If we want to name one of the most beautiful historical markets in Iran, perhaps our mind will immediately be drawn to the Kerman Bazaar (market), a bazaar that is so beautiful with a charming design and construction that it has been called “a collection of Iranian architecture”. From the time of the construction of Kerman bazaar, until a century ago, signs of various periods of Iranian history can be found in this structure. A market that has accommodated several smaller markets in its heart and created a brilliant and unique collection.
Kerman market is also called “Ganj Ali Khan market”; Although Ganj Ali Khan market is a part of this main market. This name is reminiscent of the famous ruler of Iran during the time of Shah Abbas I Safavid, who ruled over Kerman with merit and competence, about 420 years ago, and made great efforts in the flourishment of this part of Iran. The middle history of Kerman is tied to the name of Ganj Ali Khan.
The Kerman market starts from Arg Square and continues to Mushtaq Square. When this bazaar was built, it soon found a prominent place in the vast area of commerce that started from Kerman and continued to other cities. Because of this prosperity and flourishment, the market grew fast, and caravanserais were built in it, which had the architectural and artistic elements of their time.
However, the foundation of Kerman market was laid in the 17th century AD, during the rule of Al Muzaffar. But it gained importance when Ganj Ali Khan (as we mentioned earlier) started renovations in it and made it a spectacular and widely used market. So, perhaps the current market of Kerman can be considered a relic of the Safavid era; However, during their rule over Iran, Zandiyeh and Qajar were also involved in adding to the market and making it prosperous.
Different parts of the Kerman market
When we talk about the market of Kerman, we should not forget that the market of this city, in its heart, has several sections, each of which is known as a market; So, it is possible to call Kerman’s bazaar a bazaar in a bazaar! Markets such as Ganj Ali Khan, Okhti, Zargari, Attaran, Coppersmiths, Cobblers, Hats, Ahangari, Aziz, Mozafari, Qadamgah, Qaleh Mahmoud, and also Qala Bazaar. Some of these markets should be described a little more.
Ganj Ali Khan Market: It is the main part of the market in Kerman and its architect was an expert by the name of Mohammad Memaryazdi. Foundation and construction of this market took altogether 20 years. The plasterwork and painting of Ganj Ali Khan market is like a heart-warming painting. Those paintings can be seen at the beginning of the bazaar, and four centuries have passed since they were designed and drawn. Ganj Ali Khan market is a busy place and includes sections such as Caravanserai, Garmabeh, Anbar, and Maidan.
– Ekhtiareyeh market: this part was called Shahi bazaar in the past. Its architecture is old. it is a place for fabric sellers, shoemakers, goldsmiths, herbalists, and others. An obvious feature of the Ekhtiareyeh market is its small width compared to other parts of the Kerman market. At the end of Ekhtiareyeh market, you can see Golshan Carvansarai, a public bath and a mosque called Chehelsotun.
– Vakil bazaar: About two centuries ago, during the Qajar reign, Bazaar Vakil was built by the order of the ruler of Kerman named Vakil al-Mulk. This bazaar is a collection of bazaars, public baths, carvansarais and mosques, and it is truly spectacular and rare in its beauty and architectural arrays. A museum can also be seen in a corner of Vakil market.
– Sardar bazaar: three main passages in four intersecting bazaars form the Sardar market. At the end of the market, a historical caravanserai has been built.
– Mozafari Bazaar: Where Vakil bazaar ends, Mozaffar bazaar starts. This bazaar has a mosque built in it. One part of it is covered and the other part is open. Variety stores, nuts sellers and herbalists are more to be seen in this market.
– Attari Bazaar: It has 19 shops, and its beginning is on the left side of the entrance of Vakil Bazaar.
– Qaleh Square market: Chaharsouk Ganj Ali Khan leads to the Qaleh Square market. Most of the businessmen in this market are carpet sellers, quilters, grocers and herbalists.
Hat-making and jewelry markets: The hat-making market is small and has only 13 stalls. Perpendicular to this bazaar, you can see the goldsmith bazaar, which is sometimes called the Qeysarieh bazaar, and has nearly 50 shops.
In the market of Kerman, along with the sellers of the latest goods, we also come across artisans who learned their art and work from their fathers and are still busy with their old work: people like coppersmiths, blacksmiths (those who whiten dishes), and blacksmiths.
The current situation of the Kerman market
Mehr news agency reported on the “lack of plans” for the reconstruction of the Kerman market and wrote about its “grave conditions” in its report in December last year. Such news from the historic and valuable market of Kerman is really sad. In this report, it was mentioned that the parts of the bazaar (such as the gold sellers’ bazaar) were not taken care of, and the Qaleh Mahmoud bazaar was described as “abandoned.” In this report, we read: “The caravanserai of the potters is in a deplorable condition, and the caravanserai of the Hindus is in disarray. Most of the shops in the branching markets of Kerman are closed and are decaying. On the other hand, even if you look more closely towards the main bazaar and even Ganj Ali Khan square, you can see the tiles that have collapsed, the columns that have caved in and are falling, and the plasterwork that has been destroyed.” (Report of Mehr-Azar 1401 news agency). We don’t know if anything has been done to restore the historical market of Kerman in the past year. We can only say that Kerman market is one of the most important markets in Iran from the perspective of history, culture, architecture, the art of painting and tiling, and many other examples and it needs to be carefully and continuously protected.
