Reza Abbasi Museum

🕰️When was it built?

The museum opened in 1977. The building had been a furniture and interior design showroom and was then bought for the museum. In the following years it closed and reopened several times, and after renovation it reopened in early 2001.

🏛️What was it built for?

The museum exists to keep and show historic and artistic works. The collection is arranged by period, so you can follow the development of Iranian art from ancient times to the end of the Qajar era. Its main themes are pre-Islamic art, Islamic art, painting and calligraphy.

👀What you will see

• The pre-Islamic hall has gold Achaemenid rhytons and Sasanian silver vessels alongside other ancient pieces.
• Two halls on the second floor are given to Islamic-era works and carry the story on through the later periods.
• The painting and calligraphy section holds a page of the Demotte Shahnameh from the mid-8th century AH (14th century CE).
• The museum's logo combines calligraphy with an arabesque motif and was designed by Morteza Momayez with other artists.

💡Something interesting

When Morteza Momayez designed the museum's logo, he asked Mohammad Ehsaei for help with the letter forms, and Aydin Aghdashloo made changes to the arabesque flower. So the emblem bearing the museum's name is the work of several artists.

🎒Good to know before you go

• To follow the works in historical order, start with the pre-Islamic section and then move on to Islamic art and painting.