Saadabad Palace Museum

Saadabad Palace Museum

Why we should visit Saadabad Palace Museum?

Saadabad historical and cultural complex is an excellent option in Tehran city for your leisure time. In this complex you can experiencing fascinating moments by walking through a garden with old trees, visiting historical sites of past times and learn part of the history of the Qajar and Pahlavi kings.

Combination of Iranian and European architecture will amaze you here. Saadabad can also be considered as a romantic place where you can create unforgettable seconds. Saadabad is a nice place for photographing and you will most likely see groups of photographers trying to portray all the beauties of this collection.

Most Important Palaces and Museums:

Green Palace (Shahvand Palace):

Green Palace is one of the most spectacular palaces in Iran, located in a higher ground in the north west of Saadabad palace. Building this palace took long seven years and after that it has been Reza Khan’s residence for years. Reza Shah used the ground floor as his living and office space and the basement as a warehouse.

This palace is also known as the marble palace due to the use of rare green stones of Khamseh mine of Zanjan and marbles of Khorasan in its exterior design. The architecture of this palace is a combination of Iranian and European motifs and art. One of the most beautiful parts of this palace is the Mirrors Hall that on all its mirrors decorated with plaster flowers. Also a carpet of seventy square meters, woven in Mashhad, adds to the glory of this palace.

White Palace (Mellat Palace):

The Mellat (nation) Palace is the largest palace in the complex of the Saadabad Palace, known as the White palace because of its white color. In addition to being dedicated to Pahlavi-era administrative and ceremonial affairs, it was considered the summer residence of the Mohammad Reza Shah and his wife Farah Pahlavi.

The exterior design was in Roman-Iranian style, simple but magnificent. The wonders you will find in this palace include: masterpiece of rock art, astonishing plaster working, ten large ceremonial salons, attractive collection of the largest carpets and chandeliers, collection of handmade carpets by artists of Kerman, Kashan, Yazd and Mashhad, walls covered with exquisite silk and satin fabrics, a pair of giant bronze boots that remains of a huge statue of Reza Shah, statue of Arash Kamangir who was an ancient and valuable Iranian myths.

Military Museum (Shahram Palace):

This building was built by the order of Reza Shah in 1939 and covers an area of 3000 square meters and is a two and half story building built for Tajolmolok, the second wife of Reza Shah and mother of the king Mohammad Reza Shah. The building was renovated in 1351 and donated to Shahram, Ashraf Pahlavi’s eldest son, and became known as Shahram Palace.

After the Islamic revolution, the building was turned into the Military museum of Saadabad Complex. Many different objects related to the army such as all sorts of weapons, uniforms, pictures and books are in display in this museum.

Water Museum:

This museum is located in the central part of the Saadabad complex. The water museum building was built on a 2670 meter area and used during the Second Pahlavi era. Formerly, it was the private office of Mohammad Reza Shah, to accommodate court official guests and patrons.

This museum is an exhibition of water and irrigation history, water related documentation, water engineering equipment, earthenware and enameled and metal containers related to water, replicas of old buildings that are water-related, water measuring devices and so on.

Master Behzad Museum (The Prince Palace):

The Hossein Behzad Miniature Museum is located in the central part of the Saadabad complex. The building dates back to the late Qajar and early Pahlavi periods, It was used as the summer residence of Reza Pahlavi from his childhood to his youth by the name of “The Prince Palace”.

In 1372, the museum was firstly planned to restore the great miniature works of a prominent Iranian artist called Behzad. There are five halls in the museum, each dedicated to a variety of master Behzad’s works: works painted in the style of Iranian painting schools, works inspired by Iranian poets, works inspired by folk culture and drawings of celebrities and geniuses.

Museum of Fine Arts:

One of the magnificent monuments of the Saadabad Collection is the Museum of Fine Arts. Due to the use of black marble in the facade of the building, it is often referred to as the Asvad (black) palace. This museum, which is located at the southernmost point of the Saadabad complex, was used as the royal court during 1968 – 1979. In 1983, it was inagurated as the Fine Arts Museum.

On the ground floor of the Tehran Museum of Fine Arts, valuable works by contemporary artists Such as Sohrab Sepehri, Hossein Kazemi, Nasser Oweisi, Hossein Zendeh Rudi and Abolghasem Saeedi are displayed. These works show the elegance and the beauty of Iranian painting. On the first floor, the European works of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries are on display. Most of these works are in the styles of realism and naturalism. Some of these paintings are masterpieces by Salvador Dali, Peter Graham, Ivanovic Shishkin and Joule Berton. The third floor is dedicated to displaying Persian works from the Safavid era, Afshar, Zand and Qajar, showing the magnificence of the art of that era.

Master Farshchian Museum:

Master Mahmoud Farshchian Museum building in Saadabad complex is a Qajar monument, with an area of about 600 square meters that was once the residence of Reza Shah with his fourth wife, Queen Ismat. The building was inaugurated after renovating in 1380 as the museum of master Farshchian’s miniature. This museum contains 5 halls, and more than 70 works by the master Farshchian, a myth with a face full of kindness that with his powerful hands created such gentle paintings.

Omidvar Brothers Museum (Qajari Carriage House)

This museum is located in the northwestern part of Saadabad complex and its building belongs to the Qajar era. It consists of four rooms, which are decorated with beautiful plaster works. This place was used as the residence of the king’s carriages drivers.

In 2003, on International Tourism Day, the museum was opened in honor of Omidvar brothers who traveled around the world for ten years and became acquainted with the customs and traditions of various people around the world. This Museum contains items that Omidvar Brothers collected from around the world and brought with them to Iran.

Address: Cultural Historical Complex of Saadabad, Shahid Kamal Taheri Street, Shahid Fallahi Street (Zaferanieh), Valiasr Street, Tehran, Iran

Phone: +98(0)21 22752031-9

Opening hours: every day 9:00 to 17:00

Suggested time for visiting: 2_8 hours