Mina Saadatfard - Master of Sustainable Architecture, The University of Sheffield Shiraz, Motaharri Blvd
Ali Arzaghi - Master of Architecture, Azad University/Shiraz Branch, Shiraz, Maaliabad Blvd

The study of the urban development in ancient cities has revealed that economy always played a great role in shaping the urban and social structure of the cities. In the old cities of Iran, this important role was mainly held by Bazaar, a traditional public space in Iranian cities, which has always accommodated a great deal of commercial activities in urban texture and life. A Persian Bazaar can be easily referred to as urban artery in the structure of an ancient Iranian city.Spatial and architectural nature of an Iranian Bazaar was highly reliant on culture, climate, and economic strength of the city, and a significant attention to integrate all these factors can be observed in the spatial design of bazaars, from basic master plans to smallest construction and decoration details. Such a design could create a very unique urban public space, which not only accommodated commercial activities, but also played the significant role of holding major religious, cultural, political, and social events in urban life. Therefore, Bazaar with its multi-functional spaces can be studied as a socio-economical and environmental sustainable urban space, which besides its role in balancing the environment and boosting the economy, draws the different city functions together and creates a mixed-use structure that promotes adaptability and people's sense of belonging.This paper will first explore the architectural typology of Bazaar as an urban space, its role and position within Iranian city. Then the study will try to identify the role of bazaar as a sustainable urban structure and how it helps to improve the urban sustainability. In that regard, Bazaar-e-Vakil in the city of Shiraz will be studied as a sample of an Iranian Bazaar. The last section of the study will draw out the different design features and elements of this bazaar which made it a socio-economical and environmental sustainable urban structure, and could be integrated into future sustainable urban development.

Ancient Iranian Cities, Bazaar, Public Urban Space, Architecture, Bazaar-e-Vakil, Sustainability