Tehran hosts must-see royal palaces

Tehran, enjoying a cool climate, has been home to some of the most splendid royal palaces in the world.

The favorite city of the Persian kings before the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Tehran is hosting a number of marvelous historical palaces.

Some of the palaces date back to the Qajar era were restored and renovated; however some others were destroyed and rebuilt during the Pahlavi reign.

The Pahlavi palaces are more luxurious and modern than the palaces built during the Qajar era.

Here are the must-see palaces of Tehran.

Saadabad Palace

Located in about 110 hectares of the mountainside parklands in north of the Iranian capital city, the Saadabad Cultural-Historical Complex was a royal summer residence for the Qajar and Pahlavi kings.

Initially established and inhabited by Qajar kings in the 19th century, the palace has undergone further expansions from the 1920s until the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Embracing a variety of buildings such as museums, the palace is now used for showcasing a wide range of royal families’ memorabilia, including lavish furniture, dishware, automobiles, carpets, and miniature paintings.

Green Palace and Ahmad Shah Palace are the most famous and beautiful palaces in the complex. The oldest palace in the Saadabad complex is Ahmad Shah Palace.

Reza Shah ordered the building of the Green Palace in 1922. Built of marble and decorated with stucco, the palace is decorated with oil paintings depicting stories from Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh.

Niavaran Palace

Covering an area of about eleven hectares, Niavaran Cultural-Historical Complex is composed of several landmark buildings, museums, and monuments.

Constructed in the 19th and 20th centuries during the Pahlavi and late Qajar eras, the history of the palace dates back to some 280 years ago when Fath-Ali Shah Qajar ordered the building of a summer residence.

The main palace of the complex, entirely adorned with magnificent plasterwork, mirrorwork, and tilework, was originally built to serve the royal ceremonies and gatherings. However, the blend of pre- and post-Islamic art later turned into the resident of the second Pahlavi king and his family.

Beautifully decorated and fully furnished, its interior features a large number of artworks, including precious paintings and sculptures by Iranian and foreign artists.

Golestan Palace

Located in the heart and historic core of Tehran, Golestan Palace is a destination for domestic and international travelers. It is one of the oldest palaces in the Iranian capital, originally built during the Safavid era.

With the beautiful fountains and lush greenery surrounding it, the palace which has been registered on the UNESCO list, is like a beautiful pearl that evokes an innate sense of the luxury of Persian kings.

In the 19th century, the palace was selected as the royal residence and seat of the Qajar ruling family. At the present time, the Golestan Palace consists of eight key palace structures mostly used as museums and the eponymous gardens, and a green center.

One of its distinguishing features is being home to many ornaments dating from the 19th century; lavish decorations such as painting, mural, fresco, marble carvings, mirror mosaic, and stained glass.

The most famous hall in the palace is Talar-e Salam, or the reception room, where the kings welcomed foreign guests arriving in Iran.

MG/MG