Capture of Tabriz (1635)

The Capture of Tabriz was a military action of the Ottoman–Safavid War (1623–1639). During this action the Ottoman Empire occupied and sacked the Safavid city of Tabriz. The city is located in the northwest of modern-day Iran.

Capture of Tabriz
Part of the Ottoman–Safavid War (1623–1639)
Date 1635 Location Tabriz Result Ottoman victory Territorial changes Tabriz captured and plundered
Belligerents
Ottoman Empire	Safavid Iran
Commanders and leaders
Murad IV	Rostam Khan
Casualties and losses
Destruction of Tabriz

Background

After Shah Abbas I passed away in January 1629, Safavid Iran had managed to restore its borders, reclaiming territories such as Azerbaijan, Arabic Iraq, Ahalsikh in Southern Georgia, and parts of Eastern Georgia. His successor and grandson, Shah Safi I (1629-1642), relocated the royal residence back to Kazvin.^[1][2]

Prelude

In the spring of 1634, news reached the Shah's court about Ottoman Sultan Murad IV's intentions to reconquer lost territories in Azerbaijan. As a response, the Safavids decided to concentrate their forces in Tabriz. The Ottoman invasion, led by Murad IV, commenced from Erzurum on August 8. They quickly besieged the city of Iravan, but the siege was short-lived. Tahmasib-Kulu Khan, the commander of the fortress garrison, betrayed Isfahan palace and fled, leading to the Ottoman army redirecting their efforts southeastward towards Tabriz.^[1][2]

Occupation and sacking of the city

Upon receiving orders from Shah Safi I, the Iranian military commander, Rostam Khan, evacuated the population of Tabriz and ordered the city's devastation. Following these orders, the Safavid army retreated. The Ottomans occupied Tabriz without encountering resistance, and Murad IV ordered the destruction of the city. Turkish historians described how Ottoman soldiers demolished tall buildings and grand palaces, dismantling and carrying away window frames made by skilled craftsmen, many of which were adorned with sky-blue or azure colors.^[1][2][3][4]