TOP 10 Historical Sites & Landmarks in Tehran, Iran | Apochi.com (2023)

Landmarks in Tehran can be considered the subjects of a long and exciting journey through time for history buffs who hope to discover the unknown at every stop.

Tehran, the capital of Iran, a huge and seemingly modern city with tall skyscrapers and new buildings, is actually very old and has a book of historical secrets at its heart.

Tehran is a piece of history, a piece that, like a ship at sea, has gone through many events, sometimes with violent waves, sometimes with calm movements. The sign of this long history, in addition to the people, are some buildings and streets, still standing and that keep us in touch with the past.

Tehran's historical sites have a lot to say and are unique attractions for history buffs.

Here we present 10 prominent historical sites and landmarks in Tehran.

Museum of Glassware and Ceramics of Iran

One of the most popular museums in Tehran is “the glass and ceramics museum, which is known to many by its abbreviated name, called the “Abgineh” museum; a place to display valuable glassware and ceramics that have been discovered since ancient times.

This museum is housed in an impressive and historic building belonging to the beginning of the Pahlavi dynasty with a garden with an area of ​​7,000 square meters on theSi-e Tir Streetin Tehran.

A superb octagonal house built by order of Ahmad Ghavam, a politician and prime minister of late Qajar and Pahlavi eras, and he took many important decisions in this house.

Today, the Iran Glass and Ceramics Museum operates under the auspices of the Cultural Heritage, Crafts and Tourism Organization.

In this museum, you will see valuable artifacts that were discovered in “Chogha Zanbil” temple and its history dates back to two thousand years BC.

“Abgineh” museum is one of the prominent landmarks in Tehran and is among the top ten museums in Iran and is visited by around 2 million tourists every year.

See more information:Things to do in Isfahan for history buffs

Bagh Portal and Ship

At the end of Si-e Tir Street, we arrive at the Bagh-e Meli (which means national garden) gateway, built between 1301 and 1304 AH by order of Reza Shah, it is located on the north side of Imam Khomeini Street (formerly Sepah), on the east side of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and on the west side of the Museum of Posts and Communications. Bagh-e Meli Gate is one of the most significant historical monuments and important landmarks in Tehran.

Before the construction ofAzadi Tower, this landmark in Tehran was known as a symbol of the city. But when Azadi (freedom) Square was built, the gateway of Bagh-e Meli gradually attracted less attention.

This portal was the gateway to Mashkh Square, formally called Parade Square, which was one of the military areas of Tehran. After the conversion of the Praça do Parade into a public garden or city park, the name of the square was changed from Parade to National Garden, and buildings such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and important museums were built inside. .

Golestan Palace

In the vicinity of the Tehran bazaar, there are several historical buildings, but a little further you come to the Golestan palace, which is one of the most amazing historical landmarks in Tehran and was awarded the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.

Many kings of Iran, including Ahmad Shah, Mozaffaruddin Shah, both from the Qajar dynasty, as well as Reza Shah and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, were crowned in this palace, and the opening of the Constituent Assembly also took place here.

The main building of Golestan was indeed built during the reign of Shah Tahmasb Safavid (dynasty era), but most of the palaces and mansions inside it belong to the Qajar period.

A fine example of these palaces is theShams Ol-Emarehmansion, which has a clock presented to Nasser al-Din Shah by Queen Victoria.

Every year, in the first three days of Nowruz, more than 12,000 people visit Golestan's palace.

Hasan Abad Square

Hasan Abad Square (Hassanabad area) is best known for its dome shaped and symmetrical buildings which gives a different character to this area.

The yarn shops in this square are busier than ever in autumn and winter, and many of Tehran's main streets lead to this square.

Hassan Abad Square was built during the Qajar period and in 1309 AH. Before the construction of this Square, there was a large garden in this area, which was owned by Mirza Yousef Ashtiani and he named the Square after his son Hassan.

After Tehran's expansion, eight-domed buildings replaced the large garden. Over several years, the vaulted buildings were rebuilt, the surrounding streets were paved, and life was restored to Hassanabad.

ferdows garden

Ferdows Garden, one of the nationally registered establishments in Tehran, is a glorious historic house located in the Shemirān (also known as Shemiranat) section of Tehran, in an old neighborhood of the area of ​​the same name.

This landmark in Tehran has survived from the Qajar dynasty until today and has been used as a film museum since 2002. The garden area is 20,000 square meters and its mansion is built on three floors and a basement with a base of 1,000 square meters. The slope of the land is from northwest to southeast and the slope is so steep that the first floor of the building is at the level of the southern part of the garden and the roof is at the level of the northern part of the garden. Ferdows' garden mansion is filled with impressive plaster works, specially designed to cover thick, round columns.

Ferdows garden, which is now best known for its cafes and film museum, was built by order of Mohammad Shah Qajar in 1264 AH as a palace near Tajrish; But with his illness and death, the palace remained undone and he died in the same unfinished palace called Mohammadieh.

Simultaneously with the construction of the Muhammadiyah palace, the courtiers close to it also built a garden and mansion nearby, which later became known as the garden of Ferdows. The Ferdows garden is one of the most suitable places to stroll in Tehran and can be visited at any time of the day or night.

See more information:Kashan: A Gem of Traditional Persian Architecture

Niavaran Palace Complex

The Niavaran palace complex, where live music is currently played in its lush garden area and a crowded and popular cafe is built there, is a relic of the Pahlavi dynasty.

Construction of this palace started by order of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in ​​1337 AH and was completed in 1346 with an interruption in its construction process.

During the reign of Fath Ali Shah Qajar, there was a smaller palace on the current site of the Niavaran palace, which was destroyed during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and replaced by the Niavaran palace.

Ahmad Shahi Pavilion, Sahebqaraniyeh palace and Jahan Nama museum are well known parts of Niavaran Palace.

See more information:3 Caravanserai located in Kermanshah province

Saadabad Historical Complex

The historical complex of Saadabad is one of the most fascinating landmarks in Tehran, with historical attractions and natural beauty.

The Saadabad palace located in the Zafaraniyeh district, an area full of tall trees and pleasant climate, has seen up close at least four historical periods of Persian history, such as the Qajar dynasty, the first and second Pahlavi era and contemporary times.

The historic complex of Saadabad was built during the Qajar dynasty and was the summer residence of the kings at that time, whereas the neighborhood is extremely fragrant and lush with pleasant ambience.

After the 1953 coup d'état, several buildings and mansions were built in this complex, which was more than 18 palaces, and each of these buildings was the residence of a Pahlavi family, which are now used for official government meetings.

The Green Palace in the historical complex of Saadabad, which belonged to Reza Shah himself, is the most magnificent of the complex.

Treasury of National Jewels

The Treasury of National Jewels (museum) is located in the treasury of the central bank of Iran and is also a museum. This treasure museum is in the central bank of Iran building on Ferdowsi street in Tehran and many royal jewels from different eras, Safavid, Afshar, Qajar and Pahlavi periods are exhibited in this museum. Among them, we can mention the “Daria-i-Noor” diamond, the Empress crown, the Kiani crown, the Sun throne and the Naderi throne.

Iran's national jewelry collection, a highly regarded landmark in Tehran in terms of artistic value, history and uniqueness, is in a situation where even the best experts and appraisers in the world have not been able to calculate its true or approximate value and these Treasuries make up 75% of the country's banknote support.

Moghadam Museum

The Moghaddam museum is one of the remaining historic houses from the Qajar period, of great value in terms of history, architecture and antiquities that are kept there.

This old mansion is actually a luxurious house from the Qajar period belonging to one of the courtiers of the time named Mohammad Taghi Khan Ehtesab-ol-Molk.

One of his sons, a university professor, fascinated by art and history and inspired by historical-traditional spaces, installed in this old mansion many valuable works of art such as tiles, pieces of carved stone, etc. Collections of textiles, Chibouk and hookah, ceramics, glass, paintings, coins, stamps and historical documents, etc. are other valuable objects that he kept in his father's house.

Museum of Time

The Time Museum is in fact one of the historic houses with the most amazing plaster decorations, which has become a valuable treasure trove of historical antiquities.

The Time Museum (Hossein Khodadad house) is a Pahlavi building with Qajar foundation and according to available documents, the current museum garden was acquired by Khodadad in 1346 HA, and as this person was interested in art, he decided to transform the mansion into a complete work of art.

He built a landmark made of clay and mud in Tehran, which was altered 10 years later, and its wooden structure was turned into iron, and changes were made to its interior. This incredible house and museum was nationally registered in 2003. In this museum, precious time and clock themed items are housed, including Iranian celebrity watches like “Professor Mahmoud Hesabi”, or historical and antique clocks like “Nasser al-Din Shah”, sundials, luxury and decorative watches, as well as documents related to the theme of time.

In addition to the museum's precious treasures, the architecture and distinctive plasters of this museum also attract the attention of all tourists.

In the courtyard of the museum, sundials, hourglasses, water clocks and fuel clocks related to different historical periods are on display, and inside the museum other different types of clocks and clocks are on display.