Eram Garden, Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran

The first instances of gardens, as what we understand from the term today, began when the wild fruit trees were fenced for protection from the animals and other human. Later, Humans added another aspect to the practical function of such oases and the gardens became a deliberate attempt in imitating nature. The earliest traces of garden making in Iran goes back to the reign of Cyrus, who made a garden in his capital, Pasargadae, in a quadripartite arrangement. This garden was the beginning of a style of garden arranging which is known as Iranian Garden. The Iranian attempted to recreate an image of their Utopia or Paradise with this construct. Iran is a dry country and water is very precious for its people, naturally, garden as the manifestation of the abundance of water has an important place in the Iranian culture.

The Iranian Garden is an oasis surrounded by protective walls that have both technical and philosophical function. The technical aspect comes from the need to protect the garden against animals and people, as well as, the need to keep the inside moister and modify the weather. The philosophical purpose reflects that aspect of Iranian culture which emphasizes on separation of inner and outer spaces; this culture was intensified with the advent and flourishment of Islam.

Entering this garden is possible through a portal entrance that yet again is a reminder of the importance of the inner spaces. The visitors could not just pass through the door and enter the garden. This walled space acts as a filter for the garden to control those who had the permission to go inside and those who had to be rejected. Passing the portal entrance, you enter the garden that may be built on a flat or sloped land.

Fin Garden, Kashan, Isfahan Province, Iran

As it was mentioned, the Iranian garden has a quadripartite arrangement; it means that the garden was divided into four sections by the water channels that ran through it. On the side of the water channels shading trees like Pine, Poplar and Cypress were planted to save the passing areas from the sun and heat. Each of the four sections created a small garden that were filled with fruit trees and flowers. At the cross axis where the vertical watercourse reached the horizontal one, an artificial pond was made and just next to it, a Pavilion was constructed. If the garden has a flat setting, the cross axes and pavilion are made in the middle of the garden; but if it has slope then the garden will have a tripartite plan and the cross axes and pavilion are placed in the upper one-third of the garden adding to the garden’s length by creating optical illusion.

Naturally, passage of time caused changes to the original plan used in the Achaemenid time. Adding bathhouses to the construct, adding servants sections, changing the usual trees and the omission of pavilion (in Safavid era) are the most notable of these changes. The local social currents and ruler’s taste influenced how a garden would turn out until the Qajar Era, when the slightly changed Iranian Garden was remodeled based on the European Gardens. The small flower mounds, the bordering of passages with boxwoods, the shaping of trees and the use of statues are all the legacy of Qajar. They were not the first to make changes in the Garden but they were the first to make so many changes.

In general, surrounding walls, watercourses that ran through the garden, the portal entrance, the pavilion and all the shading and fruit trees are the main parts of a Iranian Garden.

In 2011, UNESCO registered the combination of nine Iranian gardens as a World Heritage which are as follows:

1. Garden of Pasargadae, Fars Province
2. Chehel Sotoun, Isfahan, Isfahan Province
3. Fin Garden, Kashan, Isfahan Province
4. Eram Garden, Shiraz, Fars Province
5. Shazdeh Garden, Mahan, Kerman Province
6. Dowlat Abad Garden, Yazd, Yazd Province
7. Abbas Abad Garden, Abbas Abad, Mazandaran Province
8. Akbarieh Garden, Birjand, South Khorasan Province
9. Pahlavanpur Garden, Mehriz, Yazd Province

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The holy shrine of Fatima Masoumeh is one of the most important religious places in Iran, located in Qom.

Fatima Masumeh, the sister of Imam Reza, the eighth Shiite Imam, passed away on her travel to Iran once visiting her brother, she was buried in Qom.

The holy shrine of Fatima Masoumeh is one of the most important religious places in Iran, located in Qom. Masoumeh is the sister of Imam Reza, the 8th Shiite Imam, who passed away on her way to visit her brother. In the 9th century, Lady Fatima Masumeh and some of Imam Reza’s followers started a journey to Khorasan, where Imam Reza was spending his days in exile. On the road, Lady Masumeh got sick and passed away in Qom in a place known as Balan Garden.

In different eras, different constructs were built over the grave of Lady Fatima Masumeh, which all are a proof of the Iranian’s devotion to the descendants of the Prophet of Islam. When the Seljuq kings had the throne, Amir Abulfazl Araghi, made a domed mausoleum that was decorated with stucco and tile works.

The dome was about 14 meters tall. The shrine is filled with magnificent tiles and inscriptions and has an area of about 13.527 m2. It includes sections such as courtyard, iwan, mosque, school and women section.

The main courtyard of the place is known as Atigh and the Iwan of the courtyard was built at the time of Shah Ismail during Safavid Empire and later it was completed by his daughter. The Eastern and Western sections of the place, however, were added by the order of Fath Ali Shah, the second Qajar King. There are 14 halls (iwan) in this place, representing the 14 Shiite Imams, which are lavishly decorated with the best form of tile work and each one has a name

Feyzieh School on the northern part of the courtyard is a four-Iwan mosque with about 200 rooms (Hojreh) and it was built at the time of Safavid Kings, although it was completed in the Qajar’s Era when the southern Iwan was built. Shah Abbas the Second, Shah Soleyman (Solomon), Shah Safi and Shah Sultan Hossein of Safavid era and Fath Ali Shah and Mohammad Shah of Qajar dynasty were all buried here.

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Iranian Cuisine, Pistachio
Photo by Safa.daneshvar via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

It’s a nut that its cultivation in Iran dates back to the ancient times. We don’t know much about the plant back in history; yet, most of the tourists and travelers who have come to Iran since the Safavid era and afterwards have mentioned the plant’s farming, its consumption and export.

French traveler Jean-Baptiste Tavernier has pointed out in his travelogue that the pistachio of the city of Malayer was the best in the world and it was exported to India. British Orientalist and Iranologist Edward Brown has also stressed that Iran’s pistachio was being exported to India during the Qajar dynasty. Ernst Holster, German photographer, who was in Iran in the age of Qajar has a similar story about pistachio.

These travelers portray a clear picture of pistachio’s place in the culinary culture of Iran. Dried pistachio was a common snack in royal ceremonies. Pistachio was also used in different foods and served as a condiment for cooked rice. An official of Naseraddin Shah administration in his work called Notes from the Private Life of Naseraddin Shah refers to a kind of food called pistachio-yogurt. It’s probably the same dish that people of the city of Sirjan make out of pistachio and yogurt nowadays.

Iranian Cuisine, Pistachio
Photo by Safa.daneshvar via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Pistachio is being planted in different peripheral parts of Iran’s dessert, especially the east and the southeast of the country. It has different types. Kale Quchi, Akbari, Ahmadaqayi, Khandan, Shahpasand, Owhadi etc are some of the most famous ones.

Pistachio is the ingredient of many popular dishes. Shirinpolo is one of them which is a ceremonial dish of Iran. Pestepolo, or pistachio mixed with rice, is another popular dish which is cooked with peeled pistachio. People of Anar (a district in Kerman province) make a local food out of melted Kashk, and fried onion which is designed with grinded pistachio in the end. It’s served with bread.

Pistachio is a key ingredient in different sweets and desserts.

Pistachio is a key ingredient in different sweets and desserts. People use pistachio peel to make pickles or jams in some of the cities of Iran where the plant is farmed. Some cook green pistachio and add salt and lemon juice to it. That is a sort of snack called pistachio-lime.

Iranian Cuisine, Tea, Pistachio in Gaz Candy
Photo by Velveteye/Shutterstock

In the past, people of the region of Sirjan used pistachio crust to make a kind of beverage, close to coffee and serve their New Year guests with that.

Pistachio is one of the most significant imports of Iran to other countries. Many tourists take it home as a souvenir. Pistachio is easy to find in Iran and is sold in confectionaries and nuts shops.

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Karim Khan of the Zand Dynasty chose Shiraz as his capital and that changed the importance of the city drastically. The construct that were made in this time and by the order of the Just ruler was titled as Vakil since Karim Khan was known as Vakil Ol Ra’aya meaning deputy of the people. These constructs included mosque, bathhouse, bazar, water reservoir and many other similar public structures.

The Vakil mosque, one of the many constructs made in that time is located in the Darb Shazdeh neighborhood, Taleghani Street. It has a square plan about 60×60 m with a magnificent portal entrance with an inscription that mentions the name of Fath Ali Shah and Hossein Mirza of the Qajar Dynasty in a Sols Style.

The mosque has a 4-Iwan plan; the Northern Iwan has a vaulted Arch known as Tagh-e Morvarid (Pearl Arch) and adorned with Haft Rang (7color) Tiles.

The Mosque’s Shabistan or Praying Hall has 48 round twisted pillars that are carrying the domed arches of the place. Mihrab of Vakil Mosque is covered with tiles and the Menbar is made of Marble. There are also some Moaragh (Inlayed) Tile with floral patterns and Arabesque designs and numerous inscriptions that were mostly made in Qajar time.

The Vakil Bazar was later added to the Mosque having a Cross-like pattern and then the Vakil Bathhouse and Water Reservoir was added to the complex. For about 10 years, Vakil mosque was used as the congregational or Jam-e mosque of Shiraz. The magnificent mosque has been registered as a National Heritage in 1932.

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Photo by Nicola e Pina via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

The Monastery of Saint Thaddeus located in Chaldiran County, West Azerbaijan province is one of the most famous and most visited Armenian churches in Iran. The monastery is known as Gharah Klisa or Gharah Church among locals. Gharah in Azari means black referring to the black stones of the structure. This church built originally in 68 CE is the tomb of Thaddeus who was martyred in Armenia in 66 CE. However, the Monastery of St. Thaddeus was destroyed and rebuilt in different historical periods.

For example, Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire (1259-1355 CE), and his grandson Hulagu Khan destroyed a large part of this structure. Later in 1319, Khaje Nasir al-Din Tosi, the minster of Hulagu, rebuilt it. The monastery was also rebuilt by the order of Shah Abbas the first to support Armenians who sought refuge inside Iran. The decorations of the structure were later enhanced by the order of Abbas Mirza, the crown prince of Fath Ali Shah, the second king of the Qajar Dynasty (1796-1925).

In 1691, the façade of the monastery was adorned with black stones and in 1810, white stones were added to the structure by Simon Beznoni, the Maku’s bishop and Father Superior of the monastery. Importantly, along with two other Armenian monuments in West Azerbaijan province (the Monastery of Saint Stepanos and the Chapel of Dzordzorthe), the Monastery of Saint Thaddeus was inscribed on the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2008.

Every year in late Tir (the first month of summer) and the first day of Mordad (the second month of summer), coinciding with the murder of St. Thaddeus, a large group of Armenians visit the monastery and hold a ceremony in his honor.

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Located in the Arg Square in Southern Tehran, the Bazar has several corridors that are over 10 kilometers in length. Tehran’s bazaar is one of the most important places of trading and selling goods in Iran, and it is an amazing fundamental and economical structure. A market that its main structure is a heritage of the Qajar era.

When Agha Mohammad Khan of Qajar period was the king, the Bazaar started a time of booming that continued for several years. In these times, different segments of the Bazaar was restored, new sections were added and many buyers and sellers from all over Iran came here. Naser Al Din Shah, the Fourth Qajar King, ordered the construction of a portal that today is known as Grand Bazar. Without a doubt, Naser Al din Shah was the man that made the most changes in the Bazaar. The changes that made the tradesmen so powerful, they could influence the political decisions of the governmental officials. Although the development of Bazaar helped with the financial situation of the country, it made the rulers less powerful. When the money was at the hand of a group of traders then they would want a saying in the political decisions that affected them as well. So the power the king gave them was used against him and later his son when the traders of Bazaar became the main supporters of the oppositional groups that wanted constitution and limitation of Monarchy’s power.

Tehran’s bazaar is one of the most important places of trading and selling goods in Iran, and it is an amazing fundamental and economical structure. A market that its main structure is a heritage of the Qajar era.

The current architecture of the grand bazaar is very complex, the winding corridors, the traditional ventilation system in the ceiling, the decorations and sections of the bazaar all can prove the magnificent architecture used to build this bazaar. The place wasn’t always this complex. Tehran bazaar was developed over time, for example parts of the market was roofed due to summer heat. These developments also took place in the service spaces so that cafe, gymnasium, baths, mosques and religious site were made. There were constantly new parts constructed and added to the old part in order to trade goods for individual buyers. Gradually, there were special arcades for different type of products in the marketplace. The new sectors had their own bath and mosque in a way that they could run their feasts, mourning ceremonies, and other occasions.

One of the most important parts of the Old Market is Sabze Meydan (the green square) in the northern part of the market that dates back to the Safavid period. In the Qajar era, by the order of Amir Kabir, fundamental changes were applied to this square. This is the central place for gatherings to celebrate religious, political and social occasions. The renovation and refurbishing plan for the grand bazaar has been started over years, numerous activities have been happening such as: floor lamps, structure-building, the porch of the dome and roof and the building.

The grand bazaar of Tehran is on top list of all the visitors that come to Tehran from abroad and even other cities of Tehran. A very crowded and alive place which can take you to old days of Tehran. Grand bazaar of Tehran offers visitors a chance to enjoy good food as well with various traditional cuisine restaurants and fast food. The food here may not be very cheap but it is definitely worth your money because you will receive good quality food. These restaurants, which some date back to more than 100 years ago, show the visitors what authentic Persian meal is. Even one of the oldest pizzeria in Tehran is located in this market.

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Located in Kermanshah city in the west of Iran, the ancient relic of Taq-e Bostan, meaning Arch of the Garden, encompasses two nearby arches, several rock reliefs, and inscriptions cut on a mountain cliff in front of a pond. This ancient complex was created during the Sassanid Empire (224-651 CE) to illustrate the significant historical events of the time related to several kings including Khosro Parviz, Ardeshir II, Shapur II, and Shapur III. Sassanid kings as successors of the Achaemenian Empire (550-330 BCE) chose firstly Fars province and its neighboring areas for their majestic bas-reliefs.

However, from the mid-Sassanian era, they represented this art in other provinces as well as in the west and north-west of Iran to accentuate and legitimize their power and sovereignty across the country. Besides, the religious center of Iran was changed from Fars to Azerbaijan in the northwest of the country and thus, the importance of these new areas increased drastically.

In the bigger arch of Taq-e Bostan, with an iwan carved in the cliff  (around 7.85 meters in width, 11.90 meters in length and 90 cm in depth), there are pictures of women playing musical instruments such as Harp and different wind instruments. The rock relief on the right side of this arch shows the investiture ceremonies of Ardeshir II (379-383 CE), the ninth Sassanid King. In this scene, the king is standing while his left hand is on the hilt of a sword, and he is receiving the diadem (symbol of royal investiture) with his right hand from Ahura Mazda.

Also, the god of light, Mithra, is standing behind Ahura Mazda with a halo around his head. He is in fact, the witness to this pact. Importantly, the king’s and Ahura Mazda’s feet are on the body of Julianus (361-363 CE), the Roman emperor, who was considered a powerful enemy. The king has big eyes, thick eyebrows, curled beard, and long hair reaching his shoulders. He is wearing a ring-shaped earing with a small ball attached to it, a bracelet, and also a necklace comprised of a row of pearls.

The bigger arch’s rock relief also shows the investiture of Khosro Parviz while he has raised his right hand in the direction of an old man and his left hand is on the hilt of a sword. The face of the king is damaged but from what has remained, it can see that the king has a rather plump face with round eyes and thick eyebrows. His crown is adorned with two rows of pearls. In the front section of the relief, there is a crescent on a small rod with two wings of an eagle attached to its sides.

The old standing man is giving the king a diadem with his right hand while his left hand is on his chest. Some believe that this old man is Mithra, the god of light. On the left of the scene, Anahita, the goddess of water is shown carrying a pitcher and the diadem with her left and right hands, respectively.

Next to the arch, there are rock reliefs of two winged angels, the tree of life (sacred tree), and royal hunting scenes (including pictures of elephants, deer, bow, arrow, lake, and boats) that all depict the Sassanid Empire’s ceremonies and symbols. Below the relief indicating the investiture of Khosro Parviz, there is a mounted Persian knight figure in battle armor riding a horse. Some believe that the figure refers to Khosro II (591-628 CE). This rock relief was carved under the influence of Byzantine art.

The smaller arch located on the right side of the bigger arch is 5.8 meters in width and 5 meters in length. The reliefs of Shapur II and Shapur III and two inscriptions indicating the names of the kings and their ancestries are carved in this arch. These reliefs have been damaged several times by humans. For example, during the Qajar era (1789-1925), Muhammad Ali Mirza (Fath Ali Shah’s son) ordered to replace his relief with the former ancient reliefs. The relief depicts Muhammad Ali is sitting on a throne with a plump face, long beard, and curved mustache. The crown he is wearing is similar to that of Fath Ali Shah.

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The traditional Tabatabaei House owned by an affluent family with an area of around 4,700 square meters is one of the magnificent tourist attractions of Kashan city.

Located next to the majestic Mausoleum of Sultan Amir Ahmad, the house was made in around 1880 (Qajar Dynasty) by architect Ali Maryam with an introverted symmetrical plan focusing on separating the inner and outer parts of the house from each other.

. In general, the house has 40 rooms, four yards, four basements, three wind catchers, five entry doors, and two strings of Qanat that used to pass from it. The main entrance opens to an octagonal space known as Hashti (vestibule) that has two doors, one of which leads to the inner part, and the other leads to the outer part of the house.

An important architectural feature of the house refers to its construction below the ground level that has several benefits. First, it helps cool down the construction; second, it made water more accessible in the past; and third, it makes the house more resistant to earthquakes.

The house has outstanding stone reliefs, stucco, mirror, and painting decorations. Also, the rooms have wooden doors and windows with colored stained glass, leading to colorful sun rays inside the rooms during the day.

What also contributes to the importance of the house is that Sani Ol Molk as a master painter and miniaturist of the Qajar Dynasty (1789-1925) has decorated it with his arts.

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The Saint Stepanos Monastery is located in the Dare Sham Village in the border territory with Nakhchivan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.  Since Stephanos was the first martyr of Christianity, there are different churches named after him across the world. The Stephanos Monastery belongs to the followers of Gregory (Gregory the Illuminator) who resides in Armenia but a group of them forcefully immigrated to Iran in the 9th century. When immigrated to Iran, they then built this church in a valley on a remnant of a Sassanid citadel and dedicated it to Saint Stepanos. The building that was later rebuilt during the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736) has stonewalls and seven watchtowers.

The church consists of three main sections including the main chapel, Daniel Stove, and a bell tower in addition to some secondary structures. The bell tower belongs to the Qajar era (1789-1925) when the church was renewed by the order of Abbas Mirza. The structure is decorated with some relief angel, stars, and bergamot. The bell tower is located on a two-story iwan connected to the southern wall of the church. The tower has a metal cross on its head and its body is made of red stone with fascinating capitals.

The main area of the building consists of a prayer room that is 90.13 and 80.12 meters long and wide, respectively. Its entrance is located on the western side with an embossed wooden door belonging to the Qajar era. Around the door is also decorated with Muqarnas arches and also a Persian inscription with an Arminian translation dating back to the Qajar era. Following the tradition of church architecture, the structure has a cross-like plan with a 16-side dome. There is a window on every other of these 16 sides, which provide the church with enough light. There is an alter with stairs decorated with marble stone in the eastern part of the church. The altar and the interior parts of the dome are decorated with colorful paintings of angels and different decorative plasters.

Finally, Daniel’s Stove consists of three sections including a prayer hall, a stove that is separated by a wall and located on the eastern side of the prayer hall, and at last, the place of baptism. This structure is named after Saint Daniel who was one of the saints of the 5^th century.

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Photo by Parastoo.Atrsaei via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Based on their location, Caravanserais are divided to those built inside city walls, those built outside city walls, and those built near the roads. Sa’d Al-Saltaneh Caravanserai is a city caravanserai, meaning it was built at the heart of the city. Naturally, the caravanserais placed inside cities are more than just place of rest for the passing travel groups and become an important place of trade. Therefore, they include different complementary sections such as shops, bathhouse, and mosque. Sa’d Al-Saltaneh is one of the biggest roofed caravanserai of Iran with an area of about 2.7 Hectare and 400 Hojreh or rooms that functioned as both a place of rest and a place of trade for the travelers, that is why the architecture of this caravanserai is so similar to a Bazaar.

Muhammad Bagher Khan Sa’d Al-Saltaneh Isfahani, the governor of Isfahan in the time of Naser Al Din Shah, ordered the construction of this caravanserai. It took four great master architects of the time two years to finish it. The caravanserai’s been built in the time of business flourishment between Iran and Russia, when trade spots were essential. However, after the World Wars, and when Russia was not financially stable, this caravanserai became unpopular, and its period of demise began.

Sa’d Al-Saltaneh is one of the biggest roofed caravanserai of Iran with an area of about 2.7 Hectare and 400 Hojreh or rooms that functioned as both a place of rest and a place of trade for the travelers, that is why the architecture of this caravanserai is so similar to a Bazaar.

The entrance to the place is possible through a portal that opens to the Imam Khomeini Street with magnificent decoration of bricks and tiles. The Caravanserai has 5 yards dividing the vast area into different sections. The main yard is surrounded from all sides with one story Hojreh or rooms that were made one meter above the yard level and reached through shallow stairs and an Iwans. The doors to the rooms were made of wood and sashed with color glasses. They are simple with dome ceiling and niches in the walls used for keeping and displaying goods. There are holes in the ceiling filled with color glasses that used to provide the necessary light of the Hojreh. The Iwans, stairs, and the rooms have stone pieces for the floor cover, but the yard itself lacked any covering.

West of the central yard, is the Negar Al-Saltaneh yard. This yard has two big Hojreh and two warehouses, and is linked to the Vazir Rast-e (a section of Bazaar). East of the main yard is the Sa’die Yard; there are two Iwans on North and South of the yard with different brick and tile work. On the Northeast of the yard, there is an arched vault with a higher roof in the center and two smaller one on either sides. The vault was connected to the street by a series of stairs. This yard has around 10 Hojreh and there was a Bath House on the North-East side of it as well.

South of the main yard is where the most important section of the Caravanserai is located, the Charsough. Charsough literary means four bazaars, and refers to a place where the 4 main paths of a bazaar or a caravanserai meet each other.

Sa’d Al-Saltaneh Charsough has 4 half-dome with decoration common to these constructs. The West section leads to Qeysarieh and then to the Vazir Rast-e. After the World War and then the recession that followed, the rooms of this caravanserai were sold as independent shops, warehouses and factories. The rest were left unsupervised which led to their destruction. For a time, the place was turned to a Flour Factory and then to Wood Carving Factory. There was even a time that the shop owners set fire to their shops to get compensation money from insurance companies.

The place was registered as a National Heritage in 1937 as part of the Qazvin Grand Bazar but later, in 1998, it was registered separately. With government’s emphasis on natural and cultural heritages in the last two decades, the caravanserai came to attention, and the cultural heritage organization with the help of local organizations, assigned a budget for the restoration of the place.  The caravanserai was restored in recent years, and now is used as a shop center.

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In the northern part of the city of Tehran there is a complex that used to be the Royal Residence of Qajar and Pahlavi Kings. The complex is about 110 Hectares, and has four historical periods: Qajar, Pahlavi I, Pahlavi II, and Islamic Republic. The Qajar kings used it as a summer residence, in Pahlavi time the function remained, but the King’s desire to Modernizing the country lead to the construction of series of building. The oldest section of the complex among the 18 palaces and pavilions is the Ahmad Shah Pavilion and the newest one is Leila Pahlavi’s Palace, who was the youngest daughter of Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, the second Pahlavi King.

One of the main palaces of this complex is known as Green Palace that sometimes is referred to as Stone Palace or Shahvand. When Reza Khan was a General of Army, this palace was constructed on the North-West section of the garden. On general, for the construction of the palace the most well-known artists and architects of Iran were summoned which lead to the masterpiece we currently see. The whole façade of the building is filled with green stones that were retrieved from a mine in Zanjan. The mine was destroyed after enough stones were taken to make the building so that no other construct with same stone is built. The highlight of the building is the mirror hall with a 70 m carpet and furniture from Qajar Era belonging to the 18th century France. After the 1979 Revolution, the palace was turned to a museum.

The complex is about 110 Hectares, and has four historical periods: Qajar, Pahlavi I, Pahlavi II, and Islamic Republic. The Qajar kings used it as a summer residence, in Pahlavi time the function remained, but the King’s desire to Modernizing the country lead to the construction of series of building, and after the Revolution it was turned to Palace-Museum.

The Mellat Palace is the biggest section of the whole complex and for its white façade is now known as White Palace. The construction of this palace took 5 years to complete. It was to be used as the Office of Royal Ministry, but when the King saw the palace, he decided to use it as an Audience Hall for receiving important guests. When the second Pahlavi King came to throne, the palace was used for formal parties, official gatherings of representative from around the world and for a summer residence. The architecture is similar to the royal palaces of Germany following a byzantine architecture with elements of Iranian style. The palace has two stories, a separate basement and a total of 10 halls all suitable for ceremonial occasions. It is known for the beautiful paintings surrounding the windows narrating tales from Shah Nameh. The place underwent a period of restoration from 1966 to 1970 that is around 40 years after its construction. In this restoration, French Interior Decorators were employed by Queen Farah to design the interior of the palace. The first floor includes Antechambers, Meeting Chamber, King’s Office, Waiting Chamber, and Billiard Room. The second floor includes, another Antechamber, Dining Room, Audience Chamber for ambassadors and Queen’s Office. The palace is filled with antiques mostly bought from French Auctions that among them the desk that belonged to Marie Antoinette is the most notable one.

The basement of the White Palace has been turned to a museum in the first anniversary of Islamic Revolution. Previously, it was a private museum managed by Queen Farah to be displayed to guests and family. Today, objects from first to fourth millennium BC, retrieved from historical mounds around Iran are put to display.

Museum of Fine Arts was built in a building that was used by Royal Ministry. Reza Shah ordered its construction, a building that was called Black Palace for the Black Marble Stone that was used in it. The construction however, was left unfinished for unknown reason and was completed years later by Reza Shah’s Successor, Muhammad Reza. The building is in three floors; the first floor is used for displaying Iran’s Modern Art. The second floor exhibits works of art belonging to European Artists of 17th to 19th century like Salvador Dali. The last floor is used for works from Afshar, Zand, Qajar and Safavid dynasties.

The palace that was made for Leila, the youngest daughter of Muhammad Reza, was later turned to Aabkar Museum. The palace is located between two other Qajar Palaces that belonged to Reza and Farahnaz, Leila’s brother and sister. Farahnaz’s Palace is one of the oldest brick construct of Sa’d Abbad Complex and dates back to Qajar Time. Reza Shah chose this palace for one of his wives, later it was restored and used by Farahnaz and Alireza, Muhammad Reza’s children. After the revolution, the place was turned to Calligraphy museum and was named after the famous 17th century calligrapher Mir Emad Seify Qazviny; although, works of other calligraphers are presented here as well.

There are other palaces in this complex that all were turned into museum, some were damaged by the passing of the time and are closed down for repair and restoration. The most famous of these places are:

1. Karbasi Palace or King Reza Palace that was turned to Behzad Museum.
2. Andarouni Palace that was turned to Farshchian Museum.
3. Kaleskeh Khane that was turned to Omidvar Brothers Museum.
4. Taj Ol Moluk Palace that was turned to Military Museum.
5. Birouni Palace that was turned to the Museum of Influential Figures.
6. Asharaf Palace that was turned to Handicraft Museum.
7. Shams Palace that was turned to Anthropology Museum.
8. Farideh Diba Palace that was turned to Negarestan Museum.

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This building is placed in the historical part of the city of Zanjan and was used as a laundry house. The name literary means the same. Zanjan has very cold weather. During harsh winters, washing clothes was a challenge for women. In 1925, Ali Akbar Khan Toufighi, the first Mayer of the city, bought a piece of land and built a construct inside for women to wash their clothes there in winter. The architectural style of the Rakhtshur Khaneh is a popular style of the late Qajar and the Early Pahlavi era, a combination of the traditional style of the former with the modern style of the latter.

During harsh winters, washing clothes was a challenge for women. In 1925, Ali Akbar Khan Toufighi, the first Mayer of the city, bought a piece of land and built a construct inside for women to wash their clothes there in winter.

The water needed for this place came from the Qalche Kariz aqueduct. The place has two main sections:1) the Washing Area and 2) The Management and the Residential Section. The square yard of the construct is surrounded by these two sections. The entrance area has separate doors that lead to the Washing Area, the Residential Area and the yard which make access easier; in a way that if you enter the place you can reach each section without being forced to pass through the others.

Immediately after the door that opens to the washing area, there are two sets of stairs; one leads you above the ground level and the other leads you down. Going up, there is a terrace like the area that was used by the manager of the Rakhtshur Khaneh. By standing there, she could monitor the whole washing area.

The lower area is a vast hall with water canals running through that leads water from the water source or Khazineh to the end of the hall. The water source of this place is 17 m long, 11.55 m wide and 8 m tall. The structure of the place proves that the architect had been well aware of the principles of Persian architecture. The arches and domes of the place with colored windows give a wonderful atmosphere to the hall.

The hall has 11 columns and two water canals creating three passage ways where women could sit and wash their clothes. The hall is 62 m tall and 13.7 m wide and the whole place covers an area of about 850 square meters.

The place is now filled with wax statues, showing women as they once used this area. There is also a handicraft shop selling different goods like shoes and jewelries all made by masters of these crafts.

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