Like most of the old cities of Iran, Kazeroun also has a traditional bazaar, which starts from the mosque square where the Salehiyeh seminary is located and ends on a street called Abu Ishaq. Before the creation of this street, the bazaar was longer and continued until Khayrat Square, which is now called Shohada Square. Abu Ishaq Street has divided the bazaar into two halves.

Different Parts and Features of the Bazaar of Kazeroun

This bazaar is an exhibition of industrial and local products. There are a number of traditional chambers in different lines of this bazaar, which offer specific types of goods. In the past, making handicrafts constituted a prominent activity of this bazaar, however, due to certain changes, many handicraft artisans have changed their profession and, today, there is no sign of some handicraft activities such as blacksmithing and felting.

While taking a walk in this bazaar one comes across many different shops like restaurants serving Kebabs, Khash, Aash or Aush as well as coffeehouses, groceries, textile shops, attari (herbal shops), confectionaries, jewelry shops, etc.

Shah Hamzeh Bazaar, Imam Khomeini Bazaar (Mo’in), Mokhi (Nakhl) Bazaar, Namdmals’ Bazaar, Jewelers Bazaar, Baradaran Bazaar, Bazaar of Mesgarha (Coppersmiths) also known as Aba Fath Bazaar are all sub-categories of the Bazaar of Kazeroun. Shah Hamzeh Bazaar and the Bazaar of Mesgarha were separately inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in 2006.

Shah Hamzeh Bazaar

This bazaar starts from the southern part of Imamzadeh Shah Hamzeh and reaches a wide square called Rangrazi Square. This old bazaar has been built with arches in the middle of which there are skylights called Khorek, which in addition to providing lighting, also function as air conditioners of the market. Not long ago, a street was constructed next to the Shah Hamzah Bazaar by removing a number of shops at the entrance of this bazaar.

Bazaar Mesgarha (Coppersmiths)

This part of the Bazaar of Kazeroun is considered one of its oldest ones, whose traditional structure has survived. Mesgarha Square or Bazaar covers an area of 500 square meters and is built in a rectangular shape. The southeastern part of this bazaar connects to Shah Hamzeh Bazaar and there is a mosque named “Haj Taj” in this area that was built about 100 years ago.

Felt Bazaar

This bazaar is located in an east-west direction and many felt workshops functioned in it, but almost all these workshops engage in other activities. In the past, there were two mills, named Mohseni Mill and Shaker Mill, on both sides of the bazaar of which only the building of the Shaker Mill is left and used as an ice factory.

Imam Khomeini Bazaar

Known as Moin al-Tojjar Bazaar before the Islamic Revolution (1979 AD), this bazaar hosted the police station of the city until a few decades ago, and that’s why it was also referred to as "Bazaar-e Shahrbani (lit. Police Bazaar).

The History of the Bazaar of Kazeroun

The name of this bazaar has been mentioned in old texts pertaining to the 4th and 5th centuries of AH (11th century AD) indicating that its foundation must date back to that period. However, throughout history, this bazaar has been renovated many times and the core of the market, which still exists today, is related to the Qajar era (19th century). There are also a number of chambers and shops that were built in the Safavid era (16th century).

The Architecture of Bazaar of Kazeroun

Bazaar of Kazeroun has different parts and, depending on their functionality, each of them has a different architecture such that some parts of the market have a high roof with successive arches. However, the main materials used to build the entire bazaar are stone and plaster.

Jame’ Mosque of the Bazaar

The original building of this mosque, which is one of the most important mosques of Kazeroun, was laid in the 7th century AH (13th century AD).

While taking a walk in this bazaar one comes across many different shops like restaurants serving Kebabs, Khash, Aash or Aush as well as coffeehouses, groceries, textile shops, attari (herbal shops), confectionaries, jewelry shops, etc.

Kazeroun is a city in the west of Fars province and houses many historical and natural attractions. This city was especially important during the Sasanian era (224 to 651 AD).

Geography and Population of Kazeroun

Kazeroun County has a total area of 2064 square kilometers and its people speak Persian. The population of this city is more than 200 thousand people half of whom live in Kazeroun City. Kazeroun was formed in the 4th century AH (11th century AD) by the merger of three villages named “Nourd”, “Rahban” and “Deris”, but the history of this city goes back centuries before that. The average annual rainfall of Kazeroun is 522 mm and its height above the sea level is 843 meters. Kazeroun is 1060 km from Tehran and 120 km from Shiraz. The connecting road between Shiraz and Kazeroun passes through the most beautiful oak forests of Iran.

Historical Attractions of Kazeroun

Many historical buildings have been left in Kazeroun from the Sassanid era. The ancient city of Bishapur, Tang-e Chogan, and Shapur Cave are among the most important of these works.

There were also some fire temples in Kazeroun, which prove that the people of this city followed the Zoroastrian religion during the Sasanian era. Gereh (or Jareh) Fire Temple is one of these fire temples whose remains can still be seen near Bala Deh village. According to some experts, this fire temple was built by the order of “Mihr-Narseh”, a powerful Iranian dignitary from the House of Suren, who served as minister of the Sasanian kings, Yazdegerd I and Bahram V.

The fire temple of Gereh was built on a hill that was located near a city in the past. The convex façade of the fire temple, along with the use of cut stones to build the walls the height of which is about 14 meters, is one of the important points about this building. This work was inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in 1938.

Kazeroun Fire Temple is another one of the five fire temples built by the order of Mehr-Narseh. This building is about 10 kilometers away from the city center. Stone and plaster mortar are the main materials used in this building. The general shape of the building is square and there is an oval arch on it. The dome and some parts of this fire temple have been destroyed.

Natural Attractions of Kazeroun

There are attractive landscapes and natural recreation areas in different areas of Kazeroun. Kuhmareh Sorkhi Waterfall, which is located in a vast forest and mountain area near a village called Ramghan, is one of these attractions. In January, the plains around Kazeroun are covered with narcissus, creating a dream-like view.

The largest oak plain of Iran is also located in Kazeroun. This area is located in “Mian Kotal”, 30 km from the city, in an area called Dasht-e Baram. There is a caravanserai in Mian Kotal, which dates back to the 16th century and is the only stone caravanserai in Iran. In addition to oak, species such as Prunus scoparia and Hawthorns also grow in this area. A large part of the Baram Plain is located within the Parishan Lagoon area.

Hakimbashi waterfall, which is located near the village of the same name, is a seasonal waterfall, with a height of 25 meters and welcomes nature tourists during the rainy seasons.

Ardeshir’s Sarab Spring is one of the springs of Kazeroun, around which the remains of structures from the Sasanian era can also be seen. This spring is used to supply drinking water to the people of the region.

Imamzadeh Seyyed Hossein Forest Park is located 25 kilometers north of Kazeroun, near the tomb of this Imamzadeh, which is a pleasant destination for spending leisure time. In the northern areas of Kazeroun, you can also visit the Tang-e Tikab area, and the caves around it which were inhabited by humans about 18,000 years ago. There is also an old cypress tree 28 km northeast of Kazerun, which is known as the “Kalani Cypress”. According to local people, this tree is more than five centuries old. Dadin Spring is located in a village of the same name 50 kilometers south of Kazeroun. Sarmashhad Mountain is one of the places of interest for mountaineers.

Hakimbashi waterfall, which is located near the village of the same name, is a seasonal waterfall, with a height of 25 meters and welcomes nature tourists during the rainy seasons.