The Qajar Museum of Tabriz; Visiting Historical Objects in a Unique Historical House

The Qajar Museum of Tabriz was established in the year 2006 in the house of Amir Nizam Garussi, located in the Sheshghelan district of the city of Tabriz after it was renovated. This house had been built by Amir Nezam Garrusi during the time he served in the court of the Qajar king, Nasser al-Din Shah. After serving as Iran’s ambassador in England, France, and the Ottoman Empire, Garussi reached the position of Iran’s Foreign Minister and imported certain types of machinery into the country, which were the most advanced equipment available at the time and were used for coinage and printing. He also contributed to the establishment of Mozaffarieh and Rushdieh schools, two old schools of Tabriz city, and left a great impact on the scientific and educational progress of this city. Mozaffarieh School, which is known as "Dar al-Funun of Tabriz", was considered one of the most important schools of Azarbaijan in that era.

History

The construction of this building dates back to the reign of Naser al-Din Shah (1848 to 1896). Amir Nizam Garussi built this house for his residence when he was an official in Tabriz. After his death, the governors of Azarbaijan resided in this house, but after the fall of the Qajar dynasty in 1925 the Pahlavi regime took over this house but due to being neglected, many parts of the building got damaged. After undergoing certain restoration works in 2006 - due to its traditional characteristics and unique features, it was turned into the Qajar Museum.

Architecture of the Qajar Museum of Tabriz

This mansion had been built with an infrastructure of 1500 square meters on two floors and includes two inner and outer courtyards. The main porch of the building is supported by 16 columns. The mansion was built near Maqbarah al-Shu’ara (Tomb Yard of Great Poets), one of the old and famous cemeteries of Tabriz. The bodies of nearly 400 poets who lived in different eras are buried in this cemetery, of which Shahriar, a contemporary Iranian poet, is one of the most famous.

The upper floor is decorated with reticulated windows decorated with colored glass, plasterwork on the north and south facades, and the mirrors and plasterwork of the inner halls. There is a large pool in the basement that has solid columns and a roof constructed with bricks. The halls of the lower floor of the museum include the hall of coins, woven, porcelain, glass, metals, music, and inlay works. By the same token, the halls in the basement are halls of stone, weapons, officials and orders, architecture and urban planning, locks, and lanterns.

Different Parts of Tabriz Qajar Museum

The museum has several halls. Coin Hall, Hall of Woven Items, Chinaware Hall, Water Hall, Hall of Metals, Music Hall, and Khatam Hall, which are located on the first floor, and Stone Hall, Arms Hall, Regal Hall, and Orders Hall, Architecture and Urban Planning Hall, Lock Hall, and Lantern Hall are located in the basement, in which different objects are displayed.

Also, a part of the museum is dedicated to the display of the first photographs that were taken when the first cameras arrived in Iran. These cameras were imported to Iran during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah. Statues of famous figures of the Qajar period such as Mirza Isa Qaim-maqam Farahani, Mirza Abulqasem Qaim-maqam Farahani, Amir Nizam Zanganeh, Amir Nizam Garrusi, and Amir Kabir are also placed in the museum.