up at the city’s fire command center, Ahmad Hamzehzadeh explained on Monday.

The Qajar-era (1789-1925) double-sided copper and bronze water pumps as well as other historical firefighting equipment will go on display at the museum, the official added.

Home to hospitable people, Tabriz is a perfect introduction to Iran for sightseers crossing over the border from Armenia, or through the Gurbulak Bazargan border from Turkey.

Like many cities in Iran, Tabriz has a long and rich history but saw many of its historic buildings destroyed by invaders or earthquakes. Tabriz became the capital of the Mongol Il-Khan Mahmud Gazan (1295–1304) and his successor. Timur (Tamerlane), a Turkic conqueror, took it in 1392. Some decades later, the Kara Koyunlu Turkmen made it their capital. It was when the famous Blue Mosque was built in the ancient city.

The city retained its administrative status under the Safavid dynasty until 1548 when Shah Tahmasp I relocated his capital westward to Qazvin. During the next two centuries, Tabriz changed hands several times between Persia and the Ottoman Empire. During World War I, the city was temporarily occupied by Turkish and then Soviet troops.

Downtown Tabriz is very walkable, and the people are also extremely friendly, something not particularly common in big cities.

ABU/AM