SAEDNEWS: Haft Howz, also known as Sarsabz, is one of the most affordable and lively shopping areas in northeastern Tehran, located in the Narmak neighborhood. In this guide, we explore its location, access routes, the best times to visit, and some of its key shopping centers.
According to Saednews, If you enjoy exploring markets and shopping districts, you have probably heard of Haft-Hoz. Also known as Sarsabz, Haft-Hoz is one of Tehran’s more affordable shopping areas. It is located in northeastern Tehran, in the old neighborhood of Narmak.
Narmak is known as the “Neighborhood of One Hundred Squares” because of the numerous small squares spread throughout the area. Haft-Hoz, officially known as Nabovat Square, is considered the most important square in Narmak.
Every day, many people from different parts of Tehran come here to shop, eat, or simply spend some time. We visited the area on a winter afternoon to see what it was like and share our experience.
Haft-Hoz Square is located in Narmak, within Tehran’s District 8. The square lies between Bahman-e Sharqi and Mehranpour Streets, near Madaen Street, and the western and eastern Chaman streets, as well as Sarvan Bakhtiari Street.
Haft-Hoz is one of the more accessible areas of Tehran, and you can reach it by various forms of transportation depending on where you are coming from. Public transportation is generally the easiest option.
If you are traveling by metro, get off at Sarsabz Metro Station.
Those who prefer BRT buses can use the Elm-o-Sanat–Beyhaghi or Elm-o-Sanat–Khavaran routes.
The Khavaran route has two relevant stops. One is Ayat Station, which is close to Haft-Hoz; from there, it takes about a minute to walk to the square. The other is near Sarsabz Metro Station.
Beyhaghi Station is also close to the pedestrian overpass and Sarsabz Metro Station.
If you are driving, you can reach Haft-Hoz via Resalat Expressway. Parking is generally manageable because there are several parking lots in the area, and street parking is also available on nearby streets and around the square.
Haft-Hoz becomes busiest during the one or two hours before sunset and remains crowded until around 10 p.m. during the second half of the year and about 11 p.m. during the first half.
The square can become especially crowded around sunset during the warmer months, sometimes making it difficult to find a place to sit.
If your main purpose is shopping, the best time to visit is around two or three hours before sunset. At that time, the weather is more comfortable than at midday and the area has not yet reached its evening peak.
Once you have finished shopping, you can grab something to eat before heading home.
The area between Sarsabz Metro Station and Haft-Hoz Square is packed with shops, most of which sell clothing, shoes, and bags. You can also find many other types of products, making the market a fairly diverse shopping destination.
One of the first things visitors often notice is the large number of stores advertising sales, along with shop promoters calling out to passersby and encouraging them to buy because the “sale is only until tonight.”
If this is your first time shopping in Haft-Hoz, keep in mind that there always seems to be a sale going on. For that reason, pay attention to product quality and do not be overly influenced by aggressive sales tactics.
In addition to the smaller shops, there are three major shopping centers in the area: Nabovat, Emerald Star, and Seven Center. Nabovat and Emerald Star are located almost opposite each other, between Sarsabz Metro Station and Nabovat Square.
Nabovat Shopping Center is located on the right side of the street and is relatively small. This three-story shopping center has a wide variety of stores, offering different types of products at various price points.
One of its major drawbacks is the one-way escalator system. For many people, using the regular stairs to go down can be difficult. The emergency stairways can also feel uncomfortable or unsafe when the building is quiet.
The lack of ramps or an elevator also makes the shopping center essentially inaccessible to people with mobility disabilities.
Located opposite Nabovat Shopping Center, Emerald Star is a modern shopping complex. At the time of the original visit, it had been open for less than two years.
In addition to its mainly clothing-focused retail units, the complex includes a food court, reception hall, parking area, and hypermarket.
The food court is fairly ordinary and offers amenities such as free parking, Wi-Fi, and free delivery for customers, although the space itself is relatively small.
The Emerald Hypermarket, located on the basement level, is reasonably good and offers a number of attractive discounts. However, it is not large enough to expect to find every type of product or every major brand.
Seven Center is the other major shopping complex in Haft-Hoz. It is located in the southwestern part of the square and contains various stores selling jewelry, watches, computers, mobile phones, and clothing.
Along with its retail stores, Seven Center has a food court and a Shahrvand supermarket. The food court is not particularly large.
There are also a few play areas and attractions for children. The Viona Café branch in the food court offers a level of quality comparable to its other locations, and the staff are generally friendly.
However, if you are looking for a quiet and relaxing place, this food court is probably not the best choice.
