Marble Palace (Museum of Iranian Art)

🕰️When was it built?

Construction began in 1933 and was finished in 1937. Masters of the decorative arts, among them Hossein Taherzadeh Behzad and Mohammad Hossein Sani' Khatam, worked on it. After several changes of use, it was restored in 2019 and opened again as a museum.

🏛️What was it built for?

The palace was used as a royal residence and workplace, and official meetings were held here. It became a museum in 1976, but after the revolution it housed various government offices for several decades. Its present museum is presented under the name Iranian Art.

👀What you will see

• The palace dome is modelled on the dome of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan, and its tilework is by Hossein Lorzadeh.
• The illumination on the walls is by Hossein Taherzadeh Behzad, the work of traditional artists in a modern palace.
• The main building covers about 2,870 square metres and stands in grounds much larger than the palace itself.
• The grounds cover more than 35,000 square metres, and the main building takes up only part of them.

💡Something interesting

Before the national treasury was set up, the crown jewels were brought here from Golestan Palace and kept in the basement. This belongs to the palace's old use and does not mean the jewels are shown in today's museum.

🎒Good to know before you go

• Look at the dome and the decoration of the building itself as well; the visit is not only about the objects on show.