Tabriz contains many historical monuments, representing Iran’s architectural transition throughout its deep history. Most of Tabriz’s preserved historical sites belong to Ilkhanid, Safavid and Qajar. Among these sites is the grand Bazaar of Tabriz, which is designated a World Heritage Site.
Since earliest documented history of Tabriz, it has been chosen as the capital for several rulers commencing from Atropates era and his dynasty. It is likely the city has been destroyed multiple times either by natural disasters or by the invading armies. The earliest elements of the present Tabriz are claimed to be built either at the time of the early Sassanids in the 3rd or 4th century AD, or later in the 7th century. The city used to be called T’awrēš in Middle Persian.
Tabriz was the capital of a local Turkmen Qareh Koyunlu (Black Sheep) dynasty. That dynasty’s greatest monarch was Jahan Shah, under whose rule (1439–67) the city saw a remarkable flowering of arts and architecture, culminating in the fabulous Blue Mosque. Shah Ismail, the first Safavid ruler, briefly made Tabriz Persia’s national capital. However, after the battle of Chaldoran against the advancing Ottomans, Tabriz suddenly seemed far too vulnerable to Ottoman attack, so Ismail’s successor, Tahmasp (1524–75), moved his capital to safer Qazvin. Fought over by Persians, Ottomans and (later) Russians, Tabriz went into a lengthy decline, exacerbated by disease and one of the world’s worst ever earthquakes, which killed 77,000 Tabrizis in November 1727.
After World War I, Reza Shah, brigadier-general of the Persian Cossack Brigade, declared himself the king of the country following a coup d’état. He started with promises of modernization programs in Iran which was concentrated on the unification of the country, under the idea of one country, one nation. The modernization and nationalization plan of Reza Shah continued until the surge of World War II.
At the final year of the World War II despite the declaration of the neutrality by the Iranian government, the country was occupied by the allied forces. The allied forces then urged Reza Shah to abdicate and installed his son Mohammad Reza as the new king of the country. During this period the city enjoyed a lot of investment in industries and had transformed into a heavy industries hub in the northwest of Iran.
In the Iranian Revolution, Tabriz played a major role in the revolution.
