Green Palace Museum in Tehran

Getting acquainted with the Green Palace Museum - the emerald of Sa'ad Abad

The Green Palace is one of the most prestigious Iranian palaces, formerly known as the Shahvand Palace and now holds the title of "Green Palace Museum”.

Its facade has unique green stones brought to them from Khamseh mines in Zanjan. The use of these stones has given the building its name as the Green Palace.

It is the first palace of Sa'ad Abad complex that was put into operation during the Pahlavi era. In the south of this building, one can see a perfect view of Tehran.

One of the attractive features of this palace is the use of unmatched Iranian art in it. You can enjoy the magnificent display of mirror work, plasterwork, inlaid work, and so on and enjoy the masterpiece of Iranian artists.

1. Entrance stairs and hallway

One of the fascinating parts of the Green Palace is its two stairs that remind you of the magnificence of the building. The wooden fence of these stairs is the work of master Mokhtari and adorned by pictures of Persian soldiers.

At the end of the stairs, there are four carved white marble columns belonging to the mines of the city of Carrara, Italy, as one of the gifts of the Italian government to the first Pahlavi. 

At the top of the middle column, there is a plaster face that you see smiling upon entering. Right behind this case, there is a sad plaster face that you see when you leave the building. This artistic plaster is a symbol of Iranian hospitality.

In the hallway, there are sconces all made of gilded bronze by French artist Emmanuel Bourdley.

2. Green Palace Basement 

The basement of the Green Palace was only a warehouse before 1971 that underwent changes in the decoration in 1971-1973. This section became a place for Mohammad Reza Shah's special guests and was called the Living Room. In this amazing place many famous figures such as President Jimmy Carter of the United Kingdom, King Anwar Sadat of Egypt, and Sultan Hussein of Jordan. 

This room is 58 square meters and has two bedrooms on both sides. The walls are covered with French satin and the carpet is of English texture and has a blue border. The artworks you see in this room are:

• 18th Century Blue Satin French Furniture
• 9.30 square meter Carpet of Naein Isfahan
• The rug by Master Hekmat Nezhad Isfahan
• Mirror with wooden frame and flower and leave adornment of French Louis XIV in the 18th century
• French Bronze Baguette clock
• Gold-plated bronze lights from the Louis XVI period

 3. Dining room

The dining room is a room with a warm color that appeals to anyone. The leather roof of this room is not something you can overlook.

The walls are covered with French satin and have a music playing system in it. The 20-person table made of cherry wood and dishes with Pahlavi court marks can be seen in the room.

4. Private dining room

The private dining room belonged to the King's family. The walls of this room are decorated with the art of master Hossein Taherzadeh Behzad, and the 37-square-meter carpet of Yazd's shines on the floor.

5. Waiting room

 When a guest arrived at the palace and demanded to meet the Shah, he was taken to the waiting room until Reza Shah gets ready.

On the floor of this carpet, you can see the 66 square meters carpet of Yazd, which is next to the 19th-century French furniture.

One of the works in this room is the piano by Sebastian Erard French piano and harps maker.

6. Bedroom

One of the most fascinating display of Iranian art can be found in the palace's bedroom. Just look at the ceiling and compare the mirror design to the floor rugs to see what their similarities are and say bravo to their artists.

One of the artworks in this room is wood and bronze mechanical desk made in France and dating back to the 19th century.

This famous French work is by Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley, who was originally from a Greek family and had a special interest in making French furniture. The bed in this room was added at the time of the Second Pahlavi.

The first Pahlavi always slept on the floor, and today his mattress and blanket are kept in storage and displayed in the winter.

The restroom is next to the bedroom, and opposite the room you will find walls covered with cashmere of over 100 years old.

7. Mirror Hall 

The exquisite mirror work of the walls and ceiling of one of the rooms of the Green Palace has given the hall its name. 

This part has been beautifully done by Iranian artists for 4 years. On the mirrors, there is also artistic plasterwork. 

One of the masterpieces in this 70 square meter rug is that of Master Abdol Mohammad Amoo Oghli from Mashhad weaver, with 70 rows.

Master Abdol Mohammad Amoo Oghli was a trader and manufacturer of the textile in Tabriz. He went to Mashhad from 1871 to1891 and started working on carpet weaving. 

Unique drawing and coloring, materials used, the map, and carpet color were among the skills of this weaver. 

The design of the carpet in the Hall of Mirrors is a luxurious flower pot on which is the date of December 12, 1928, and at the top of it you can see the inscription:

"At the command of Majesty Reza Shah Pahlavi, King of Iran"

One of the experienced professors, Mr. Jalil Jedari, repaired parts of this rug in 1991-1993.

8. First Pahlavi working room

During your visit to the Green Palace, you come to a room where the exquisite inlay work of Master Mohammad Sani Khatam Shirazi is seen on all his works, and thus became known as the Khatam (inlay) Room.

The walls of this room are also adorned with the art of illumination by Master Hossein Taherzadeh Behzad. An Inlay (Khatam) photo frame in this room draws attention that is a picture of Reza Shah's coronation on April 25, 1926, at the Golestan Palace.

The statue made by Pierre Jules Mene is another interesting piece of work in this room created in the 19th century in France.

1. Transportation service

The Sa'ad Abad complex is very vast and you need to take a long path to reach the Green Palace. This route is tiring especially if you enter the Zaferanieh gate and have to climb a steep slope to reach the Green Palace.

 For those visitors who want to go straight to the buildings, the transportation service is provided. You can use the services with a little charge.

2. Coffee shop and restaurant

You might get hungry during the visit or try to get yourself a drink. That's why the Sa'ad Abad Historic-Cultural Complex has restaurants so that visitors can spend different moments in the complex.

There are two café restaurants in the vicinity of the Mellat Palace and the Green Museum Palace in the Sa'ad Abad complex, which serves Iranian and foreign breakfasts, cold and hot lunches, hot and cold drinks, ice cream and more.

These cafés are open to visitors every day in the first half of the year from 09:00 to 6:30 and in the second half of the year from 09:00 to 5:00.

3. Qajar Photography

Now that you are in the old Tehran mood walking in one of the old gardens, what do you think of taking a different photo? 

You might think that it was fun to wear the clothes of the people of old Tehran and keep a photo as a memory. Just go to the Qajar Photography studio of Saadabad, wear old clothes, smile and record a memorable memory.

4. Sports Park Sa'ad Abad

Sports Park Sa'ad Abad is a great place to stroll and experience a pleasant walk. But you might want to be more active in this beautiful place and double your enjoyment. 

That's why a part of the Sa'ad Abad complex is dedicated to the sports park, where you can enjoy outdoor exercise in this eye-catching environment.

5. Radio station

When you visit Saadabad, you will notice a sound in the collection that belongs to Saadabad Radio. This radio station has been operating since 2001 with the aim of informing the respected visitors and improving the quality of their visits.

With a professional audio system, amplifier, mixer and more than 30 speakers, the station covers the entire 110-hectares of Sa'ad Abad complex.

In the days of Nowruz, festivals, celebrations, carnivals and ... interesting programs are made by this radio station and give a good mood to the collection.

6. other facilities

In addition to the above facilities, there are other public facilities in the complex that you can take advantage of. Bathrooms, prayer rooms, benches are among these amenities.

The Master Ali Mokhtari

Ali Mokhtari Golpayegani, the son of Asadollah Golpayegani, was born in Golpayegan in 1895. He is one of the great masters of wood carving in the last century. When he was 10 years old, he and his younger brother learned and mastered the art of wood carving from Heydar Golpayegani's workshop.

Hossein Taherzadeh Behzad

One of the most fascinating manifestations of the art of illumination can be found in the Green Palace, all of which are the work of Iranian painter and carpet designer, Hossein Taherzadeh Behzad.

He was born in 1887 Tabriz in and died in 1962. He studied in 1929 in Tbilisi and Istanbul for a while, and after returning to Iran, he started designing and painting the palace.

Ways of accessing Tehran's Green Palace

To visit the Green Palace, you have to go to the Sa'ad Abad complex.

There are several gates to enter the Sa'ad Abad complex:

• The Nezamieh gate that was most commonly used by Reza Khan in the past,
• The Zafaraniyeh gate, on Darband Street, which was mostly used by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
• Darband square gate, two gates of Jafar Abad, gate of the river and the gate of the white palace.
• Of course, visitors can only enter from the two gates of Zafaraniyeh and Darband Square. 

Remember that the entrance of the Darband is closer to Green Place.

Darband Gate

Darband Gate Address: south of Darband Sq., Shahid Jafari St., Tehran, Iran

Metro: 

Go to the Tajrish station by metro line 1. You can find taxis to reach Darband Square at Tajrish Square, at the beginning of Ja’afari Street and Qods Square, next to the metro station.

Bus and BRT:

Several buses go to Tajrish Square from all over the city so you can easily reach the terminal and Qods Square.

 These lines include Rah Ahan Square - Tajrish Square, Resalat Square - Qods Square, Dastvareh Terminal - Qods Square, Pich Shemiran - Qods Square, Imam Khomeini Square - Qods Square, Jamaran - Tajrish Square. The Rah Ahan Terminal - Tajrish Square is also a good choice for passing a part of the route. 

After arriving at Qods or Tajrish Square, go to the beginning of Jaafari Street or next to the metro station and go to Darband Square by taxi.

Taxi:

 There are taxis to reach Tajrish Square in many parts of Tehran. Once you reach this field, do the same as before.

Private car:

 Head to Tajrish Square and enter Darband Street from the north side. At the end of this street, you would reach Darband Square. There is no parking lot so you should find good parking space.

Zaferaniyeh Entrance

Zaferaniyeh Entrance Address: the end of Shahid Kamal Taheri St., Shahid Fallahi St. (Zaferaniyeh), Valiasr Ave, Tehran, Iran.

Metro:

Make your way to the Tajrish station through Line 1. Having arrived at the Tajrish square on the west side of the square which is Shahid Maleki Street, take Asef or Asadabad taxis. These taxis will not take you to the complex, but you will reach Sa'ad Abad from the beginning of Shahid Taheri Street for about 10 minutes’ walk.

Bus and PRT:

The Tajrish square is the destination of various bus routes and can be easily reached from the main points of the city.

These lines include Rah Ahan Square - Tajrish Square, Phase 2 of Shahrak Ghaem - Tajrish Square, Jamaran - Tajrish Square. The BRT of Rah Ahan - Tajrish Square is also a good choice for passing a part of the route.

After arriving at Tajrish Square, go to the beginning of Shahid Maleki Street and take the taxis of Asif or Asadabad to the beginning of Taheri Street. After 10 minutes of walking, Saad Abad is in front of you.

Taxi:

There are taxis to reach Tajrish Square in many parts of Tehran. Once you reach this Square, do the same as before.

Private car:

Turn south on Valiasr Avenue and turn right onto Shahid Fallahi Street (formerly Zaferaniyeh).

After the red light in your right hand you see Shahid Taheri Street.

 Enter this street and try to find a suitable park before reaching its end and the Saadabad complex.

Hoteloneclick suggestion to Visit Tehran Green Palace:

If you are traveling to Sa'ad Abad by public transport, the Darband gate is the best option for you. Use the Zaferaniyeh gate if you have a private car because it is easier to find parking space there.

Important points of visiting the Green Palace Museum

Make your visit on the selected routes.

Do not leave your children by themselves. Failure to control them can result in your children being exposed to the valuable works and thus harming them. 

Keep a good distance from the glass and base shields so that they do not fall over.

Do not use a flash when taking photos of the museum objects. The flash has damaging rays and over time it has bad effects on the arts such as paintings, woven, colored works and so on.

Do not use monopods when taking photos, especially inside museums, as they increase the likelihood of clashing with objects.

Professional photography on-site with accessories such as tripods, etc. is prohibited unless it has licence.

Advertising photography is prohibited in and around the museums without obtaining the necessary permissions.

Stopping on the way to take photos will cause a crowd. Do not do this for security reasons.

Don't take your food to museums.

Avoid throwing trash in museums and green spaces.

baby carriages are not allowed in museums.

Get help from the museum guides if you have any questions.

Conclusions for Tourism Guide at green palace museum Tehran

Tehran is a city full of tourist attractions. In this guide we tried to thoroughly examine the tourism facilities associated with the Tehran Green Palace, one of the historic mansions of Tehran.

In this article we went to the charming north of Tehran and get acquainted with one of the best palaces of the Sa’ad Abad complex. We had a travel through the time and went to the Pahlavi era and found out that sometime some people lived there.

If you also have the experience of visiting this palace, share it with us on Hoteloneclick.

If you have any comments on the Tehran Green Palace, you can comment in the comments section of this guide.

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Our references to prepare Green Palace Travel guide:

we have used many references to prepare this article. They are some of them in the following:

• official site of Saadabad complex
• Introduction of Green Palace
• Shahvand Palace introduction
• Special Pahlavi Palace
• Green Palace information article