Bazaar of Arak

The Bazaar of Arak, in Markazi province, Iran, is a historic marketplace that ranks among the city’s earliest structures. It was built in the middle of what was then called Sultan Abad, during the rule of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, and commissioned by Yusef Khan-e Gorji. The complex is arranged around Chahr soogh, a central intersection where a north–south and an east–west passage meet, each leading to one of four 19th-century city gates. On 1 November 1976, it was listed on the Iran National Heritage List.

The bazaar and the city of Sultan Abad (now Arak) were constructed together, though no precise date exists for the bazaar’s founding. Historical records indicate the entire city took about twenty years to build, and the bazaar rose at the same time. Its earliest structures, dating to the early 19th century under Fath-Ali Shah Qajar, were not ordered by Sepahdar Aazm, whose name survives on a mosque and a school but who was active later. The impetus for the bazaar came from the region’s strong economy: high-quality agricultural produce from Persian Iraq (Arak) and the world-renowned Sarouk carpets created a need for a central market to display and trade these goods, which also drove the city’s construction.

Unlike many Iranian bazaars with winding, irregular lanes, the Arak Bazaar follows a pre-planned, geometric layout. Its alleyways cross in a grid-like pattern, reminiscent of a chessboard, reflecting the city’s 19th-century design. This architecture keeps the interior cool in summer and warm in winter. The two main axes intersect at Chahr soogh, where a small stone pool sits. The entire complex covers 5.7 hectares. Buildings are primarily brick, with gypsum and lime used as binders; wooden joists embedded in clay add strength, and column bases are reinforced with sheets of copper and lead.

The bazaar’s north–south and east–west routes once ended at the four gates of the 19th-century city, meaning the entrance to Sultan Abad was effectively at Chahr soogh. The passages were designed so that, in an emergency such as a fire, crowds could exit quickly and disperse. A 200-year-old water reservoir with a rare double ceiling once stood here, but it was demolished by Arak’s municipality to make way for a new school.

Like other Iranian bazaars, this one serves as a hub for storing goods and conducting trade, and it now participates in both domestic and internation