National Museum of Iran

The National Museum has two buildings: the older Museum of Ancient Iran, opened in 1937 in red brick with an entrance arch modelled on the Sassanid palace at Ctesiphon, and a later hall for the Islamic period. The archaeological collection runs from the Palaeolithic through Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid material, and its notable pieces include the Salt Man, a miner preserved by salt in a mine near Zanjan with his hair, beard and clothing intact; a bronze head of a Parthian prince; capitals and reliefs from Persepolis; and a copy of the Cyrus Cylinder, the original being in London. The Islamic wing holds ceramics, textiles, metalwork, calligraphy and manuscripts across the whole period.

History

Morteza Gholi Khan Hedayat proposed a museum and antiquities department in 1906, and the plan was realised in 1916 with a first museum in a room of the Ministry of Education beside the Dar al-Fonun school. The brick building of the Museum of Ancient Iran, designed by André Godard and Maxime Siroux after the Sassanid vault of Taq Kasra at Ctesiphon, was begun in 1935 and finished within two years (Wikipedia, National Museum of Iran).

What to look for

• The Salt Man - a miner preserved by salt with hair and clothing intact.
• Persepolis reliefs and capitals - stonework brought from the site.
• The Parthian bronze prince - a life-size head of exceptional quality.
• The Ctesiphon-modelled entrance - the 1937 brick arch of the older building.

When to go

Year round; it is indoors and works in any season. Two to three hours for both buildings. Closed on some public and religious holidays. Mornings are quietest.

Practical notes

Display is dated in the older building and lighting is poor in places. English labelling is uneven. The two buildings need separate walking and the Islamic wing is often quieter than it deserves. Some galleries close without notice.

Nearby

Golestan Palace and the bazaar are south; the Glassware Museum is nearby.

Key facts