Photographer Abbas Atilay of RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service visited the markets of Tabriz and Orumieh (Urmia) in northwestern Iran’s mainly ethnic Azeri provinces. These bazaars are not only the commercial hearts of the cities; they are also the political centers that have spawned recent protest movements.
Iranian Markets: Seeds Of Discontent
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Photographer Abbas Atilay of RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service recently visited two cities, Tabriz and Orumieh (Urmia), in northwestern Iran’s mainly ethnic Azeri provinces. Shown here: a neighborhood of Tabriz
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Atilay went straight to the commercial hearts of the cities: the markets.
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Markets have been operating in northwestern Iran since the 12th century.
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These commercial centers have another role in the lives of the cities as well: They have historically been the point of origin of protest movements.
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In Tabriz, vendors launched a strike in September 2010 against massive tax increases. The strike soon spread to other cities, and the Iranian government withdrew the planned tax hike.
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In 2011, Orumieh spawned a protest movement of its own. Residents are demanding action to prevent the further desertification of Lake Orumieh, caused by both drought and water mismanagement. Shown here: the Orumieh bazaar
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Zakir, a samovar seller in Orumieh, said business shut down as soon as the protests started but people still came to the market to get the latest news.
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“We were encouraged by the protests at the Tabriz market,” Zakir said. “Everyone in the market tried to do something to contribute. It was not a political movement, but a ‘self-respect’ movement.”
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Produce vendors in the market say crops are affected by wind-blown salt from the dying lake. Winegrowers can only collect a fraction of the grapes they once harvested.
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As a result of the simmering unrest in the region, police officers are now a common site in the markets, either uniformed or plainclothes.
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Atilay encountered suspicion from market vendors who thought he was a secret agent working for Tehran.
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But once he explained that he was a photographer from Baku, most sellers were willing to speak freely.
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