Introducing Tehran’s Golestan Palace

Tehran’s Golestan Palace is one of Tehran’s sights, which has been registered as the only work of Tehran among the world heritage works in UNESCO. Golestan Palace is a collection of palaces that were built within the royal citadel and served as the capital of Iran and the center of the Qajar kings’ caliphate for about 150 years. Today, Golestan Palace is one of the largest and most famous museums in Iran. Golestan Museum Palace of Tehran has a unique collection of very luxurious and historical palaces and buildings, which is a unique treasure of historical works, objects and jewels of unique value, which has made this collection to register itself as a world heritage. Shams-ul-Amara, Hall of Mirrors, Hall of Salam, Iwan Takht Marmar, Hozkhaneh, Abiz Palace, Khlot Karimkhani, Hall of Ivory, Hall of Diamonds, Hall of Berlian, Hozkhaneh of Badgir Mansion, Takhe Daulat and Marmar Takht are some of the most important museums and sections in Golestan Palace. Apart from these parts, one of the most important elements of the Marble Palace is the historical events of the Golestan Palace, which has raised this complex as one of the most important places in Iran during the Qajar and Zandiye periods. All these materials have made Golestan Palace a unique collection, which makes it necessary to visit it to get to know the history of Iran.

Where is Golestan Palace?

Golestan Palace is one of the most important historical monuments of Tehran, which is located in the area of ​​Tehran Bazaar, and it is the only historical monument of Tehran that has been registered as a world monument by UNESCO. Golestan Palace is one of the must-see places in Tehran. Golestan Palace is a collection of palaces, museums and halls that was located in the royal citadel of Doran and today it has become one of the largest museums in Tehran. This unique complex is located in Pamnar neighborhood, on the southeast side of Shahr Park and near Khayyam Street. Golestan Palace was located in the north of Panzdeh Khordad Street and Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, and it is limited to Nasser Khosro Street from the east.

Access route to Golestan Palace

Private car
The access route to Golestan Palace with a private car faces many restrictions, and due to these restrictions, this method of access is not recommended. Golestan Palace is located within the traffic plan of Tehran. This plan includes the traffic plan and the pollution reduction plan or even and odd traffic plan, and on the other hand, this complex is located in the area of ​​Tehran Bazaar, one of the most trafficked parts of Tehran. But with all this information, if you want to go to this place by private car, you can drive from Imam Khomeini Street or Vahdat-e-Islami Street to Sourasrafil Street and Daver Street, or you can reach this palace through Naser Khosro Street and Panzdeh Khordad Street.

iran handicrafts

Public transportation
The special location of Golestan Palace has made it possible to access this complex by various means of public transportation and taxi. Fayaz Bakhsh taxi and bus terminal in the north of Shahr Park and Imam Khomeini Square are the closest terminals to this museum, and the bazaar taxi terminal and Panzdeh Khordad Street are at the shortest distance from this museum palace.

Golestan Palace Metro
The closest metro station to Golestan Palace is Panzdeh Khordad Metro Station on Line 1 of the Tehran Metro.

 

 

History of Golestan Palace

Shah Tahmaseb Safavi was the first king who paid special attention to Tehran. To protect Tehran, Shah Tahmasab ordered to build a fence around Tehran and also built a ditch around Tehran. For the first time, this action defined the city’s boundaries and established Tehran as an important city among the cities of Iran. Due to the increase in the security of the city of Tehran, the constructions in Tehran increased from that time. Some of these constructions were also carried out by Safavid rulers and courtiers.

The first constructions in this place were given to Shah Abbas Safavi in ​​998 AH. They attribute Pietro Delavalle (Italian orientalist and traveler) traveled to Tehran in 1028 and described this city. In Pietro Delavaleh’s description of Tehran, he describes it as a plantation with a royal citadel. This description shows that at that time Tehran had a royal citadel and it can be said almost certainly that the mentioned citadel is the same citadel that later became the Golestan Palace.

The most important document and date that can be definitively said about the time of construction of Golestan Palace is related to the time of Karim Khan Zand. The Zand family had a special interest in Tehran, and of course it should be said that the people of Tehran at that time also had a great interest in the Zand family, in such a way that one of the most magnificent Shia ceremonies in the history of Iran was related to the funeral of Lotf Ali Khan Zand. Karimkhan Zand during the years 1173 to 1180 AH. A.H. built a madhouse in the place of Golestan Palace and from that time the construction of this palace officially started. Karimkhani Khlot is a relic of the Karimkhan Zand era, which was later destroyed and only a small part of it remained. The Marble Throne mansion is also attributed to the Zandiye period, and these cases show that Golestan Palace was of special importance during the Zandiye period.

During the time of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, Tehran was in one of its most important historical periods. Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar chose Tehran as the capital of Iran in 1210 AH after his victory over Lotf Ali Khan Zand and establishing the Qajar dynasty. He was crowned in Tehran. There were many reasons for choosing Tehran as the capital. Proximity to the Russian borders, the fortifications of the central Alborz and the proximity to cities such as Tabriz and Gorgan, which were the settlements of the Qajar clan, were among the most important reasons for choosing Tehran as the capital.

The new capital should have a caliphate and Golestan Palace was the best place that could be chosen for this. But the Golestan Palace during the time of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar was not particularly advanced, because at that time Iran had not yet seen peace and Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar did not pay much attention to luxury due to his physical problems and castration at the top of these problems. The world did not have But the most important change in the royal citadel at that time was related to the construction of Golestan Hall. Although this hall was not completed during the time of Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar and was completed during the time of Fath Ali Shah, but because of its value, this hall was able to be named Golestan Palace. A name that has remained unique on this collection until today.

Fath Ali Shah Qajar was the second Qajar king who was crowned in Tehran. During the time of Feth Ali Shah Qajar, Golestan Palace underwent changes and buildings were added to it, but most of them were destroyed during the time of Naseruddin Shah and more luxurious buildings were built in Golestan Palace instead. Badgir mansion, however, survived the blinding events and it still remains today.

Golestan Palace made the most progress during the time of Naseruddin Shah to the point where the most important and largest building of Golestan Palace was built in this time and Golestan Palace became its present form. During the time of Naser al-Din Shah, there was a relative peace in Iran, and by the way, unlike Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, Naser al-Din Shah was a fun-loving person and had a great interest in various arts. Naser al-Din Shah himself was a poet and painter and an art expert, and for this reason he paid special attention to Golestan Palace. The most important and largest buildings of Golestan Palace, such as Shams-ul-Amara, Hall of Mirrors, Hall of Salam and other important parts of this complex are the relics of the time of Naseruddin Shah.

Golestan Palace during the time of Muzaffaruddin Shah, Mohammad Ali Shah and Ahmad Shah did not make much progress, and no landmark building was added to this complex. The reign of the last three Qajar kings was accompanied by civil wars and constitutional crisis, and for this reason, these kings did not have much time to pay attention and build this complex. Muzaffar al-Din Shah was a sick king and the reign of Muhammad Ali Shah was accompanied by many conflicts between government agents and constitutionalists and constitutional wars. Ahmad Shah Qajar was also a young man who did not see the authority of the king in him. Ahmad Shah Qajar could not preserve the Qajar dynasty after his short reign, and this dynasty was replaced by the Pahlavi dynasty.

During the Pahlavi era, Golestan Palace experienced its period of stagnation and did not see any other special event except for the coronation ceremonies of Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. During the Pahlavi era, the palace or royal citadel was moved from Golestan Palace to Saad Abad Palace, Tehran Marble Palace, and finally to Niavaran Palace, and it no longer witnessed the presence of Iranian kings. The Pahlavis also liked to have their own mansions and palaces, and that was the reason why they moved to Saad Abad Palace and it was with the construction of Marmar Palace that this palace was chosen as the headquarters of Iran’s command. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi also chose Niavaran Palace as his residence and office after the assassination incident in Marmar Palace and moved to Niavaran Palace.

During the Pahlavi era, Golestan Palace underwent changes in its structure. Reza Shah, who is dreaming of a modern Iran, destroyed Tehran’s wall and walls and parts of the royal citadel, and accompanied modern urban development with the destruction of parts of the area and its components, which caused serious damage to this complex. brought, in such a way that the size of Golestan Palace reached almost one tenth of its size and became 4. It was 5 hectares. These encroachments had their roots in the urban planning changes in Tehran, and neighborhoods such as Sangalaj and the royal citadel complex were among the first places that underwent many changes.

 

Converting Golestan Palace into a museum

The first measures to turn Golestan Palace into a museum were formed during Pahlavi I’s time. During this period, Golestan Palace took important steps to become a museum and parts of this palace became a museum. After the revolution, other events happened in this complex, in such a way that Golestan Palace was completely converted into a museum during this period, and in its most important step, it was able to be registered as a world work in the list of UNESCO’s permanent world heritage.

The world registration of Golestan Palace in the UNESCO World Heritage List

On June 23, 2013 (July 2, 2013), Golestan Palace was registered as a world heritage in the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 37th UNESCO Summit in Cambodia. Golestan Palace was the 16th work from Iran that was registered in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. So far, this collection is the only work from Tehran included in this list. There are many reasons for this.

For more than one hundred and fifty years, Golestan Palace has been the largest government center of one of the largest and oldest countries in the world called Iran.

All Qajar kings lived in this palace and this palace was the center of government of all Qajar kings

The exquisite and unique architecture of Golestan Palace made this unique work able to attract the opinion of experts

The decorations, paintings, and works of art used in Golestan Palace are a unique collection of the history of Iranian painting and architecture.

The treasure of jewels in Golestan Palace is such that this treasure is one of the most important supports of the Central Bank of Iran and this treasure is one of the most unique historical collections of art and culture in Iran.

Golestan Palace with its unique features is considered not only as one of the most important national works of Iran, but also as one of the world’s key works. The case of Golestan Palace was presented to UNESCO in 2007. At that time, many concerns about a high-rise building in the vicinity of this palace caused a lot of concerns for its registration, but finally it was able to be registered globally by attracting the opinion of experts in 2013.

Architecture of Golestan Palace

In terms of architecture, Golestan Palace is the most prominent historical work of Tehran and one of the most prominent historical works of Iran. Golestan Palace is a combination of Safavid era architecture, Qajar era architecture and European classical and neoclassical architecture. This complex of palaces depicts various architectures from the Safavid era to the end of the Qajar era, because in each of these historical periods, different parts of this complex were built and the interior decorations of the palaces also have parts and decorations of different historical periods of Iran. Is. But perhaps the most prominent period that worked on this collection and left the most works on it, are the collections and decorations that were done on this collection in the Qajar period, especially by Naseruddin Shah Qajar.

The first constructions in Golestan Palace belong to the Safavid era, but it is not possible to say for sure which part of this palace dates back to the Safavid era, but it must be said that the first surviving works were built in this palace during the Karimkhan era, and Karimkhani’s solitude And the marble throne mansion is a relic of the architecture of the Zandiye period. But it should be said about Karimkhani desert that many parts of this part were destroyed and rebuilt during the Qajar era. Golestan Hall, from which the name of the palace was taken, dates back to the time of Agha Muhammad Khan Qajar, which was completed during the reign of Fath Ali Shah. But the most important parts of this palace belong to the time of Naseruddin Shah Qajar.

Shams-ul-Amara mansion is the grandest work left from that time, its architecture has a western style, because Shams-ul-Amara was built according to the model of western architecture. Hall of Mirrors, Hall of Salam and Shams al-Amara are among the prominent buildings of the era of Naser al-Din Shah, whose architectural style and decorations are based on traditional and western patterns. In this part, an effort was made to introduce the different parts of Golestan Palace to familiarize the reader with the type of architecture of this complex, so that if you visit Golestan Palace, you will be more familiar with this palace complex.

Shamsolemareh

Shams al-Amara is considered the most prominent building in Golestan Palace. Shams-ul-Amara is the most prominent building on the eastern side of Golestan Palace. The story of the building of Shams al-Amara is a fascinating story in its own right. During his trips to Farang, Naseruddin Shah liked the architecture of European buildings and tried to build western style buildings and streets in Tehran. Lalehzar street was a reminder of Naseruddin Shah’s trip to Europe and Shams al-Amara was another reminder of that time. Shams al-Amara was the first building in which metal was used in its construction and it is the first building in which the European architectural style is evident in its construction. In the construction of Shams al-Amara, Naser al-Din Shah also looked at the Aali Qapu Palace and was interested in having a multi-story building in Tehran so that he could see the view of Tehran from the top.

Naseruddin Shah in 1244 AH. He ordered the construction of Shams al-Amara. The construction of this building was supervised by Shamsul Amara Dost Ali Khan Nizam al-Dawlah. The design and map of Shams al-Amara belonged to Meir al-Mamalek. Muir al-Mamalek designed this building with a combination of traditional and European architecture. The architect of Shams al-Amara was Ali Mohammad Kashi, who completed the construction of this building within two years. Shams al-Amara was a building that had a view of Naser Khosrow street and was facing the Royal Citadel on the other side.

The exclusive palace of Golestan complex includes different parts, each of which has its own beauty. The different parts of the exclusive palace include Hall of Mirrors, Hall of Salam, Hall of Ivory, Hall of Dishes and Hall of Brilliants.

Hall of Mirrors

Aine Hall is one of the most famous halls of Golestan Palace. Aine Hall is located next to Salam Hall and it can be said that it is one of the most famous halls in the complex. One of the most important reasons for the fame of the Hall of Mirrors is the painting of Kamal al-Mulk in this hall, which is one of the most famous paintings of Kamal al-Mulk. Kamal al-Mulk painted this beautiful work in such a way that the size of the Hall of Mirrors seems much larger than what it actually is. The architect of the mirror hall is the famous Qajar era architect Sani al-Mulk, and it should be said that the construction of this hall was supervised by Yahya Khan Motamed al-Mulk and the best decorations and architecture were used inside this hall. The construction of the Hall of Mirrors began in 1253 and was completed in 1261. The decoration and architecture of this hall is one of the most beautiful architectural works of Tehran during the Qajar period.

hello hall

Salam Hall is also one of the most beautiful halls of Golestan Palace. The Hall of Salam has a much larger area than the Hall of Mirrors, and this has caused this hall to be the venue for many official meetings of the Qajar era and even the second Pahlavi era, and one of the most important reasons for naming the Hall of Salam with this name was the ceremonies that It was held in this hall. This hall has very unique decorations and mirror work, some of these decorations belong to the Qajar era and some of them belong to the Pahlavi era. The architecture of the Hall of Salam, like the Hall of Mirrors, belongs to Sani al-Mulk. During the Pahlavi period, this hall underwent changes in decorations and plastering and was used as a ceremonial hall. Hall of Salam should be considered one of the most important parts of Golestan Palace.

Marble bed porch

Ivan Takht Marmar is one of the oldest parts of Golestan Palace. The time of the construction of the marble throne porch is attributed to the Zendiyeh period. The old name of the Marble Throne Ivan was Daralamare and Diwankhaneh. The marble throne porch underwent major changes in two periods. In the first changes, Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, after the attack on Shiraz and the destruction of Vakil Dara Palace, brought doors, palace columns, tall mirrors and many decorations to Tehran, and by raising the ceiling of the marble throne porch, he installed them in this porch. For the second time, it was Naseruddin Shah who initiated the changes in this porch. During the time of Naser al-Din Shah, parts of the porch were destroyed, and Naser al-Din Shah re-created very beautiful decorations in the porch so that the marble throne porch is one of the most beautiful parts of Golestan Palace. The marble throne porch was the meeting place of the Qajar kings, who went to this porch during Nowruz and other holidays and congratulated the people.

marble bed

The marble throne was a royal throne that was built during the reign of Fath Ali Shah Qajar and was placed in the porch of the marble throne. Before the marble throne, it was the peacock throne that stood out in the court of Fath Ali Shah, but the peacock throne was too big to move and this made the use of this throne somewhat difficult. Fath Ali Shah ordered to make a marble throne for him. The marble bed was made with 63 puzzles and placed in the marble porch. This bed was built by Mirza Babai Shirazi Naqash and Mirza Ebrahim Esfahani Hajjar. This throne was known as Takht Suleiman. The marble throne is supported by three demon statues and six angel statues on 11 spiral columns.

 

The solitude of Karimkhani

Khlot Karimkhani is one of the works whose original building belongs to the time of Karimkhan Zand. There are two very important historical works in Karimkhani desert. The tombstone of Naseruddin Shah and the marble throne of Fath Ali Shah are in this part of Golestan Palace. Of course, the Karimkhani marble bed is simpler and smaller than the original marble bed. The Karimkhani hermitage was built in 1173, but it was during the time of Naseruddin Shah that the Karimkhani hermitage underwent many changes and only a small part of it remained. Karimkhani’s solitude is in the form of a triangular porch. In its initial construction, it was the entrance to Golestan Garden and Golestan Garden to Divankhane and Marble Throne Hall. But during the time of Naseruddin Shah, these entrances were blocked and the condition of the building changed.