Reza Abbasi was a famous artist living in the Safavid time and known for his artistic breakthrough. The Human being, their appearance, their idol life and pleasures became the theme of this artists painting. For the first time in the history of Iran’s art, an artist signed his works and wrote date and crucial information about it. His paintings are not crowded, usually one or two people in the center with a background that resembles a garden with simple flowers that some were painted with gold.

The objects displayed in this museum have a historical range of prehistoric time to the 19^th century. The museum was built to show the evolution of art in different periods of time and was named after the great Persian Miniaturist, Reza Abbasi.

The museum has two sections, the pre-Islamic art section and Islamic art section and five halls. The Islamic section itself is divided to 4 halls: Islamic Hall 1, Islamic Hall 2, Miniature Hall and Calligraphy Hall. The objects are arranged based on the period they belonged to and therefore, it is very easy to see the transformation of art and compare different period together. The contrast of art from pre-Islamic to Islamic era is also notable that is a proof of Islam’s influence on the minds of the creators of such arts.

The pre-Islamic section displays works retrieved form historical sites of Kermanshah, Azerbaijan, North of Iran and Lorestan. The oldest object belongs to the third Millennium BC and continues up to the 7^th and 8^th century AD. The most common of these objects are dishware, pots and farming tools. Islamic Hall 1 displays objects from early Islamic Period to Seljuk time. While clay was the prominent material of Pre-Islamic time, in this time metals become more popular. The Islamic Hall 2 continues and displays objects from Seljuk until Qajar; again, metals like brass are dominant here. The Human and Animal patterns, light glaze, Inlayed work, Carving, and paintings are the decorations most commonly used in this time.

The fourth hall is the Miniature Hall with miniature work especially from different versions of Shahnâme from 14^th century to the Qajar Dynasty. The highlight of the hall is paintings of Reza Abbasi, the man that the museum is named after. This hall is known for its diversity. Nearly all Iranian Schools of Art are displayed here which adds to the importance of the place. The last hall or the Calligraphy Hall is where visitors can see the masterpieces of Iranian calligraphy, in different styles, with different mediums over various objects and each belonging to a period of Iran’s History. The theme of the works includes lines from Quran, quotes from Imams and prophet, poems by different poets and some books in astrology.

The museum has a very strong research section and library with an archive of some of the best magazines of Iran. The conference hall, gallery, publication and education center make this museum one of the top museums of Iran.

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The mountains of central Alborz including known summits such as Damavand surround the north of Tehran. Because of altitude differences, Tehran has a considerable diversity of climates such that the higher the altitude, the higher the rainfall and the lower the temperature, and vice versa.

Tehran province is one of the oldest areas of Iran’s central plateau with human settlement dating back to the pre-Islamic period, the time of the Median Empire (678-549 B.C.). One of the most important historical cities of the region is Ray city placed near Tehran city in the current Tehran province. At the time, Tehran was in fact a large village located between Ray and the foothills of Alborz Mountain.

By the commencement of the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1736), Tehran came to the attention of the Shiite Safavid rulers because of neighboring Imāmzādeh Hamzah tomb – the ancestor of Safavid kings – and the holy shrine of Abd al-Azim al-Hasani. The Safavid kings would accommodate in Tehran when going to visit the Shrine of their ancestors in Ray. The expansion of traveling to Ray convinced Shah Tahmasp Safavid to build watchtowers and fortification for Tehran.

During the Afsharid Dynasty (1736-1796), the significance of Tehran was boomed, leading   Karim Khan Zand to turn it into the center of his government for four years. It was finally chosen as the capital of Iran by Aqa Mohammad Khan, the first Qajar Dynasty’s (1796-1925) king and was entitled “Dar al-Khelafeh” meaning the capital of a country. Following the expansion of the Qajar government’s power, Tehran developed more and this has been continuing to the present. Of its natural attractions include Ski resorts of Tochal, Shemshak, and Darband Sar.

The Golestan Palace as the mansion of Qajar’s kings remained from Zand (1751-1794) and Qajar Dynasties dating back to 440 years ago and witnessing great historical events, was registered as the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Furthermore, there are more than 30 diverse museums with valuable collections in Tehran. For example, the National Museum comprising two sections of Ancient Persia and the Islamic Museum is one of the main museums of the capital. The Museum of National Treasury and the Carpet Museum are other popular museums of the city, while Azadi Tower, Tehran Bazaar, Milad Tower Cultural Complex, and Sa’dabad Museum-Palace are also among the attractions. The main attractions of Ray city also include Abd al-Azim al-Hasani shrine, Tughrul Tower, and Cheshmeh-Ali.

Among the various handicrafts of the province, it can be pointed out to vitreous enamel (Minakari), Jajim (a kind of rug), wood products, and painting on glass and leather. Of the examples of native foods are different kinds of kebab, Dizy (meat stew), Aush (a kind of soup), and Dampokhtak (rice and beans). Zakariyyā al-Rāzī (scientist), Jahān Pahlevān Takhti (wrestler), Fereydoon Moshiri (poet), and Ali Akbar Dehkhoda (linguist) are among the celebrities of Tehran province.

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