Iran - Andrew Burke [77]
Fath Ali certainly had a taste for gems, but one of his predecessors, Nader Shah, liked the finer things too. So much, in fact, that he invaded India in order to recover the Kuh-e Nur diamond. During the expedition he also bagged the Moghuls’ famous Peacock Throne. But during the haul back to Persia, this piece of booty fell into the hands of rebellious soldiers, who hacked it up to spread the wealth among themselves. In the intervening years the stories of the Peacock Thrones have become muddled, so you might still hear people say (erroneously) that this Peacock Throne originally came from India.
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Not surprisingly, cameras and bags must be left at reception and, unless you can hide it under your manteau (overcoat), you’ll be forced to leave this book outside too. Be careful not to touch anything or you’ll set off ear-piercing alarms.
GLASS & CERAMICS MUSEUM
North of the National Museum of Iran is the impressive Glass & Ceramics Museum (Map; 6670 8153; Si Tir St; admission IR5000; 9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun, to 6pm summer), housed in a beautiful Qajar-era building. Built as a private residence for a prominent Persian family, it later housed the Egyptian embassy and was converted into a museum in 1976.
The building marks a move away from purely Persian traditions, successfully blending features of both Eastern and Western styles. The graceful wooden staircase and the classical stucco mouldings on the walls and ceilings are particularly delightful, and there are many delicate carvings and other decorations.
The museum itself is probably the best-designed in Iran. It has hundreds of exhibits, mainly from Neishabur, Kashan, Rey and Gorgan, dating from the 2nd millennium BC. They’re organised chronologically into galleries, with explanations of the periods in English, plus other relevant details such as the Persian glass-blowing tradition. The pieces are all lovingly displayed and it’s easy to spend an hour or more reading and looking your way through the museum. The ground floor shop sells an English guidebook to the museum.
MADRASEH VA MASJED-E SEPAHSALAR
The Madraseh va Masjed-e Sepahsalar (Masjed-e Motahari; Map; Mostafa Khomeini St, off Baharestan Sq; Fri only), at the eastern end of Jomhuri-ye Eslami Ave, is one of the most noteworthy examples of Persian architecture of its period, as well as one of the largest. Built between 1878 and 1890, it’s famous for its multiple minarets and poetry inscribed in several ancient scripts in the tiling. It still operates as an Islamic college and is usually open to male members of the public on Fridays only. Photography is not encouraged, especially outside where the Majlis building is just to the north.
IRANIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS’ CENTRE
The Iranian Photographers’ Centre (Map; 8889 5054; Somayyeh St; admission free; 9am-7pm Sat-Thu) has rolling exhibits of the work of local and, occasionally, international photographers. The adjoining shop sells and processes slide film and sells pro equipment. Not surprisingly, it’s a good place to meet Iranian photographers.
US DEN OF ESPIONAGE
More than any other single building in Iran, the former US embassy in Tehran (and the events emanating from it) have had a dramatic and profound influence on the recent history of this country and, indeed, the whole Middle East. From a bunker beneath the embassy building at the junction of Taleqani Ave and Mofatteh St, CIA operatives orchestrated a coup d’etat in 1953 that brought down the government of Mohammad Mossadegh (see the boxed text).
For the next 25 years, US support for and influence over Shah Mohammad Reza was implemented largely from this building. When the shah