Tabriz is one of the oldest cities in Iran, and it feels like it. It sits at about 1,350 metres in the north-west, in a basin under the volcanic bulk of Mount Sahand, which rises to some 3,700 metres and holds snow well into summer. The city has been a capital many times: of the Mongol Ilkhanids in the thirteenth century, when it became one of the most important cities in the world, and of the first Safavid shah, Ismail, in 1501. The Ottoman armies took it and lost it repeatedly, and earthquakes, notably those of 1721 and 1780, flattened large parts, which is why so little of the old city survives above the ground.
Marco Polo passed through and praised its trade, and the bazaar tells you why. Tabriz carpets are among the most prized in Persia, with fine knots and floral patterns, and the city is known for its sweets, its meatballs called kofte Tabrizi, and its dairy, including the salty cheese of the nearby village of Lighvan. The people speak Azeri Turkish, and the culture is closer to Anatolia and the Caucasus than to Tehran. Tea is drunk from small glasses with sugar cubes held in the mouth, and strangers are likely to be invited for a cup.
Riding out of Tabriz is rewarding once you are away from the ring roads. The road south toward Kandovan, a village of rock-cut houses in strange conical formations, climbs through hills of yellow grass, and the roads north into Arasbaran, with its oak forests, offer cool air and winding bends. Winters are cold and snowy, summers hot and dry, and the best months are May, June, September and October. Traffic in the city is heavy and drivers are assertive, so patience helps.
Everything you need is here: fuel stations on every main road, workshops, restaurants and hotels. In a city of 1.4 million, you will have no trouble finding a place for a bike, and many hotels have secure yards. Start early to avoid the traffic, and before you leave, make time to walk through the bazaar and sit in a teahouse. It is one of the great experiences of Iran.