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alleys hide half-a-dozen historic mosques. Entered between copper shops off Enqelab St at the bazaar’s ungentrified eastern end is the delightfully decrepit yet still-active Dokhtar Caravanserai. Grandly tiled, the dome and minarets of the Rasul-Ullah (Sai-ini) Mosque peep above central Enqelab Sq. Madraseh cells line the inner courtyard of the sizable 1826 Jameh Mosque, accessed through a spired portal on Imam St. Seyid Ibrahim (Imamzadeh) Mosque is similarly extensive. The dinky Khanum (Women’s) Mosque has a commonly photographed pair of squat pepper-pot minarets but its 1940s architecture is of little artistic merit.

The 1851 Baha’i massacres were perpetrated in lanes behind where you now see philosopher Soravardi’s bust (Sa’di St) on a library wall. Pol-e-Sardar, an attractive Safavid bridge, is visible west of the Bijar road.

Sleeping

Hotel Sa’di ( 322 2528; Imam St; s/tw/tr IR40,000/55,000/70,000) This sensibly priced mosaferkhaneh is relatively well kept but the windowless singles are truly minuscule.

Hotel Hafez ( 322 2740; Enqelab Sq; s/tw/tr IR80,000/150,000/220,000) Peeling paint, window bars and the odd cockroach might make prison inmates feel at home here. Still, it’s perfectly central and rooms do have basic shower and squat toilet attached.

Park Hotel ( 332 2228; fax 332 6798; Imam St; s/tw IR192,000/288,000; ) Upgrades are ongoing at this reliable midrange option near Azadi Sq. The manager speaks some English.

Sepid Hotel ( 322 6882; Imam St; s/tw IR250,000/320,000; ) An inviting foyer leads to wood-effect walled corridors and pleasant-enough rooms with glittery floral bedspreads and curtains. Metal gauze lamps cast curious patterns at night, but the somewhat ragged bathrooms are a let down.

Zanjan Grand Hotel (Hotel Bozorg Zanjan; 728 8190; Basij Sq; s/tw/ste US$92/104/139; ) By far Zanjan’s top option, the stylishly sparse, international-standard rooms are spacious, with impeccable bathrooms, a slight niggle being the ill-conceived light-switching system. Staff try hard to please. However, the noisy location is inconvenient if you’re not driving.

Eating

In addition to the traditionally styled places listed below there are numerous standard kababis along Imam St.

Sofrakhane Sonati Abache (Bostani Bashkah; 323 7250; Bashkah Alley; dizi IR15,000, qalyan IR12,000; 8.30am-10pm) Good for bread-and-honey breakfasts, this former zurkhaneh chamber is an octagonal domed cellar eccentrically decorated with old samovars, portraits and peacock feathers. Tea (IR3500) comes with dates and a swizzle-stick of crystal sugar. At night it’s popular with (male) university students. Look for the black door with brass knobs and knockers.

Haji Dadash ( 322 2020; bazaar; meals IR15,000-30,000; 10am-11pm) This family-oriented tea-cavern overflows with character, especially in its carpet-draped front cellar. The good dizi sangi comes with a plate of fresh herbs to fine-tune the flavour but tea and qalyan for four costs a hefty IR30,000. Enter opposite the portal of Mirza Mehdi mosque within the main bazaar.

Karavansara Sangi ( 326 1266; Beheshti St; meals IR20,000-25,000; 11am-4pm & 6-11pm) Atmospheric if a little over-lit, this 400-year-old stone building is an L-shaped remnant of a caravanserai with 10 carpet-decked vaulted alcoves facing a long row of tables. Try the kashki bademjun (eggplant paste, IR17,000).

Eloğlu Teahouse (Ferdosi St; tea IR3000, qalyan IR10,000; 8am-9.30pm) Yet another appealing subterranean teahouse; the Eloğlu is in a modern basement beautified with Rajasthani textiles.

Getting There & Away

Buses to Esfahan (IR24,000, 6.30pm), Rasht (IR18,500, 8.30am) and Tehran (fairly frequent) use the big but eerily empty terminal, five minutes’ walk south of Shilat Sq.

Savaris and some buses for Tehran, Qazvin and Tabriz pick up at the Khayyam/Ferdosi St junction along with very rare Bijar- and Dandy-bound minibuses. If arriving on a Tehran–Tabriz bus that’s bypassing Zanjan on the motorway, get off at the junction marked ‘Bijar’ (an easy, obvious 2km walk from central Zanjan) NOT at the ‘Zanjan