Tabriz for centuries served as a bridge between the East and West due to its geographical position and the passage of the Great Silk Road through it.
The city in the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan was the capital of a large number of states during the reign of the Khorezmshahs, Ilkhanidov, Kara – Cuyunla, Akhunlu and Sephevids. In addition, it was considered the second capital of Iran during the reign of the Kajar dynasty.
A favorable trade position made the city an important regional center and the intersection of many cultures and the now famous Tebriz Bazaar is visual evidence of this.
The Tebriz Bazaar was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010. The mention of the bazaar can also be found in the works of many travelers, including Evliya Cheleby, Marco Polo and Ibn-i Batuta.
The Turkish traveler Evliya Cheleby claimed that he visited the Tabriz in 1647. According to him, during this period there were six gates in the city.
However, the most significant gates of the city are the Istanbul gates. For many centuries, they opened a “window into the world”, being on the way to Byzantium, Anatoly, the Ottoman state and, of course, Istanbul.
Other historical gates of Tabriza are named in accordance with their location, while the Istanbul gates received such a name, becoming an exception to the existing tradition.
Istanbul gates are located on Ayranchlar Street in the Emir Kyzi quarter.
It is also noteworthy that this region has several times became a place of political struggle during the Constitutional Revolution of 1905-1907 in Iran.
Along with the Istanbul gates in Tabriz, there are another 7 historical gate, the restoration of which is engaged in the municipality of the region.
On the stove over the Istanbul gates, it is written that they were reconstructed by the ruler of that period by Nezhef Kalikhan Bigler after a strong earthquake that occurred in Tabriz in 1782.