Azarbaijan Museum, located in the city of Tabriz (East Azarbaijan Province), is the second most important archaeological museum in Iran - after the National Museum of Iran - and was established on October 3, 1962. It presents historical and artistic works belonging to both the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras.

History of Azarbaijan Museum

Many Iranian museums have been established in historical houses and buildings that had other uses earlier. However, the building in which the Azarbaijan Museum is located was built with the purpose of creating a museum with an appropriate design and architecture.

The plan for this museum was prepared by Andre Godard, a famous French archaeologist (1881-1965) who lived in Iran for almost a quarter of a century and was the head of the fine arts campus of the University of Tehran for some time. During his stay in Iran, Godard designed the plan of many buildings, each of which is considered a part of tourist attraction places in today’s Iran.

The idea of making this museum was proposed at the same time as holding an exhibition in Tabriz’s Tarbiyat Library hall in 1928. Due to the fact that some old coins discovered in the city of Tabriz were displayed in this exhibition, a number of cultural personalities of Tabriz decided to create a place dedicated to the permanent display of historical artifacts discovered in this city. The implementation of this idea took several years and finally, the construction of the museum began in 1962.

Architectural Features of Azerbaijan

The Azarbaijan Museum is a three-story building with an area of 3,000 square meters, built using architectural elements such as arches, vertical walls, repetitive arched windows, etc., depicting a traditional outlook. The entrance of the museum has a stone staircase and a large wooden door that welcomes visitors with two stone lions. Some stone sculptures are also kept in the courtyard of the museum.

In addition to the administrative and technical sections (laboratories and repositories), the building also has specialized shops and libraries, and has the following main sections:

Ground Floor

In which historical artifacts and objects related to prehistoric and pre-Islamic times such as 7,000-year-old pottery, mineral stones of Jiroft with images of various plants and animals, bronze objects, the artificial eye of the Shahr-e Soukhteh of Sistan, the 3000 years old statue of a female goddess, and rhytons related to two to three thousand years ago, and the bodies of a man and a woman related to three thousand years ago, etc.

Basement

In which the fascinating and spectacular plaster sculptures made by “Ahad Hosseini” with social themes that narrate human history and morality during the past centuries - especially the twentieth century - stone works and historical lithographs such as human figures, tombstones, inscribed stones, stone sculptures, etc. are on display.

First Floor

This floor is divided into three sections i.e., the Hall of Islamic Period, the Hall of Coin and Seals, and the Library. Historical works and objects related to the first to fourth centuries AH from the city of Neishabour, pottery related to the Ilkhanate period, a coded lock related to the 6th century AH, historical coins and seals of Iran from the Achaemenid period to the Qajar period, etc. are on display on this floor.

Objects related to the pre-Islamic period to the Islamic period are exhibited in the Azerbaijan Museum. The total number of these objects on display stands at 12 thousand pieces, of which 2300 pieces have been inscribed in the national list of Iran’s heritage.

Many tourists plan their trip to visit big and famous cities, which causes them to miss out on seeing many pristine and authentic sights that are located in smaller towns along the way.

The route from Tabriz to Sarein, Ardabil, and Astara is considered one of the most frequented routes for tourists in the northwest of Iran. However, most tourists pay attention to the points of departure and destination while crossing this route and easily pass the cities located on the route, such as Sarab, and, as a result, they miss the amazing views and historical works of this beautiful city. Azarbaijan Museum of Nomads is a special and interesting place in which the history of Iranian nomads’ lifestyle has been put on display.

The Importance of Nomads in the History of Iran

The nomads have played an important role in the political and social history of Iran and many ruling dynasties of Iran such as Ghaznavids, Seljuqs, Khwarazmian, Ilkhanate, Qara Qoyunlu, Aq Qoyunlu, Afsharid, Zand, and Qajar had risen from among the nomadic tribes of this country.

The inclination to urbanization and avoiding the hardships of nomadic life has increased in the past few decades and it seems that this way of life will soon be forgotten. The establishment of the Azarbaijan Museum of Nomads is an attempt to keep the heritage of the Iranian nomads of this region alive.

Nomads of Azarbaijan

East Azarbaijan nomads migrate twice a year in spring and autumn. In the middle of May and with the gradual warming of the weather, the nomads go to the summer areas in the cities of Kalibar, Ahar, Hearis, Sarab, Miyaneh, Maragheh, Jaravimaq, and the highlands of Sahand, Sablan, and Bozgush mountainous areas. In 2022 the nomadic population of East Azarbaijan was estimated to be about two percent of the province’s total population. However, these nomads provide 20% of the province’s light livestock requirements.

The nomads of Azarbaijan are composed of two tribes, Arasbaran and Shahsavan, and 10 different clans. These nomads move between the provinces of East Azarbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, and West Azarbaijan. The lifestyle of the nomads has been in harmony with nature and the pristine mountain and plain landscapes are the sights that accommodate these hardworking and productive people.

Features and Architecture of Azarbaijan Museum of Nomads

This museum is the first of its kind established in Iran about the life of nomads. The museum building was previously known as “Jalal Bathhouse”, which was built over an area of nearly 650 square meters during the last years of the Qajar era (early 20th century AD). This bathhouse, which belonged to a person named "Jalal", served the people of Sarab as a public bathhouse until a few decades ago. It had two separate sections for men and women, and its architecture was similar to the other bathhouses in Iran.

Following the transfer of its ownership from the private sector to Sarab Municipality in 1993 its restoration operation began, and it was eventually allocated to the establishment of the Azarbaijan Museum of Nomads.

This museum is a type of anthropological museum and displays the customs, language, livelihood, housing, lifestyle, food, clothing, and handicrafts of the nomadic community. Several wax statues with local nomadic clothes have also been placed next to the erected tents in the area, which represent the essence of nomadic life. The objects that can be seen in this museum are mainly collected from East Azarbaijan and Ardabil provinces.

A specialized library has also been formed in this museum where different books on Iranian nomadic life are available to those interested. Different sections of this museum include pastures and shepherd spaces, traditional and native processing of dairy products and wool, nomadic handicrafts, music, clothes, ornaments, housing, a bakery, a traditional coffee house, and handwoven carpets and rugs.

Where is the Azarbaijan Museum of Nomads Located?

To see the Anthropology Museum of Azarbaijan Nomads, visitors must travel to the city of Sarab. This museum is 130 km away from Tabriz and is located next to the Sarab Municipality building.