Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
emeralds and the land from rubies except Iran, Britain and France, which are set in dia-
monds.
Cameras, phones, bags and even this topic must be left at reception. Be careful not to
touch
anything
or you'll set off ear-piercing alarms.
Glass & Ceramics Museumکیمارس و هنیگبآ هزوم
(Musee Abghineh;
Click here
;
6670 8153; Si Tir St;
www.glasswaremuseum.ir
; ad-
mission US$0.50; 9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun, to 6pm summer; Imam Khomeini)
Housed
in a beautiful Qajar-era building a short walk north of the National Museum of Iran, the
Glass & Ceramics Museum is, like many of its exhibits, small but perfectly formed.
Built as a private residence for a prominent Persian family, it later housed the Egyptian
embassy and was converted into a museum in 1976. Unusually for its time, the building
successfully blends features of Eastern and Western styles. The graceful wooden staircase
and classical stucco mouldings are particularly delightful, and there are many delicate
carvings and decorative flourishes.
The well-designed museum stands out in a country where detailed explanations are
hard to find. It has hundreds of exhibits, mainly from Neishabur, Kashan, Rey and Gor-
gan, dating from the 2nd millennium BC to the modern day. The galleries walk you chro-
nologically through the ages, with detailed, lucid explanations in English that chart the
history of the country and the region through the lovingly displayed glass and ceramics
that remain.
MUSEUM
Madraseh va Masjed-e Sepahsalar رااسهپس دجسم و هسردم
(Masjed-e Motahari;
Click here
;
Mostafa Khomeini St, off Baharestan Sq; with guide;
Baharestan)
Just south of the Iranian
majlis
(parliament), the Madraseh va Masjed-e
Sepahsalar is arguably the most noteworthy example of Persian architecture of the Qajar
period, as well as one of the largest. Built between 1878 and 1890, it is famed for its mul-
tiple minarets, high domes and
iwans,
and poetry inscribed in several ancient scripts in the
tiling. It still operates as an Islamic college and as such is closed to the public; however,
some local guides (
Click here
)
can talk their way in on Friday mornings (male guests
only). Outside, a ban on photography is, as we found, vigorously enforced.
MUSEUM
US Den of Espionageاکيرمآ یسوساج هنا
(Taleqani Ave; Taleqani; 1-10 Feb only)
More than any other single building in
Iran, the former US embassy in Tehran and the events emanating from it have had a dra-
matic and profound influence on the recent history of the country. From a bunker beneath
HISTORIC BUILDING
