Ferdows Garden (Cinema Museum of Iran)

🕰️When was it built?

Under Mohammad Shah Qajar, when the Mohammadiyeh palace was built near Tajrish, courtiers also built summer gardens there. Hossein Ali Khan Mo'ayyer al-Mamalek created Ferdows Garden in that period. The garden later changed hands several times, and the building had various uses.

🏛️What was it built for?

The garden and mansion were built as a summer retreat. In 1937 the Ministry of Education restored the building and the Shapur high school of Tajrish opened in it. From 1971 it became a cultural and arts space, and today it houses the Cinema Museum of Iran.

👀What you will see

• The main mansion has two storeys in the Qajar style, and its form was known as gush-e fil, or elephant's ear.
• The garden slopes from north-west to south-east, so its layout differs from a completely flat garden.
• The garden is about 280 metres long and stretches out in line with the historic building.
• The old building, once a school and then a cultural centre, now houses the Cinema Museum of Iran.

💡Something interesting

In the old layout, the sloping ground to the south was built up with stone into seven terraces, each with a pool and fountain. The pools were designed to look larger when seen from further away.

🎒Good to know before you go

• If you want the garden itself, don't confuse it with the wider Bagh-e Ferdows neighbourhood; head for the mansion beside Valiasr Street.