TEHRAN – Bazaar of Arak, which boasts typical features of traditional Iranian marketplaces, has undergone restoration amid hopes for a possible inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage list.

The restoration project is funded by all private and non-private stakeholders including shop owners and is carried out under UNESCO regulations, a local official said on Monday. 

Last month, during his visit to the centuries-old market place, tourism minister Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri underlined an urgent restoration, saying that a priority is to protect original features and prevent new alterations. 
“The bazaar’s capacities are exceptional and it must receive greater financial and conservation support,” he said, urging merchants to avoid new interventions that could affect the UNESCO process.

Salehi-Amiri said the bazaar could become a major cultural asset for Markazi province if successfully inscribed. He cautioned, however, that the nomination and evaluation process is complex and time-consuming.

The minister cautioned that UNESCO experts can only be invited for professional inspection once essential structural and physical amends are completed. 
“At present, it is not an appropriate time for a UNESCO visit due to the bazaar’s condition,” he noted. 

Arak’s bazaar, located in the center of the city, was constructed in the early Qajar period by Mohammad Yousef Khan Gorji Sepahdari. The complex also includes commercial corridors, a madrasa, mosques, baths, cisterns, caravanserais and timchehs which are short, wide, and covered markets that are dead-end on both sides.
Its architecture features domed passages, brick facades and decorative rasmi-bandi patterns, with major intersections marked by two large Chahar-souqs, which are main crossroads where two major bazaar corridors intersect. 

Iran is home to thousands of bazaars, each city boasting its own unique marketplace alongside bustling daily markets. Some say that no visit to the ancient country would be complete without exploring at least a few of its iconic bazaars.
For many sightseers, they, as a window into local culture, provide opportunities for deepen social interactions, peoplewatching and browsing unique souvenirs among a mixture of colors, sounds, and aromas that enrich the travel experience.

With the advent of Islam, bazaars gained added significance, evolving to incorporate educational, religious, and communal facilities such as schools, Tekiehs for Islamic ceremonies, Hammams (public bathhouses), and caravanserais. These additions catered to the diverse needs of merchants, residents, and travelers, underscoring the bazaar's pivotal role in economic stability and societal cohesion.
AM