Iran is one of the historic destinations with numerous Antiquities from prehistoric and ancient Islamic eras that are kept in Iran museums. Tehran is home to many famous museums and is well-known as the City of Museums. Although Tehran is not the first option for travelers because of its crowded streets and annoying traffic, the calm atmosphere of the museums can make you forget the chaos in the city. Here, we will describe the best museums in Tehran, which will help you become familiar with art and history from ancient times until today in Iran.
National Museum of Iran
The National Museum is the best choice for those who want to obtain information about the rich heritage of Iran. This museum is the most important in Iran. It consists of two buildings, ancient Iran and the Islamic era, providing an excellent perspective on various aspects of Iran’s history. It is highly recommended to visit on the first day of your travel to learn about the rich history of Iran at the beginning. It is situated at 30 Tir Street, in Tehran, close to Golestan Palace and the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, so you can visit them all in one place.
Carpet Museum of Iran
The Persian carpet is a beautiful manifestation of Iran’s art, and it is known for its high quality, antiquity, and extraordinary designs that remind one of the Garden of Eden. Visiting this museum is attractive for everyone who travels to Iran because it can make sense of appreciation for the thousands of years of elegant works done by the artists of Iran. This museum is the best place to learn more about the beautiful art of Iran, which means the Iranian carpet. For those fond of art, Iranian carpets’ variety in patterns, forms, and colors is unbelievable and pleasant. This museum is situated in Laleh Park in Tehran.
Carpet Museum of Iran
Contemporary Art Museum of Iran
The history of Iranian art goes beyond ancient times; you can discover many wonderful modern works by Iranian artists. This museum was designed by Kamran Diba in 1977 and is home to the spectacular works of famous artists. It is situated on the other side of Laleh Park in Tehran, and you can find sculptures, paintings, drawings, and prints here. Despite Iranian artworks, some masterpieces are made by international artists like Renรฉ Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Renoir, Jackson Pollock, Paul Gauguin, etc; these masterpieces were collected by Farah Pahlavi personally.
Jewelry Museum of Iran
Jewelry Museum is situated in the Central Bank of Tehran, Iran. It was opened in 1992 and is located on Ferdowsi Street in Tehran. In this museum, you can find the most precious and dazzling gemstones and jewelry worldwide. The Jewelry Museum of Iran is similar to a substantial underground safe box protected by many safety guards. Seeing the Jewels Crown of Iran was one of the people’s legends in the past, but now it has been placed in public sight. This museum has a limited schedule, from Saturday to Tuesday, from 14:00 to 16:30. This fantastic complex consists of jewelry like pearls, emeralds, diamonds, rubies, etc. Another of the most famous pieces of jewelry in this museum is the Darye-ye Nur Diamond, the most significant pink diamond in the world.
Reza Abbasi Museum
Reza Abbasi Museum is situated on Shariati Street in Tehran and is one of Iran’s wealthiest collections in culture and history. This museum is named after Reza Abbasi, a well-known painter of the Safavid Dynasty. The complex is kept in this museum from the 2nd millennium BC, which is related to the Qajar period’s end. Reza Abbasi Museum is a three-floor building, and each floor is devoted to a unique collection. You can find a rich complex of Iranian calligraphies and miniatures on the first floor. The second floor is the place of Islamic arts like pottery, metal, and textile masterpieces that return to the Seljuk, Safavid, Timurid, and Qajar dynasties. The third floor is home to ancient works of Iran, where you can find objects from the Parthian, Achaemenid, and Sassanid empires.
Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran
The Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran, also called ” Abgineh Museum, ” is another beautiful museum in Tehran. This museum is the place of an extravagant complex of glassware and ceramics that belonged to various eras in the history of Iran. It is located at 30 Tir Street, an old street in Tehran. This museum has two floors and displays a valuable complex of ceramics and glassware from ancient civilizations of Iran, such as Parthians and Seljuk ceramics. In this museum, not only the collection but also the building itself is worth a visit.
Saadabad Palace
The Pahlavi Family of Iran built the Saadabad Palace in Tehran’s Shemiran (north). This Palace was the summer construction of the Qajar Family and has an area of 110 hectares. The Saadabad Palace is a fantastic place to discover Iran’s history, culture, and mythology. First, Reza Shah lived there in the 1920s. After that, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi moved there in the 1970s. After the Iranian revolution, this Palace became a museum. The Saadabad Palace is more often known as the Green Palace. The name of this Garden comes after the rare pearl green stones that cover the outside of the Palace building.
Golestan Palace
Golestan Palace is the oldest historical place in Tehran, which belongs to some royal buildings and results from 400 years of repair and restoration. The elaborate Golestan Palace is a masterpiece of the Qajar period, which represents a blend of ancient Persian architecture and crafts with Western influences. Golestan Palace illustrates a modern style that is the house of traditional arts and crafts and the origins of 18th-century technology and architecture. The privileged example of this complex is the center of Qajar architecture and arts and is considered the origin of inspiration for Persian artists.
Niavaran Palace
Niavaran Palace is another historical place in Iran located north of Tehran, with an area of about 11 hectares. This Palace belongs to the Qajar and Pahlavi periods and has several museums and buildings. Sahebqraniyeh Palace, Howz Khฤneh Museums, Jahan Nama Museum, Royal Library, and Royal Car Museum etc. exist inside this complex. Sahebqraniyeh Palace goes back to Naser al-Din Shah during the Qajar family time. In 1968, the main building of Niavaran Palace was completed, and before the Iranian Revolution, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi lived there with his family. Mohsen Foroughi, an Iranian architect, designed it.
As the garden was the place of producing cane sugar, and in Farsi, this name is called “Ney,” so priory this complex was titled “Ney Avaran,” after a while, it changed to “Niavaran.”
