University of Kashan Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies 2252-0635 Articles in Press 2026 07 29 Redefinition of the Qaysariyyah Area in the Bazaar of Kashan and the Formation of a New Urban Center in the Second Half of the Qajar Period Redefinition of the Qaysariyyah Area in the Bazaar of Kashan and the Formation of a New Urban Center in the Second Half of the Qajar Period 115668 10.22052/jias.2026.258775.1525 FA Yasaman Safian Shahid Beheshti University Hamidreza Jeyhani Shahid Beheshti University 0000-0001-9848-9219 Seyed Mahmood Sadat Research Center of Imam Khomeini and Islamic Revolution Journal Article 2026 05 18 The Qaysariyyah of Kashan was a luxurious bazaar built during the Safavid period and gradually forgotten by the end of the Qajar period. However, an important area within the Kashan bazaar is known as Qaysariyyah. The aim of the present research is to examine the process of gaining importance of the immediate surrounding area of Qaysariyyah bazaar in the second half of the Qajar period and to identify the new definition that the Qaysariyyah area finds in the city. For this purpose, using a historical approach and employing primary sources, the characteristics and functions of the spaces within the area and the activities of individuals associated with them were examined, and the position of these spaces in the city was determined. The results of this research show that although the Qaysariyyah Bazaar of Kashan did not possess its former grandeur in the Qajar period, the location of the chaharsu of the Qaysariyyah bazaar, at the intersection of two main arteries of the city of Kashan, caused its immediate surrounding area to become increasingly important. In the second half of the Qajar period, the Miyanchal Madrasa was transformed into a religious, ritual and social center, which was administered by prominent clerics from a single family. With the construction of three timchehs, the area was transformed into an important commercial center, especially for the exchange of textiles. The madrasa and the timchehs opened onto the Miyanchal Bazaar and the Bazzazan Bazaar; therefore, these arcades were larger and more orderly than the others. The junction of these two arcades, in the south of the Qaysariyyah bazaar, was so crowded that three inscriptions, containing royal decrees and governmental orders, were mounted on the wall of the Miyanchal Bazaar so as to be in public view. The Qaysariyyah of Kashan was a luxurious bazaar built during the Safavid period and gradually forgotten by the end of the Qajar period. However, an important area within the Kashan bazaar is known as Qaysariyyah. The aim of the present research is to examine the process of gaining importance of the immediate surrounding area of Qaysariyyah bazaar in the second half of the Qajar period and to identify the new definition that the Qaysariyyah area finds in the city. For this purpose, using a historical approach and employing primary sources, the characteristics and functions of the spaces within the area and the activities of individuals associated with them were examined, and the position of these spaces in the city was determined. The results of this research show that although the Qaysariyyah Bazaar of Kashan did not possess its former grandeur in the Qajar period, the location of the chaharsu of the Qaysariyyah bazaar, at the intersection of two main arteries of the city of Kashan, caused its immediate surrounding area to become increasingly important. In the second half of the Qajar period, the Miyanchal Madrasa was transformed into a religious, ritual and social center, which was administered by prominent clerics from a single family. With the construction of three timchehs, the area was transformed into an important commercial center, especially for the exchange of textiles. The madrasa and the timchehs opened onto the Miyanchal Bazaar and the Bazzazan Bazaar; therefore, these arcades were larger and more orderly than the others. The junction of these two arcades, in the south of the Qaysariyyah bazaar, was so crowded that three inscriptions, containing royal decrees and governmental orders, were mounted on the wall of the Miyanchal Bazaar so as to be in public view.