A Historical Approach to the Urban-planning and Architectural Complexes in the Ilkhanid Tabriz

Historically, the construction projects of giantic architectural complexes as well as satellite suburbs in the Ilkhānid Tabriz, after the Ghāzān Khān’s reforms, are brilliant and less comparable in the history of architecture and urbanism in the Islamic orient, particularly in Iran. Such development of architectural complexes and well- designed suburbs, directly, were caused by increasing population and growing international trading in the extended realm of Ilkhānid Empire. Alas! Three terrible earthquakes in 1588, 1730 and 1780 destroyed the Ilkhānid Tabriz and converted her into tells of ruins, totally. Historically, in consequence, the basic objectivity matter of the authors is to recognize and realizing of architectural structures and urban plan of Ilkhānid Tabriz. Their historical approach, by means of Ilkhānid primary resources of the 13th-15th centuries, as Hamd-allāh-Mustawfi of Qazwin andKhwādjeh Rashid Al-din Fazl-allāh Hamadāni, keep on trying to answer such objectivity. So, historically, the urban structure of Ilkhānid Tabriz was based upon three different designed areas which had exclusive urban function as well as public- charity complexes. Of these, Tabriz was the industrial and residential area for ordinary people in addition to her basic character for controlling the oriental markets of Ilkhānid’s realm. Meanwhile, Ghāzāniyyā were being used as the royal acropolis, diplomatic residential area and controlling the occidental markets of Ilkhānids. But, Rashidiyyā had been designed as the academic town for residency of social elites as well as scholar, religious and cultural activities.