TEHRAN - Three 19th-centry sarays dating back to Qajar period have been damaged after a fire broke out at the historical bazaar in northern Iran during unrest last week, officials said.

The blaze affected parts of the historic marketplace, which is one of the country’s major traditional trading centers and a registered cultural heritage site. Authorities are assessing the extent of the damage, they said.

The sarays, including the Large Arch, Small Arch and Malek Saray, were completely burned and parts of their roofs collapsed, according to Alireza Izadi, head of the Department for Intangible Cultural Heritage at Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

The condition of the historic Rasht bazaar is an absolute disaster, Izadi said after visiting the site to assess the damage.

The Rasht bazaar, covering about 24 hectares, is one of Iran’s major historic marketplaces and includes 14 caravanserais connected by a network of alleys and squares. Most of the structures were built during the Qajar and early Pahlavi periods and have long played a role in regional trade, including the export of silk and rice across the Caspian Sea.

Some of the damaged sarays had previously undergone restoration, the official said.

Izadi noted that the fire was so intense in parts of the bazaar that restoration would not be possible and full reconstruction would be required.

Iran’s cultural heritage ministry has asked provincial authorities to submit reports on damage to historical sites caused during the recent unrest, Izadi said. 

The Rasht bazaar has suffered repeated damage over the centuries due to fires, earthquakes and conflict, but officials said the latest incident caused extensive destruction to several key historical structures. 
KD