The Iranian bazaar as a public place: a reintegrative approach and a method applied towards the case study of the Tabriz bazaar

The main focus of this dissertation is the critical investigation of the bazaars in the commercial cities of Iran. This work deals with the challenges that the bazaars in Iran have been exposed to over the past century in economic, political and social terms. The work explains how an Iranian bazaar is structured and functions as a public space in a modern city. The methodology of this research is designed based on a qualitative approach, with a single case-study strategy. A combination of literature review and spatial ethnographic research techniques are used for data collection. To understand the bazaar as a public place, its cultural, legal, physical and functional dimensions are documented and mapped. This mapping method with the ultimate aim of re-integrating the bazaar with the modern city is the core of this dissertation.