Tehran - Iran - page 113

Richard Nixon, Kemal Ataturk and Dwight Eisenhower (who was a guest at the shah's
last wedding), stare out from the past nearby. The custodians will make you join a guided
tour - it's well worth waiting for an English-speaking guide.
Adjoining Sahebqaranieh is the Jahan-Nama Museum & Gallery (Queen's Private
Museum). Two main rooms here are filled with a small but well-displayed example of the
eclectic collection of modern and ancient art gathered by Farah Diba, mainly during the
1970s. Works by Warhol, Picasso and Joan Miró share space with Iranian archaeological
artefacts and finds from sites in Mexico and Egypt, and rotating exhibits of contemporary
Iranian art.

Niyavaran Palace
Up the hill beyond a garden cafe is the remarkable Niyavaran Palace . Built between
1958 and 1968 the palace has a decidedly '60s look - clean-lined functionality on the out-
side contrasting with opulent, European-royal style furniture and enormous, intricately
woven carpets inside. Highlights include the magnificent Kerman carpet showing Iranian
kings right back to the Achaemenids as well as some European sovereigns, including Na-
poleon Bonaparte; the shah's walk-in wardrobe full of dozens of uniforms; a selection of
Farah Diba's very stylish gowns; and the retractable roof that opened the centre of the
palace to the sky. Adjoining to the east is a private cinema and tennis courts, and in front
of the palace, the modest family swimming pool.
Immediately west of Niyavaran Palace is the Ahmad Shahi Pavilion , an attractive two-
storey kiosk dating from the late Qajar period (early 20th century), which was last used as
the residence of the crown prince Reza. The prince's white leather-themed living quarters
are a time-warp to the 1970s. Reza's belongings range from childhood drawings to model
planes (he was a pilot), a rock collection (with a moon rock gifted by Richard Nixon) to a
polar-bear skin (a gift of the Canadian government).
To get here, take a shuttle taxi east of Tajrish Sq, and ask to be dropped at Shahid
Bahonar Sq, near the museum entrance.

PALACE

Darakeh & Darbandدنبرد و هکرد
On a sunny or smoggy day few things could be nicer than fleeing the traffic fumes for the
foothills of the Alborz Mountains and the walking trails of Darakeh and Darband. The
trails pass waterfalls and cross streams as they head up into the hills. They are crowded on
Thursday afternoon and Friday and make a great place to meet Tehranis in a relaxed, so-
cial atmosphere.
The lower reaches of both trails are lined with teahouses and stalls selling food and
drinks, which are hugely popular in the evenings - some close midweek and in winter. A

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