A Bazaar on the Great Maidan
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Hint: Visiting the pages Isfahan & The Great Maidan before reading further is recommended.
 
 
The bazaar located on Shah Abbas' maidan was one of the most important economic institutions under the Safavids.  On the left is the entrance to Isfahan's bazaar, or market place.
 
 
 
Once inside you would encounter a long and cavernous space which housed a huge number of shops for the artisans to sell their wares.  The bazaar housed the many guilds which produced much of the decorative arts of the period.  Here could be found ceramicists, weavers, and metalsmiths all under one roof.

Below is a ceramic plate which could have been produced and sold in the bazaar.  It is blue and white ware that emulates fine Chinese ceramics. (Click here to see a close-up.)
 

Because Shah Abbas I wanted to build up his country's wealth, he provided these guild members with many important benefits.  These included a permanent shop within the bazaar and medical services for the guilds' artisans (you can think of these as roughly similar to modern tenure and healthcare).  How would this have helped Shah Abbas realize his economic goals for the Safavid dynasty?  How does this differ from arts' production under the Ottomans?

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