Sa’dabad Complex

Sa’dabad Palace of Tehran was initially built as the summer residence of the Qajar kings (1796 to 1925 AD) and, thereafter, and with the coming to power of the Pahlavi regime (1925 to 1979 AD) it was expanded, some buildings were added to it, and was used as one of the summer palaces of the Pahlavi kings. This complex is, presently, a museum palace consisting of 10 museums, spreading over an area of 110 hectares.

Museums of Sa’dabad Complex

There are 18 buildings in Sa’dabad Complex and each one has a different style and architecture. Of these 18 mansions, 10 mansions are used as the following museums:

1 - Green Palace: The first palace that was built during the reign of Reza Khan (reigned from 1925 to 1941 AD) in the Sa’dabad complex is the Green Palace. The use of green color in the exterior of this palace is the reason for its name. Before the Islamic Revolution (1979 AD), this mansion was the personal residence of Mohammad Reza Shah (reigned from 1941 to 1979 AD) and some of his private meetings were held there. In the Green Palace, a collection of Iranian arts such as mirror work, carpets, gilding, and plastering are exhibited.

2 - Mellat Palace and Museum: This palace has been built on two floors, and there are several small and big rooms in it, which were used as residences and workplaces of Pahlavi kings. Mellat Palace is now a place to display works of art such as sculptures and porcelain. The furniture, chandeliers, and paintings used in this palace were made in Europe. Four large wall paintings with the theme of Iranian legends are also on display in this palace. The other objects on display in this museum include works purchased from other countries as well as objects from the pre-Islamic civilizations of Iran, India, Africa, the Far East, Mayans, and Eskimos.

3 - Museum of Fine Arts: Most of the works displayed in this museum are oil paintings from the Safavid periods (1501 to 1736 AD), Afsharids (1736 to 1796 AD), Zand dynasty (1751 to 1794 AD), and the Qajar era. Farah, the last wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, had bought these works from an English collector named Harold Amr. The Museum of Fine Arts has three floors. The works displayed in this building are: teahouse house paintings by contemporary Iranian artists on the first floor; Iranian paintings of different historical periods on the second floor; and the works of foreign painters on the third floor.

4 - Maestro Behzad Museum: This museum is named in honor of Hossein Behzad (1895 to 1968 AD), an Iranian artist who combined the authentic Iranian style seen in the works of Kamaluddin Behzad and Reza Abbasi with European art and created a revolution in Iranian miniatures painting. Behzad’s works have been created on paper, cardboard, or painting canvas and are displayed in this museum.

5 - Abkar Museum: Clara Abkar was a contemporary Iranian Armenian painter who had a special style for creating miniature paintings. Her works were mainly inspired by Iranian literature and mysticism and displayed a musical balance in them.

6 - Mir Emad Museum: Mir Emad was one of the greatest calligraphy artists in the history of Iran who lived in the 18th century. Because of his services to Iranian calligraphy, this museum has been named after him and his calligraphy artworks have been displayed in this museum. In this part of the Sa’dabad Palace Museum, you can see different works of art created with different styles of gilding and calligraphy on paper and parchment between the 10th and 19th centuries.

7 - Museum of Anthropology: The Museum of Anthropology has been established to show the conditions and lifestyle of the Iranian people. In the wide area of this museum, on two floors, works such as irrigation tools, agriculture, gardening, fishing and agriculture, clothes, lighting devices, and handicrafts are on display for the public.

8 - Water Museum: Iranians have made extraordinary achievements in the field of water extraction and transportation. Some of these achievements have been displayed in the Water Museum. Indigenous structures related to water, such as reservoirs, traditional ice-houses, ancient water dams, and royal orders issued on water, are among the things on display in the Water Museum.

9 - Military Museum: This museum contains Iranian military uniforms and tools from the Achaemenid period (550 to 330 BC) to the present day. In this part of the Sa’dabad Palace Museum, it is possible to visit a part of the history of the Iran-Iraq war (1980 to 1988 AD) in this museum.

10 - The Museum of Omidvar Brothers: Isa and Abdullah Omidvar were two Iranian brothers who visited 90 countries in 10 years. These two adventurous brothers collected spectacular objects and photos during their travels, which are displayed in this museum. This museum was initially set up as a gallery, but gradually with the addition of various objects and works, it turned into a museum. This Sa’dabad Palace Museum building was built in the Qajar era and the decorations belonging to the same era can also be seen in it.