The Tehran Grand Bazar grew as a “city within a city” and includes banks, a church, several mosques, most notably the impressive Imam Khomeini Mosque, and the ornately decorated Imamzadeh Zeid, a shrine to a descendant of the prophet. Most lanes specialise in a particular commodity: copper, paper, gold, spices, and carpets, among others.

The walls and passages in the bazaar, rarely exceed 400 years, with many being constructed or rebuilt within the last 200 years. The bazaar’s covered stores line more than 10km of lanes and there are several entrances, but you get a great view down a central artery by using the main entrance facing the square Sabzeh Medyan.