National Museum of Iran

National Museum of Iran

National Museum of Iran is located in Tehran city. The museum consists of 2 complexes : Museum of Ancient Iran (opened in 1937) and the Islamic Era ( opened in 1996). As the largest and most prestigious archaeological museum Of Iran, National Museum of Iran contains more than 300,000 artifacts from 800,000 years ago until the 19th century Qajar era. National Museum of Iran counts as one of the main Tehran attractions.

The portal entrance of the Museum of Ancient Iran was designed by the French architect  André Godard, inspired by the Sassanid vault of Taq Kasra in Ctesiphon, today Baqdad.

National Museum of Iran address, National Museum of Iran opening hours and entrance fees are included in the end.

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#1 Architecture of  National Museum of Iran

André Godard chose Taq Kasra which stood for the greatness of Sassanid dynasty, historical values, and its brilliant design as well. Before André Godard and idea about National Museum, the ancient discoveries were stored and kept in one of the ministries of the time in the Dar ul-Funun (Polytechnic). However, after the increase in the discoveries Reza Shah ordered for a museum to be built.

Ruins of Ctesiphon(Iraq) – photo by Karnaval.ir

It was then when Godard began to build the a semi-Taq-Kasra. In the beginning the artifacts of the Islamic era were kept in the 2nd floor and the rest of the discoveries were on the 1st. But with much artifacts found the place for storing was more needed. Thus, the pre-historical era and pre-Islamic are were separated from Islamic era.

#2 Different Parts of National Museum of Iran

National Museum of Iran consists of two buildings one built by Godard (as mentioned before) which is now called Ancient Iran Museum, and another building for Islamic Era founded after The Revolution.

#1 The Museum of Ancient Iran

The two floors of the Ancient Iran Museum will take you on a journey to the past, a past dated back to 800.000 years ago up to Islamic era. A journey through beliefs, through human developments, through the evolve of the humanity in the Middle East.

photo by @nimz911 on instagram

During your time-travel in the museum (which you’d better start from the 2nd floor to travel from 800.000 to Elamites) you’ll find the first stones used by men to create weapons, the caves where first men resided, the clay goddess of Venus, the first ever made animation on a pottery vessel.

photo by @balt.art on Instagram

and on the 1st floor (from Elamites to the end of Sassanid dynasty) you’ll encounter with relics of the Meds, the stone statue of Darius the Great, the bronze head of Seleucid ruler, the bronze statue of a Parthian nobleman, and ceramic works of Sassanid era…all here to uncover the past and stories to be told.

*Attention: bags are not allowed inside the museum, however, you can take your mobile, camera, and water bottle.

#2 The Islamic Museum / Museum of Islamic Art

The Islamic museum building is just on your left when you leave the Ancient Iran Museum. Same as the previous visit you should start form the 2nd floor to the 1st. The mix of the blues and golds and greens will soothe your soul and calm your eyes.

Form coins and bowls to calligraphic scripts, and from pitchers to altars and paintings you will see how humans turned art into their favor and injected it into the veins of society.

*Tips

In case of getting Hungry, the street next to the National Museum of Iran -30 Tir- is filled with different kinds of meals served by Caravans.

Photo by @pearlcamera on Instagram

And if you still are in the mood for a walk, within your 15 minutes’ walk up in the 30 Tir street, there is an old restaurant called “Reza Loghme” (=morsel Reza) which serves the softest Kebabs rolled in pieces of thin Iranian bread called “Lavash” along with basil and coriander. Each of these small rolls is called a Loghme (morsel) and you can order as many as you want.

National Museum of Iran Opening Hours

Everyday, 8 AM to 5 PM

National museum of Iran Address