Qazvin Souvenirs : 23 Delicious Treats and Unique Handicrafts

Ancient and historical city of Qazvin, like all the beautiful cities of our country, has unique souvenirs and handicrafts. Traveling to this beautiful city and visiting its attractions will not only acquaint you with ancient historical artifacts but also introduce you to delicious sweets and unparalleled handicrafts. If you are planning to travel to Qazvin and buy souvenirs, stay with Gulf City Pedia to get acquainted with Qazvin’s souvenirs.

Qazvin, as one of the provinces of Iran located in the center of the country, was once the capital of Iran for a period of time. Qazvin is situated at an altitude of 1,278 meters above sea level and its history dates back to the Sassanid era. This province ranks first and third in terms of the number of historical monuments in Iran and the world, respectively.

In ancient European writings, Qazvin is mentioned as the ancient city of Arsacia or Arsacia. The Greeks called Qazvin “Ragia.” Qazvin’s souvenirs, like the history and culture of this province, are rich. From ancient times, this province has been one of the leading cities in producing traditional sweets. The skilled women of this province engage in confectionery in various celebrations and ceremonies, and this tradition still continues to this day.

However, Qazvin souvenirs are not limited to sweets alone, and this province has much to say in other areas, including handicrafts.

Qazvin has a variety of historical and cultural attractions, making it an ideal destination for tourists. To explore the beautiful and historical landmarks of this city, one can take advantage of the organized tours available. Kojaro, in addition to introducing domestic and international tourist attractions, also provides information on the best travel tours to both domestic and international destinations.”

“Souvenirs of Qazvin can be divided into several categories:

• 1. Traditional sweets and pastries of Qazvin, which are highly diverse and each has an extraordinary and unique taste.
• 2. Dried fruits and fresh fruits in Qazvin also play a significant role in Qazvin’s souvenirs.
• 3. Qazvin’s handicrafts, which are explained in the handicraft section.

Although fruits are available in many cities in Iran, Qazvin’s fruits stand out due to its excellent climate. However, what is more distinctive and specific in Qazvin’s souvenirs is its sweets and bread. They exhibit a wide variety and high quality.

Qazvin is one of the pioneering cities in traditional sweets since ancient times. Talented women in this region bake delicious sweets on various occasions. Today, the traditional practice still exists and is also produced in workshop settings.

What are Qazvin’s souvenirs?

Qazvin city has its own unique souvenirs that can etch memories of your trip in your mind for a long time. The exquisite taste of Qazvin’s culinary souvenirs and its diverse handicrafts can enhance the beauty of your journey twofold.

Traditional sweets of Qazvin, including Baghlava and traditional bread, come in a wide variety and have a unique taste. Qazvin also boasts the most delicious and flavorful dried fruits and fresh fruits. Qazvin’s handicrafts are among the most well-crafted and artistic handicrafts.

Types of Special Sweets in Qazvin

• 1. Qandi (Sugar) Bread Sweets
• 2. Chickpea Sweets
• 3. Rice Bread Sweets (Saffron, Cocoa, Plain)
• 4. Lab Peychi Sweets
• 5. Almond Bread Sweets
• 6. Walnut Bread Sweets
• 7. Vali-e-Asr Sweets
• 8. Padrazi Sweets
• 9. Mulberry Sweets (Saffron, Pistachio, Almond)
• 10. Coconut Bread Sweets
• 11. Qarabiye Sweets
• 12. Qotab Sweets
• 13. Paradise Sweets
• 14. Tea Bread

Tea Bread, a dry and traditional Qazvin sweet, is prepared by skilled Qazvin women for occasions such as Nowruz. It is topped with sesame seeds or pistachio kernels.

Thin Bread of Qazvin

This thin bread also has many fans among the people of Qazvin. It comes in different varieties, such as Thin Pistachio Bread, Thin Walnut Bread, and Thin Almond Bread, depending on the toppings added inside.

Thin bread, or delicate sweets, is one of the most popular sweets among the people of Qazvin. This sweet is very crispy and comes in various flavors. Depending on the nuts used in it, it is divided into pistachio, almond, and walnut thin sweets.

Qazvin Wheel Bread

Qazvin Wheel Bread is similar to Tea Bread, and as the name suggests, it is manually rolled with a special wheel. It is adorned with khoreh-e-kharf or pistachios.

The ingredients used to make wheel bread are the same as those for tea bread, with the difference that the dough is first kneaded with a special hand mill and then decorated with pistachio powder or poppy seeds.

Baklava of Qazvin

Baklava is made in many major cities in Iran, each with its unique characteristics. Baklava of Qazvin competes with baklavas from cities like Yazd, Tabriz, and Shiraz. Due to its diverse flavors and attractive preparation, Qazvin’s baklava stands out. It can be categorized as Baklava Pich, Gol Roz, and Parcham.

Baklava is usually known as a souvenir of Tabriz, but there is a type of baklava that is a special and popular souvenir of Qazvin. This baklava is made with flour, condensed syrup, saffron, rosewater, egg yolks, milk, pistachios, almonds, powdered sugar, and cardamom powder, and it has a very delicious taste. Types of Qazvin baklava include:

• Rose or screw
• Three-colored baklava
• Qazvin baklava

Atabaki Sweets of Qazvin

Atabaki sweets, also known as Vali-e-Asr Sweets, are authentic Qazvin sweets found only in the city. They are traditionally made in two colors with minimal sugar. Nowadays, various molds and decorations are used for these sweets.” Atabaki sweet in Qazvin is also known as the heirloom sweet. This sweet is one of the authentic sweets of Qazvin and is not very sweet. This sweet is one of the best souvenirs of Qazvin for people with diabetes.

Qazvin Sugar Bread Sweets

Qazvin’s sugar bread sweets have a unique touch compared to other cities. While making these sweets at home is a common practice in Qazvin, it requires some patience for the dough to rise. Interestingly, a plus sign is marked on the dough with a knife before putting it in the oven to ensure better baking.

Sugar bread in Qazvin is different from other cities in Iran. To make this bread, the dough must be kneaded for a long time. When the kneading process is completed, a plus sign is drawn on it before placing the dough in the oven, which helps to better bake the sweets. Qazvin sugar bread is made from flour, powdered sugar, solid oil, cardamom powder, and baking powder, and it has a very delicious taste

Qazvin Almond Bread

Almond bread is one of the oldest sweets in Qazvin, very similar to Qarabieh sweets. If you travel to this beautiful city, be sure to try this unique sweet and enjoy its delicious taste.

Qazvin Syrup Cake

Syrup cake is a type of cake that is cut into diamond shapes and has a very delicate texture. After it is ready, it is poured with syrup containing rosewater, sugar, and cardamom, and decorated with pistachio powder and coconut. This sweet is usually used in mourning ceremonies.

Qazvin Qotab

Although cities like Yazd and Tabriz have a glorious history in making Qotab, this popular sweet can also be one of the souvenirs of Qazvin. This sweet is made from white flour and almond kernels, and its unique taste distinguishes it from Qotabs of other cities.

Traditional Breads of Qazvin

Various types of traditional bread are baked in Qazvin, but traditional breads like Aghardash and Qaq are the ones that have a unique taste. You can serve them with tea and enjoy their exquisite taste. Other traditional breads of Qazvin include:

• Shirmal
• Gingerbread
• Shotteh
• Fattir bread
• Milk bread
• Kuleh Vola
• Panjeh Kesh

Fresh Fruits and Dried Fruits of Qazvin

Among the excellent fruits of Qazvin, including pomegranates, grapes, apples, and apricots, Zoghal Akhte (puffed wheat) is the most important and gives the fruit shops their vibrant colors. In the village of Heir, they even celebrate a Thanksgiving festival for Zoghal Akhte. It’s noteworthy that the highest-quality Zoghal Akhte in the country, over 200 tons, comes from the village of Heir.

Qazvin’s dried fruits include walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, and raisins. Qazvin, a blessed province in Iran, annually produces several tons of walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, and raisins. It’s recommended to try fresh walnuts from the village of Heir.

Qazvin’s Fruit and Dried Fruits

Today, you can buy various types of fruits in all cities of Iran, but Qazvin, due to its climate, offers fresh fruits with a delicious taste. Qazvin’s fruits and dried fruits are among the best souvenirs of Qazvin.

Qazvin Fruits

Akhteh charcoal (the finest akhteh charcoal in the country is found in the village of Heir, Qazvin)
Sanganeh pomegranate
Takistan grapes
Apple
Apricot

Qazvin Dried Fruits

Walnut
Almond
Pistachio
Raisins

Qazvin’s Koozehi Cheese

Another highly unique souvenir from Qazvin is Koozehi cheese, which perhaps cannot be found anywhere else in Iran. This cheese, with the taste of thyme, is made in clay pots. It may come plain or with the aroma of other fragrant herbs. In the past, the method involved pouring the cheese along with water into a pot, burying it underground, and retrieving it for consumption after some time. If you’re interested in this cheese, you can find it in Qazvin’s market. It can create a memorable taste alongside hot bread and tea for breakfast. Pottery cheese is one of the special souvenirs of the city of Qazvin that you cannot find elsewhere in Iran. This cheese is made in a pot, as the name suggests, and has a unique taste. The main flavor of this cheese is thyme, but nowadays you can find this cheese with various flavors such as plain and aromatic herbs.

These cheeses should be placed in pots and then buried under the soil to mature. The longer these cheeses remain buried, the better and more unique their taste becomes. You can purchase this cheese from the Qazvin market.

Handicrafts of Qazvin

Considering Qazvin’s historical significance, the city boasts a variety of handicrafts. If you’re looking for lasting souvenirs for yourself and your loved ones, buying handicrafts can be the best option. Qazvin’s handicrafts include:

1. Carpet Weaving

Qazvin’s carpet weaving is among the most precious carpets produced in Iran. Unfortunately, the art of its weaving has been somewhat forgotten, and only a few can be found in museums and private collections. The diversity in color and pattern is a distinctive feature of Qazvin carpets.

2. Kilim Weaving

Kilim weaving is prevalent in almost all villages of Qazvin, with significant centers in Roodbar Almoot, Roodbar Shahrstan, Ardagh, and Ziaabad.

Kilim weaving has been one of the primary occupations of the people of Qazvin in the past. Kilims are woven using materials such as colorful camel hair and local wool. This art is mostly practiced in areas like Rudbar Almoot, Ziaabad, and Aradagh.

3. Jajim Weaving

Jajim weaving in Qazvin has a relatively long history and has been common in most villages of the province. Although many workshops have moved away from its traditional methods, the raw material for Jajim, wool, is still prepared by village women. They dye it with local and herbal materials. Today, colored threads are also used in Jajim weaving.

4. Pen Weaving (Narrow Weaving)

In the past, pen was woven with silk threads, but nowadays, nylon threads are also used. Patterns woven onto pen include ‘Chehel Chapor,’ ‘Cheshm Bolbol’ or 29 chapor, ‘Cheshm Khoros’ or 28 chapor, 8 chapor, ‘Mar Pich,’ or ‘Nim Modakhel.’ Pen weaving or decorative ribbons for clothing was prevalent in the Roodbar Shahrstan and Almoot regions.

5. Moaj Weaving

Moaj is a traditional handwoven fabric still prevalent in some regions. Its popularity, like other handicrafts in the area, has declined due to the use of factory-made alternatives, which are both cheaper and more diverse. Moaj weaving machines can produce fine fabrics for clothing and thicker fabrics mostly used for blankets, bedspreads, curtains, quilts, and prayer rugs.

6. Golabetoon Dozi (Embroidery)

Golabetoon dozi was once common among the middle and upper classes. Similar to needlework, it uses delicate gold or brass threads instead of silk threads for embroidery.Sermeh dozi refers to decorating velvet and brocade fabrics, which sometimes is also done on clothing. Sermeh dozi is one of the souvenirs of Qazvin, and in the past, brides used to take sermeh dozi tablecloths and prayer rugs as part of their dowry.

7. Nemo Dozi (Object Embroidery)

A type of traditional embroidery that decorates fabrics, shoulder bags, mirrors, and seals with various hand-sewn stitches and the use of metal beads. Various objects like money bags, scissor holders, shoulder bags, ink holders, and more were created using this embroidery.

8. Gioveh Dozi (Gioveh Embroidery)

Gioveh dozi (Gioveh Kashy) is widespread in Qazvin and Takestan. The produced Giovehs in this province differ slightly from those made in Yazd, Abadeh, and Kermanshah. One notable difference is that Qazvin’s Giovehs have a plastic or leather base (made from old fabrics and leather strips), a method not used in those provinces.

These traditional handicrafts showcase the rich cultural heritage and artistic skills of Qazvin, offering a glimpse into the region’s history and creativity.”

9.Metal Meshwork of Qazvin

Metal meshwork, one of Iran’s most beautiful handicrafts, belongs to Qazvin. Metal meshwork is a type of engraving, encompassing various patterns and objects, where negative spaces are emphasized. This art flourished during the Seljuk period. Artists apply the designs onto metal and then use fine saws or sharp chisels to cut the patterns. In the past, this art was used primarily for mirrors and candleholders, gradually expanding to include vases and containers. Nowadays, artists create various items and objects using this artistry.

10.Glass Back Painting of Qazvin

Creating paintings on the backside of glass, inspired by the Safavid era, originated during the Qajar period and flourished to the extent that Qazvin became a central hub for this art. However, these beautiful works are scattered in large museums without proper attribution, leaving the artists in relative obscurity.

11.Calligraphy

Qazvin, home to prominent calligraphers such as Mir Emad Hassani Qazvini, the greatest master of Nastaliq script, and Mir Mohammad Hussein Emad al-Molk Safi Qazvini, boasts a significant advantage in the field of calligraphy compared to other Iranian cities. You can find the exquisite calligraphy works of these artists and other calligraphers in Qazvin and delight in the beauty of this art form.”

Some other handicrafts of Qazvin include:

Golabetoon dozi
Calligraphy
Wave weaving
Sermeh dozi
Chadorshab weaving
Metal mesh

Where to Buy Qazvin Souvenirs?

You can purchase souvenirs of Qazvin from all the shopping centers in this city.

Shopping Centers	Address
Grand Bazaar	Imam Khomeini Street (View on map)
Sa’d al-Saltaneh Caravanserai	Azadi Square, Imam Khomeini Street (View on map)
Sepah Traditional Bazaar	Sepah Street (View on map)
Aftab Commercial and Recreational Center	10 kilometers on Qazvin-Karaj Highway (View on map)
Naroun Shopping Center	Yakhchal Street, Opposite to Shahid Babaei Gas Station (View on map)
Ferdowsi Commercial and Administrative Complex	Ferdowsi Street (View on map)

Summary

In this article, we introduced you to the best souvenirs of Qazvin. You can enjoy delicious Qazvin souvenirs during your trip to this city and also bring gifts for your loved ones. Qazvin handicrafts are also very valuable and can be considered the best and most enduring souvenirs of this city. If you intend to travel to Qazvin, you can buy train tickets to Qazvin from Gulf City Pedia.

Frequently Asked Questions About Qazvin Souvenirs

What is the most distinctive Qazvin souvenir? Qazvin Pottery Cheese

What are Qazvin handicrafts? Kilim weaving, sermeh dozi, nem nem dozi, golabetoon dozi, carpet weaving, ribbon weaving, etc.

What are traditional Qazvin sweets? Rice bread, rotary bread, tea bread, baklava, qottab, etc.

What is the traditional bread of Qazvin? Agardak and Qagh

Where is the best shopping center to buy Qazvin souvenirs? Grand Bazaar of Qazvin