Int’l Museum Day with top 10 museums you can’t miss in Iran

The International Museum Day has annually been celebrated worldwide since 1977 on or around May 18 to highlight the importance of museums and the challenges they face.

With a rich culture and history, and cities like Shiraz and Esfahan, Iran gives visitors first-hand accounts. Museums can also enrich these experiences, and although some of the best are located in Tehran, known as the City of Museums, various museums in other cities offer a wealth of information as well. Here we list some of the Iran’s best.

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National Jewelry Treasury in Tehran

The world's most precious jewelry collection are kept here, such as the pink colored diamond of Darya-ye-Noor and the Peacock Throne or Takht E Tavous, with 26,733 pieces of jewels on it. The museum is located in the basement of Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran; and therefore, the working hours are very limited.

Glassware & Ceramic Museum of Iran (Abgineh) in Tehran

The collection of glass and clay works that are on display at the museum is among the rare collections in Iran. It takes visitors through a chronological history of glass and ceramics dating back to the 4th millennium BCE, and each piece will cause you to linger over its beauty.

Sa’ad Abad Museum Complex in Tehran

Encompassing a lush area of 100-hectare green space in northern Tehran, the Sa’ad Abad Museum Complex’s highlights are the White Palace, the largest of the buildings constructed in the 1930s, and the Green Palace, which is covered in rare green stones from Zanjan Province and houses a 70-square meter rug.  

Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art

The history of Iran in art is not limited to ancient times, but many great modern artworks can also be found. The museum showcases some of the best works of Iranian and western artists including paintings, prints, sculptures, and drawings. The museum also exhibits different collections of different contemporary artists during each season.

Golestan Palace in Tehran

Being registered a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, the lavish Golestan Palace once served as the Qajar Dynasty’s seat of government. Mirrored walls and ceilings, grand halls, and towering wind-catchers are fine examples of the fusion of Persian design and western influences.

Pars Museum in Shiraz

Pars Museum dates back to the Zand Dynasty, and is now the burial site of the dynasty’s founder, Karim Khan Zand. Zand-era weaponry, paintings by Iranian artists, and several hand-written Qurans are some of the main features of this compact museum.

Isfahan Music Museum

Isfahan Music Museum is a door to Iran’s rich musical history. This private museum was founded on the passion of two local musicians, and showcases around 300 instruments from around the country, including string, wind, and percussion. Visitors can try their hand at the less precious ones, and perhaps uncover a hidden talent or pick up a new hobby.

Holy Defense Museum

The Holy Defense Museum provides a compelling account of the eight-year war with Iraq, known in Persian as the ‘Holy Defense’, which claimed an estimated one million lives. The museum includes plenty of tanks, rockets, and artillery. This museum provides insight into the history of modern Iran and an understanding its people.

Reza Abbasi Museum

Named after the great Iranian artist of the Safavid era, the museum is comprised of three galleries that showcase pre-Islamic and Islamic art and calligraphy and painting. Pottery, vessels, and especially metal objects and jewelry from ancient times are some of the items in this well-kept museum.

Yazd Water Museum

Yazd is a city that blossomed in the desert, and obtaining water was a major issue. This museum is dedicated to explaining tunnel systems used to extract groundwater and how water was extracted through hand-dug qanât. The collection of photos, tools, and equipment will uncover the mysteries of the underground world of water.

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