Moshir Divan Mansion of Sanandaj

Moshir Divan Mansion is, undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful historical buildings of Sanadaj the longevity of which dates back to the Qajar era in the early 19th century AD. This mansion was built by “Mirza Yusuf Moshir Divan”, the ruler of Kurdistan at the time, and for this reason, it is referred to as “Mashir Divan”.

This mansion, which is located in the old “Sartapuleh” neighborhood of Sanandaj, on Shahada Street of this city, was the seat of the Kurdistan Governorate for some time. In the restoration that took place on this building in 2008, parts of the building were restored and measures were taken to make it stronger.

Architectural Style of Moshir Divan Mansion

Moshir Divan Mansion is a large building with a total area of 3650 square meters and includes such parts as a portal, a vestibule, a pillared porch, a hall, seven courtyards, a fountain, and a bathhouse. This building can be introduced as one of the perfect manifestations of Iranian architecture.

The Portal Moshir Divan Mansion

The portal of this building is made in the form of a semi-octagon and is known as the “Jelo Khani Portal”. Due to the fact that many important meetings were held in this mansion with the presence of political personalities of the region, a place was built above the portal, which was used for monitoring the commutations and guarding the place. This place could also be used as a shelter. Numerous platforms and arches have been created within the vicinity of the portal of the mansion, which adds to its beauty and makes every tourist enchanted at the moment of entering the mansion.

The Courtyards of Moshir Divan Mansion

After passing through the portal one will see an octagonal space where a watchman was stationed in the past who monitored the commutation of visitors. The rooms of the mansion are located around this octagonal space. There is a storage room on the right side of this space. There is room on the left side, which was a servants' quarter and has a vestibule that has been decorated with small bricks.

A beautiful water feature has been built exactly in the center of the yard. A beautiful building with a gabled roof and a summerhouse also stands out in this yard. There are six other courtyards around the main courtyard, each of which has a unique pond. Large and small ponds in each of these yards have doubled their beauty.

The Main Building of Moshir Divan Mansion

After passing through the main courtyard, one enters the main building of Moshir Divan Mansion. Different sections of this building are public, private, ceremonial, and service spaces.

Many doors and windows have been created in the building so that the ambient light can be used in the best way to provide lighting to the building. The doors and windows are made in the style of girih tiles and colored window panes have added to the beauty of the building.

The pillared porch of this building has been decorated with different plasterwork motifs and muqarnas works. The beautiful halls of this building were built with the best materials and decorations so that the guests, who were mostly high-ranking people, would be in the best of mood by being there.

The Bathhouse of Moshir Divan Mansion

In the past, due to the difficulties in water supply, houses did not have private bathrooms, and a public bathhouse served the residents of a neighborhood. However, the Moshir Divan Mansion had a private bathhouse in order to provide its services to the guests and residents of the house.

Just like public bathhouses, the bathhouse of Moshir Divan Mansion also had a sarbineh (cold bath), a warm house, a khalvati (dressing room), and a khazineh (water tank). The decoration of this bathhouse has been done with the use of animal and plant motifs and plasterwork.

The Moshir Divan Mansion of Sanandaj was inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in the year 2000 AD.

Moshir Divan Mansion is, undoubtedly, one of the most beautiful historical buildings of Sanadaj the longevity of which dates back to the Qajar era in the early 19th century AD. This mansion was built by “Mirza Yusuf Moshir Divan”, the ruler of Kurdistan at the time, and for this reason, it is referred to as “Mashir Divan”.