Tehran's Grand Bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world and the commercial and social centre of the old city. It covers an area of around 10 square kilometres and employs approximately 150,000 people — which puts its population on a par with a medium-sized city. It is structured as a labyrinth of vaulted brick passageways, each lane (timcheh) traditionally specialising in a specific trade: gold and jewellery in one section, carpets in another, spices, copperware, fabric, and dried fruit in others.
The bazaar is still a working market — not a tourist attraction dressed as one. The carpet hall (timcheh-ye hallaj-ha) is among the most extraordinary interiors in Tehran, a large vaulted space lit by skylights, its walls stacked floor to ceiling with rolled carpets. The best time to visit is mid-morning on a weekday, when the merchants are at work and the space is full but not overwhelming. On Friday it is closed.