If you are a tourist in Tehran, you have undoubtedly heard the name Si Tir Street or Qavam al-Saltaneh. A street that has played an essential role in the history of the country. On every corner of this street, there are many old buildings and places to see, such as the Museum of Science and Technology, St. Peter’s Church, and Tehran’s Adrian Fire Temple. In addition, on this street, you can eat tasty food and eatables in traditional cafes and restaurants such as Gol Rezaie restaurant and street food stalls.
One of the sights of this street is the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran, considered the first glass and pottery museum in Iran. This museum is located in the Qavam al-Saltaneh house of Prime Minister Ahmed Shah Qajar and the Pahlavi government, which is considered one of the historical and spectacular houses of Tehran and one of the nationwide monuments.
History of Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran
In 1912, by order of Ahmad Qavam, nicknamed Qavam al-Saltaneh, a beautiful mansion was built in the middle of a Qajar garden, which years later turned into a treasure of glass and terracotta works related to different cultural periods of Iran. The architect of this building was Master Ali Mohammad Memarbashi, who built it as an office and a place to live. Qavam lived in this place for three decades until 1951.
After the death of Qavam al-Saltaneh, his son sold this house to the Egyptian embassy. In the same period and during the time of Jamal Abdul Nasser, President of Egypt, the political relations between Iran and Egypt became strained. For seven years, the Qavam House was at the disposal of the Egyptian embassy. After that, it was the location of the Afghan Embassy and the Commercial Bank. Finally, in the 1950s, the house of Qavam Al-Saltaneh was purchased by Farah Pahlavi’s office as a museum and handed over to the former Ministry of Culture and Art to establish the Pottery and Glass Museum.
In 1976, the project of changing the use of the Qavam building and turning it into a museum of water and pottery of Iran began. The design of this museum was entrusted to Iranian engineers, and the creation of the showcases and interior architecture was assigned to the famous Austrian architect and engineer named Hans Hollein. In the design of the museum, Hans was inspired by the significant historical works of Iran, such as Thatcher’s Palace, the columns of Persepolis, the Safavid arches, and the Kaaba of Zoroaster, and although the showcases and the general atmosphere of the museum are designed in a modern way; But this contemporary design has not harmed the general atmosphere of the building, which is a traditional building, and is in complete harmony with it. Today, this collection is considered one of the most exciting museums in the capital.
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Interior architecture of Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran
The house of Qavam al-Saltaneh was built in the Qajar era and had a garden of 7,000 square meters with a substructure of 1,040 square meters. The architecture of this octagonal building is a combination of Iranian-Baroque architecture. Iranian architecture is used in the exterior of the building and the interior of the Western Architecture Museum.
Materials such as brick, plaster, mud mortar, and lime with a brick facade are used in the construction of the house. This three-story house includes a basement, ground floor, first floor, and foyer. On the ground floor of this building, there are beautiful two-sided wooden stairs in the shape of two nesting horseshoes, which are inspired by the Russian style and lead to the second floor of this building.
The porch and side columns of the entrance of the Qavam house are one of the architectural features of the late Qajar and the first Pahlavi periods. The museum’s foyer was built as a dome before the establishment of the Egyptian embassy in this place, and now it is seen as flat. Various architectural decorations have been used in the appearance of the mansion. There are inlays on the stairs and doors, and 50 models of brickwork inspired by the Seljuk period are displayed on the facade of the building. There are many decorations inside the building, including mirroring and plastering. Part of the mirror work on the second floor was added in 1989, which often has religious and revolutionary themes.
Halls of Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran
More than two thousand pieces of historical pottery and glass are stored in the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran, of which 899 pieces of pottery and glass, 680 pieces of pottery, 242 crystals, and 243 exquisite objects are kept. The most valuable glasses in this museum are glass tubes known as glass cylinders, which belong to the second millennium BC and were obtained from Choghazanbil Temple in Khuzestan province. Pottery from different cultural periods of Iran also decorates the halls of the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran. You can see handmade pottery belonging to the Parthian era on the first floor, goldware from the Seljuk era in the Golden Hall, and turquoise glazes in the Lajvard Hall.
The objects of the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran are displayed on two floors and five halls. On the museum’s first floor, you will find the halls of Sadaf, Zarinfam, and Lajvard, where objects from the Islamic era to the present are displayed. Other galleries are also located on the second floor.
Entrance section: In the entrance section of the museum, there are tools, instruments, various materials, and colors used in making glass, as well as examples of glass objects.
Audio-Visual Hall: In this hall, there is a view of a prehistoric grave, in which a prehistoric person’s skeleton, tools, and ornaments are symbolically placed.
Mina Hall: In Mina Hall, you can visit the oldest objects of this museum. These glass works belong to the beginning of the second millennium BC, which include glass rods obtained from Choghazanbil.
Crystal Hall: This hall contains glass objects displayed in showcases taken from the architecture of the Achaemenid period and Naqshe Rostam in Shiraz.
Shell Hall: The attractions of this hall include ceramic and glass objects from the Islamic era, which are displayed in shell-shaped decoration.
Zarinfam Hall: Another hall of the Glassware and Ceramic Museum is dedicated to the display of beautiful Zarinfam pottery.
Lajvard Hall: This hall includes two parts, Lajvard one and two, and showcases inspired by Mongolian tents and mausoleums of that era stand out. The objects of this hall include terracotta and glass works from the Timurid and Ilkhanid periods to the Safavid and Qajar periods.
Other parts of the Glassware and Ceramic Museum
- Hozkhaneh: This section, which has unique tiles of the late Qajar period and a ceiling with prominent plasterwork, is located on the ground floor of the mansion, where the museum gallery is located.
- Library: The library of the museum is located on the upper floor and has more than four thousand volumes of Persian and English books in the field of archeology, history, art, architecture, handicrafts, etc.
- Education Building: This building is located on the north side of the museum courtyard, and its ground floor is dedicated to holding educational classes.
Access to Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran by metro
Access to Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran is possible by metro. Imam Khomeini Station (RA), Saadi Station, and Hassan Abad Square Station are the closest metro stations to this place. You will walk for about 15 minutes from each of these three stations to the museum. Of course, along the way, you can also visit other places of interest, such as the National Museum of Iran, Malek Museum, St. Peter’s Church, and other attractions on Si Tir Street.
Address: Imam Khomeini St., Si Tir St., not reaching Jomhouri St., No. 59
Visiting hours of the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran
Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran is open to visitors daily, except for days of mourning. This museum is open to visitors in spring and summer from 9 am to 7 pm and autumn and winter from 8 am to 5 pm.
phone number: +982166708153-4
Where is the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran?
Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran is one of Tehran’s must-see places, which is located in District 12. This beautiful museum is located on the famous Si Tir Street (former Qavam al-Saltaneh) and in the middle of a Qajar Garden.
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