Getting Acquainted with the Best Museums in Iran

A Tour Through Iran's Most Renowned Museums

Iran is rich in culture and history, with cities such as Shiraz and Isfahan as major tourist destinations. Iran boasts numerous museums that can enrich your travel experiences. While some of the best museums are located in Tehran, famously known as the city of museums, various museums can be found in other cities across Iran. Here, we've listed some of the most important and best museums in Iran:

Golestan Palace Museum in Tehran

At the top of the list of best museums is the Golestan Palace! A UNESCO-registered site, this palace was once the seat of the Qajar dynasty’s government. Its royal buildings require separate entrance fees, though the entire grand palace is worth seeing. The Marble Throne in an open hall adorned with mirrors, the Karim Khani Nook, and the Shams-ol-Emaneh are mesmerizing. Not to be missed is the clock gifted by Queen Victoria to Naser al-Din Shah. The tiled walls enclosing the palace also make for great photography.

Sacred Defense Museum, Tehran

A war museum might not sound very appealing, but rest assured, the Sacred Defense Museum is a visually captivating experience you wouldn’t want to miss. One of Iran’s best museums, it spans a 21-hectare green space, providing a heart-wrenching narrative of Iran’s eight-year war with Iraq. Inside, the museum recreates air raids, sounds, horrors of war, and the besieged city of Khorramshahr. The surrounding grounds showcase tanks and other artillery. It offers valuable insight into modern Iranian history and people’s perceptions.

Sa'adabad Museum Complex

This luxurious summer residence of Iran’s former monarchs is situated in a tranquil 100-hectare area at the foothills of Darband in northern Tehran. The 18 buildings in this complex require separate entrance tickets. The 54-room White Palace, from Mohammad Reza Shah’s era, is a must-visit. The spiral staircase leading to the National Art Museum is a collection curated by Farah Diba and worth stopping. The Green Palace, named for its exterior marble facade, is notable, as is the Royal Costume Museum, showcasing a mix of traditional tribal wear and European fashion. The Sa’adabad Palace Museum is among the best museums in Iran for visitors, so don’t miss it.

Niavaran Cultural-Historical Complex

Located within a five-hectare garden, this cultural-historical complex consists of six museums. The Niavaran Palace served as the main residence for the Shah and his family during their last decade in power. The grand carpets, chic clothing, and uniforms of past monarchs are particularly noteworthy. Elsewhere, it seems the childhood of the former crown prince is frozen in time at the Ahmad Shahi pavilion, his residence during colder periods, while the Sahebqaraniyeh Palace from the Qajar era boasts spacious halls and cozy, colorful nooks.

National Museum of Iran

If you wish to have an overview of Iran’s rich heritage, the National Museum of Iran is the best choice. Comprising two sections, this museum showcases ancient Iran and the Islamic era, offering an excellent perspective on various aspects of the country’s history. Conveniently located near the Golestan Palace and Tehran’s grand bazaar, you can visit it while exploring these famous city attractions.

Carpet Museum

The Carpet Museum in Tehran is another of Iran’s top museums. Since carpets represent a magnificent manifestation of Iranian art and culture, visiting this museum can evoke an appreciation for thousands of years of delicate works by Iranian artists. The variety in color, pattern, and shape of carpets collected from the country’s farthest reaches is astounding. It promises to be a delightful experience if you’re an art enthusiast.

Cinema Museum

Situated within the beautiful Ferdows Garden and housed in a historic building dating back to the Qajar era, showcases various facets of Iranian cinema. If you’re curious to explore this lesser-known aspect of Iranian culture, it can easily entertain you for a few hours. The complex also includes a cafe and a cinema, ensuring you can further enjoy your day after touring the museum.

Glassware and Ceramic Museum

Recognized as one of Iran’s best museums, the Glassware and Ceramic Museum boasts an astounding collection of glass and ceramic artifacts from various historical periods in Iran. The group is worth visiting, and the museum’s building and its surroundings on 30 Tir Street, one of Tehran’s oldest streets, offer a unique tourist attraction.

Time Museum

Apart from the vast collection of different clocks and other time-measuring tools, the Time Museum’s building and grounds, equipped with a charming cafe, make for an excellent setting to wander for a few hours.

Music Museum, Tehran

For those keen on learning more about traditional Iranian instruments and the broader culture of Iranian music, this place in northern Tehran near Tajrish Square is a must-visit. Beyond the exhibits, you can also listen to samples of Iranian music at the museum, giving you a deeper understanding of the spirit of Iranian melodies.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Tehran

Art in Iran isn’t confined to its ancient history. In various corners of the country, one can find numerous modern artworks. Housed in a beautifully designed building by Kamran Diba, the Museum of Contemporary Art showcases some of the best works of Iranian and Western artists, including paintings, prints, sculptures, and designs. You can also admire astonishing sculptures in its sculpture garden by renowned artists like René Magritte. The museum rotates its exhibits, showcasing various contemporary artists throughout the seasons.

Yazd Water Museum

Yazd Water Museum is a historical desert city with astonishing architecture designed based on the region’s climate and natural conditions. The Yazd Water Museum, one of Iran’s most renowned and finest museums, displays the tools, techniques, and ingenious methods of transferring and storing water in Yazd’s arid climate, devised by the local inhabitants. Visitors to the museum can see two qanats (underground water channels), earthenware pots, well wheels, and other water-related apparatus. The building housing the museum is an attractive residence formerly owned by a merchant, which was converted into the Yazd Water Museum in 1999.

Azerbaijan Archaeological Museum

The Azerbaijan Museum in Tabriz, designed by the French architect André Godard and influenced by the indigenous architecture of the Azerbaijan region of Iran, is the second most important archaeological and ethnological museum in Iran after the National Museum in Tehran. It houses a priceless collection of masterpieces from Iran’s pre-Islamic period and Islamic era. Recognized as one of the best museums in Iran, it hosts thousands of ancient artifacts such as coins, carpets, pottery, and metal vessels from antiquity in the Azerbaijan region up to the 19th century, as well as sculptures created by contemporary Iranian artists. The museum’s library contains more than 2,500 handwritten and printed books.

Isfahan Music Museum

The Isfahan Music Museum is one of the most astonishing museums in Iran, located in the Jolfa district of New Isfahan. This private museum was established in 2015 by a team of Iranian music enthusiasts and houses more than 300 traditional Iranian instruments, local Iranian instruments, and many international instruments. Visiting the museum includes a tour of a hall where Iranian tools from around the world are stored, a workshop where visitors become familiar with the production of Iranian agents, and live performances of Iranian music played by young musicians.

Gilan Rural Heritage Museum

The Gilan Rural Heritage Museum is another of Iran’s best museums. Supported by UNESCO, it is located in the Saravan Forest Park in the Gilan province (18 kilometers from Rasht) and showcases a rich and diverse rural culture. This eco-museum, covering 2,600 square kilometers, consists of 9 sections, each representing a unique village from Gilan with its distinctive architecture and culture. Moreover, in this unparalleled museum, visitors get acquainted with various handicrafts, local foods, and the micro-cultures of the villages of Gilan.

Ethnography Museum (Ganjali Khan Bathhouse)

The Ganjali Khan Bathhouse is located in Kerman, in the southern part of the Ganjali Khan complex. This structure was built in 1620 AD (1020 AH lunar) by the order of Ganjali Khan, the ruler of Kerman at the time. After the necessary renovations, the bathhouse was converted into an ethnography museum in 1971 AD (1350 SH). Here, sculptures depict various ceremonies related to the bathhouse, including bloodletting, head shaving, and other items associated with the ancient and traditional bathhouse.

Chehel Sotoun Museum, Isfahan

The Chehel Sotoun Palace is among the best museums in Iran. The palace was built during the time of Shah Abbas Safavi I and II in the 17th century AD (11th century AH lunar) within a vast courtyard and garden. This famous building comprises a mirror hall with gilded ceilings and rooms to the north and south adorned with mirror work, plastering, and valuable paintings. Its elevated porch, with 20 wooden columns, lends a magnificent aura to the scene. The reflection of these columns in the large pool in front of the mansion gives it its unique beauty, hence its name, “Chehel Sotoun,” meaning “Forty Columns.”

Ethnography Museum, Bandar Abbas

The Ethnography Museum of Bandar Abbas is located in the historical precinct of Barkeh Baran in the city. Here, remnants of ancient civilizations of the coastal islands and surrounding areas are displayed. In addition to old tools, local attire, and equipment previously used for handicrafts, the museum also showcases coins and ancient artifacts in the historic district of “Soroo.”

Falak-ol-Aflak Castle Museum

The historic Falak-ol-Aflak Castle dates back to the Sassanian era. This castle sits atop a hill in the middle of Khorramabad city. Part of this castle was transformed into a museum in 1996-1997 AD. The museum comprises two sections: archaeology and ethnography. Displayed items include various metals, antiques, tombstones from the 8th to the 13th century AD (2nd to 7th century AH lunar), inscriptions of Kashgan Bridge and the city’s grand mosque, traditional costumes and jewelry, pottery, pictures, and paintings of the province’s celebrities, and more.

Four Seasons Museum, related to Arak County

This museum displays the ethnographic artifacts of the province. The museum’s structure is quite intriguing and relic from the Qajar era. The decorations of the building are incredibly captivating.

Ardabil China House Museum

This museum, one of the best in Iran, is located within the mausoleum complex of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili, in a hall named China House. Porcelains are displayed in the China House. The room, originally designed to house porcelain vessels, was endowed by one of the Chinese emperors to Shah Abbas in appreciation of his efforts to make the Silk Road safer. The historic building itself is worth a visit. This museum was opened in 1990.

Urmia Museum, related to Urmia County

The mentioned museum was built in 1967. The museum consists of two large and small halls; one displays ancient and historical artifacts, and the other is dedicated to ethnography. There’s also a library in another section of it.

Qajar Hat Palace Museum, related to Qazvin City

The site dates back to the Safavid era. However, during the Qajar period, Sa’ad al-Saltaneh, the Qajar ruler at the time, took charge of its repairs and named it “Chehel Sotoun.” This two-story building is made of bricks and has stone cornices. The mentioned structure currently hosts the city museum. It, being one of the best museums in Iran, houses various sections, including archeology, ethnography, and history.

Salar Mohtasham Mansion, Ethnographic Museum of Khomein

This mansion is located in Khomein. Architecturally, besides being a valuable historical monument, it’s significant. Its construction’s architectural style and materials make it a unique architectural phenomenon. Its elevated entrances are magnificent and worth seeing. The design, decorations, layout, and orientation in the vicinity indicate that this relic belongs to the late Qajar period. The main building consists of several intertwined rooms. In front of these rooms, there’s a large balcony connected to the courtyard via stairs. The main building’s facade has several columns adorned with plasterwork. This historical monument was registered as a national historical artifact in 2002.

Pars Museum (Foreign Hat), Shiraz

The Pars Museum of Shiraz is another one of the best museums in Iran. Pars Mansion, located in the middle of Nazar Garden in Shiraz, was converted into a museum in 1852 and was renovated in 1901. Eleven paintings by Agha Sadeq, a renowned artist of that time, are displayed in this museum. The building consists of a central hall with a dome and four niches. Initially, on the eastern side, Karim Khan Zand was buried. Valuable artifacts can also be seen in this museum. Influenced by European arts in Iran, this building was named “Foreign Hat” (Foreign Helmet), a name that was also used for similar structures. The octagonal shape of the building, adorned with lovely decorations, adds to its beauty. This attraction, especially its tiles with floral and bird designs on their surfaces, plays a significant role.

Gonbad Kavus Carpet Museum, related to Gonbad Kavus County

The Gonbad Kavus Carpet Museum, also known as the Turkmen Specialized Museum, is another of the best museums in Iran. This museum is the third carpet museum in Iran, following the Tehran Carpet Museum and the Mashhad Carpet Museum. It was established near the tallest brick tower in the world, located in the center of Gonbad Kavus city. As you explore the Gonbad Kavus Carpet Museum, you’ll see 25 hand-woven Turkmen carpets that have yet to be valued. Visiting this museum, you’ll encounter Turkmen hand-woven carpets with more than 811 designs and symbols, some dating back six thousand years. Furthermore, the Turkmens’ patterns in their rug weaving are primarily abstract and geometric, similar to Bukhara designs, colloquially referred to as “Akhal.”

In Conclusion...

Iran is home to many museums. However, in this article, we tried to introduce you to some of the country’s best and most famous ones. If you’re interested in the history of Iran, the museums can provide you with a wealth of information.