Iran - Andrew Burke [74]
A narrow corridor leads off to a side room covered with murals of the fictional kings described in Ferdosi’s Shahnamah – look for Zahhak, the king with a snake on his shoulder that had to be fed with human brains. Don’t miss the painting of Fath Ali Shah above the fireplace – he’s the one with the beard so thick you’d swear it was a falsie!
Leaving the Ivan-e Takht-e Marmar, turn left and you’ll come to the Negar Khane (Art Gallery; admission IR4000), which displays a fine collection of Qajar-era art. It was the brainchild of Nasser al-Din Shah, who’d been particularly captivated by European museums. Especially interesting are the portraits of the shahs wearing the jewels and crowns you can see in the National Jewels Museum, and pictures of everyday life in 19th-century Iran by Kamal ol-Molk and Mehdi. Women were certainly wearing chadors back then, too. The difference is that the men were also swaddled in three layers of clothing. Well worth a look.
Continue in a clockwise direction around the courtyard and you’ll come to the Howze Khaneh (Pool Room; admission IR3000), named for the small pool and fountain in the centre of the room. It houses a collection of paintings and sculptures of 19th-century European royalty – generously given to their Qajar counterparts by the same European monarchs.
At the end of the garden is the imposing Shams-Al Emarat (Edifice of the Sun; admission IR4000), the tallest palace of its day and designed to blend European and Persian architectural traditions. Born of Nasser al-Din Shah’s desire to have a palace that afforded him a panoramic view of the city, it was designed by master architect Moayer al-Mamalek and built between 1865 and 1867. A sequence of mirrored and tiled rooms display a collection of photographs, together with furniture and vases given to the shahs by European monarchs, especially the French.
Next door you’ll see four soaring badgirs (traditional air-conditioning units; see the boxed text), rising above the recently restored Emarat-e Badgir, first erected in the reign of Fath Ali Shah. The interior has typically ostentatious mirror work and is worth a quick look, though upstairs no longer seems to be open. In the basement the Aks Khaneh (Historic Photograph Gallery; admission IR3000) is one of the highlights of the Golestan complex. The photographs depicting Qajar court life are fascinating; look particularly for the picture showing the inside of a Zoroastrian tower of silence, with bodies in varying states of decay, and the shot of ‘freaks and dwarfs’.
Next up, the tiny Talar-e Almas (Diamond Hall; admission IR3000) displays a range of decorative arts – especially 18th- and 19th-century French ceramics – in a room with red walls and a tiled floor. It’s not the most riveting room in the palace. The teahouse underneath was closed when we visited.
After wandering back through the gardens, avoiding the sometimes fractious swans, you’ll come to the Ethnographical Museum near the main entrance. The world’s slowest renovation has lasted more than three years so far, but staff told us it should be open in 2009, insh’Allah (if God wills it).
PARK-E SHAHR
If you’re staying in southern Tehran and need a break from the traffic, head straight for Park-e Shahr (Map–3) where you can go ice skating (when it’s cold enough), take a boat trip on the tiny lake (in summer) and enjoy tea or qalyan (water pipe) year-round at the laid-back Sofre Khane Sonnati Sangalag. It’s also a great place to just sit and watch Tehranis relaxing.
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF IRAN
The modest National Museum of Iran (Iran Bastan Museum; Map; 6670 2061-6; www.nationalmuseumofiran.ir; Si Tir St; admission IR5000; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun, to 5.45pm summer) is no Louvre, but it is chock-full of Iran’s rich history