"A place, an economy,
a way of life, and a class"
Source: netfiles.uuic.edu
A contemporary image of the Grand Bazaar in Tehran. Not only is it spectacular in terms of size, color, and variety, it is also the economic and commercial heart of the city and the Islamic Republic. This image gives one a sense of the vast numbers of people who pass through the bazaar every day. The exiled Ayatollah Khomeini used the bazaar as the medium of distribution for his sermons and messages, recorded on cassette tape and smuggled from Iraq into Iran by supporters. Without this use of the bazaar as a means of communication to the masses, Khomeini's may never have become the leading voice of opposition to the Shah.
Source: image63.webshots.com
Another photograph of the modern Grand Bazaar shows the wide range of items offered for sale. Because so many Tehran residents came to the bazaar, it offered a convenient way for Khomeini to spread his message to every corner of Iranian society. As the photograph indicates, Tehran's Grand Bazaar remains one of the most important and vibrant parts of the city's culture. It is estimated that it controls up to a third of the country's retail market. Even today, some Iranians think the bazaar is the center of a statewide mafia because of its political and economic importance.
Source: www.iranianhotline.com
Another photograph of the bazaar in Tehran, taken circa 1974. In the years immediately preceding the Islamic Revolution, the Grand Bazaar looked virtually the same as it does today. It was as vital to Iran's economy under Mohammad Reza Shah as it was for Ayatollah Khomeini's revolutionary message.
Source: Tehran Photo Gallery by Brian McMorrow
A contemporary map of the Tehran bazaar. One can easily see the city-like complexity of the streets and shopping centers of the bazaar.
The Bazaaris
Source: flickr.com
A bazaari in Tabriz, Iran
Popular conceptions of the bazaar and the bazaaris themselves have been, and continue to be, contradictory. They are an important part of Iranian culture and economics, but they have been the victims of many stereotypes. The following are some examples:
| Positive |
Negative |
| "If
a single place captures the indefinable essence of life in the east,
it's the bazaar..." |
"The
bazaar is the sanctuary of the devil, and the bazaaris are the devil's
army." |
| "Destroy the
arches of the bazaar, so we can use more Japanese sheet metal and
Belgian and Russian glass... I am surprised that there is no one in
this huge municipality that knows that the spirit and authenticity of
Tehran is the bazaars." |
"In movies,
newspaper caricatures, and literary descriptions, the bazaari is
represented as a middle-aged, overweight, and physically unattractive
man with 'meaty and hairy hands.'" |
| "If we take
the bazaar from the city, it is as if we take the heart from a chest." |
"...the
pursuit of wealth [is] an end in and of itself or a way to satisfy his
greed and gluttony." |
| "The eastern
city without a bazaar is exactly like food without salt." |
"These large
sums, moreover, are viewed as windfall profits derived from usury, for
the bazaari is known to be unscrupulous, conniving, and materialistic." |
| "When a
bazaari says that he will ship you a good, he will. There is no doubt
in it." |
"Amir
Naderi's classic Tangsir
depicts bazaari moneylenders as uncompromising and manipulative men who
oppress the tragic hero." |
| "Islamists
describe the bazaar's economy as 'Islamic economics.'" |
"Bazaaris
are full of tricks and even in matters of faith they have ulterior and
self-serving motives." |
| "...not only
is 'The shopkeeper a friend of God,' as the Prophet allegedly
proclaimed, but the bazaari is a friend to the moral Islamic order." |
Despite these stereotypes, the bazaaris have been a mobilizing force in Iranian politics under both the Shah's regime and the Islamic Republic.
For more information on the continuing relevance of the bazaar on Iranian society and politics, see Angus McDowall's article "Iran versus the West: the view from the Tehran bazaar."
Sources:
Keshavarzian, Arang. (2007). Bazaar and state in Iran. Cambridge University Press.
Belfast Telegraph: The View from the Tehran Bazaar