Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
wearing the jewels and crowns you can see in the National Jewels Museum, and pictures
of everyday life in 19th-century Iran by Kamal ol-Molk and Mehdi.
MUSEUM
Talar-e Ayaheh
After being closed for almost 30 years the dazzling
Talar-e Ayaheh
(Hall of Mirrors)
is
now open to the public. Built between 1874 and 1877 the hall was dedicated to the Pea-
cock Throne (
Click here
)
before it was moved to the National Jewels Museum. More re-
cently it was used for the coronation of Mohammad Reza Shah in 1967 (25 years after he
came to power) and royal weddings. Today it and two adjoining halls house gifts includ-
ing a large green malachite vase from Russia and 13 huge chandeliers.
Other Buildings
Further east is the
Howze Khaneh
(Pool Room)
, named for the small pool and fountain in
its centre. It houses a collection of paintings and sculptures of 19th-century European roy-
alty - generously given to their Qajar counterparts by the same European monarchs.
At the east end of the garden, the imposing
Shams-Al Emarat
(Edifice of the Sun)
blends European and Persian architectural traditions. Born of Nasser al-Din Shah's desire
to have a palace that afforded him a panoramic view of the city, it was designed by master
architect Moayer al-Mamalek and built between 1865 and 1867. Inside, a sequence of
mirrored and tiled rooms house a collection of photographs, together with yet more fur-
niture and vases gifted by European monarchs.
Next door you'll see four soaring
badgirs
(windtowers, used for air-con;
Click here
)
,
rising above the recently restored
Emarat-e Badgir
, first erected in the reign of Fath Ali
Shah. The interior has typically ostentatious mirror work and is worth a quick look. In the
basement the
Aks Khaneh
(Historic Photograph Gallery)
exhibits a fascinating collec-
tion of photographs depicting Qajar court life; look particularly for the picture showing
the inside of a Zoroastrian tower of silence, with bodies in varying states of decay, and the
shot of 'freaks and dwarfs'.
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
A REVOLUTION IN STREET NAMES
Across Iran you'll find streets named after the same few martyrs of the revolution, historical figures (often poets)
and revolutionary buzzwords. In many places the government has conveniently painted a huge mural or erected a
mosaic likeness of the person beside the street that bears his (it's almost always a man) name. So who are these
men?
