Mohtasham House

🕰️When was it built?

The western part is older and dates from the Zand era. The eastern part was built in the Qajar era, so the house as a whole is counted as belonging to both periods. It was added to the National Heritage List on 24 October 1977 as number 1557.

🏛️What was it built for?

The building was a family home, with a shahneshin, three-door rooms (sedari), a pastu or small back room, and rooms known as prayer rooms. Six interconnecting rooms in the northern part hold the entrance corridor between them, and the basement of this part was used for storage.

👀What you will see

• The iwan of the western part has two stone columns and a painted wooden ceiling, and orosi windows open onto it.
• The stones at the foot of the walls are carved in relief with flowers, plants and animals, in Gandomak stone.
• Two stone pools sit in the middle of the courtyard, with several stone fountains in an east–west line with them.
• Corridors on both sides of the shahneshin lead to the stairs; the upstairs rooms also have painted wooden ceilings and stucco.
• Beside the entrance corridor there is haft-rang (seven-colour) tilework, and the orosi and wooden windows have girih lattice and mirror work.

🎒Good to know before you go

• Compare the two sides of the courtyard; unlike the western part, the Qajar eastern part has little elaborate decoration inside.