Emarat-e Malek (Malek Mansion)

Emarat-e Malek (Malek Mansion)

Built during the Qajar era, this mansion is located near the city of Bushehr (Bushehr Province). The historic Emarat-e Malek is, in fact, a complex that was built under the supervision of French architects with local architectural materials in a style inspired by the past architectural history of the coastal regions of the Persian Gulf, known as “Bangla”.

The structure of this Emarat includes such parts as a pishkhan (a wide and open space that connects the complex to the city) that leads to the entrance platform and the main building from the back; the building platform (a large surface and a row of stairs connected to the main building); the entrance (comprising a porch, three pairs of columns and a large wooden door with metal decorations); and the main part of the mansion, which is a two-story building with painted walls.

The lower hall was built for the business meetings and the upper floor for the private banquets of the owner. The building also included a fortified part a battlement, an alcove, and a part consisting of several porches and living rooms. In addition to the above sections, this building complex has nested gardens that are separated from each other by several rows of walls, and each garden has a separate opening to other sections and the outside space. The gardens are not similar and each has different decorations and landscaping.

This mansion, which was considered as the identity of the city of Bushehr, a unique building and skyscraper of this city in the Qajar era, was occupied by the British invaders and became their military headquarters. After years of settling in this mansion and following the bankruptcy of Mohammad Mehdi Malek al-Tujjar (the original owner of the mansion), the British occupiers bought its exquisite accessories at a very low price and took them away. This mansion was turned into a military dormitory during the concluding years of Reza Shah’s reign and has been renovated several times.