Visit the top 10 museums in Iran, and feel like traveling back in time.

Museums in Iran

Iran is a historic land with countless legacies from prehistoric, ancient and Islamic eras, that are kept in museums in Iran. The large and modern city of Tehran, which is known as the City of Museums is home to many of the famous museums in Iran. The list below is prepared to introduce the top 10 museums in Iran which are located in Tehran and other touristic cities which help visitors get acquainted with Iran’s art and history since ancient times until today:

1- The National Museum of Iran

This museum is the most important archeology of all museums in Iran, located in 30 Tir Street, in Tehran and consists of two buildings, including the Museum of Ancient Iran which was designed by the French architecture Mr. Andre Godard in 1937 inspired by the Sassanid vault (Taq-e Kasra) and the Museum of Islamic Archeology and Art of Iran which was opened in 1972. The Museum of Ancient Iran is the exhibition of ancient objects from the Lower Paleolithic era made by the Neanderthals and first civilizations of Iran, to glorious objects from pre-Islamic empires ruling Iran, like golden objects and hand-carved bass reliefs of Persepolis, the great statue of the Parthian Noble Man, and objects from Sassanid Era. National Museum of Iran is usually visited on the first day of Iran travel itinerary and it is where travelers and visitors can learn about the history of Iran at the beginning of their trip to Iran.

2- Treasury of National Jewels, the most eye catching of all the museums in Iran 

Owned by the Central Bank of Iran, the Treasury of National Jewels also known as the National Jewelry Museum in Iran was reopened for a public visit in 1992 and is located in Central Bank’s main building in Ferdowsi Street of Tehran. Since the Treasury of National Jewels is one of the most precious jewel museums of the world, this museum is like a big underground safe box with many safety guards and a limited visiting schedule which is from Saturday to Tuesday from 14:00 to 16:30. This awe-inspiring collection includes pieces of jewelry like diamonds, pearls, emeralds, rubies, etc. The most famous piece of jewelry in this museum is the Darye-ye Nur Diamond (the sea of the light diamond) which is the biggest piece of pink diamond in the world.

3- Reza Abbasi Museum of Tehran 

Reza Abbasi Museum is located in Shariati Street of Tehran and is one of the richest cultural-historical collections of Iran, which is named after Reza Abbasi the famous painter of the Safavid Dynasty. This museum is a three-story building and each floor is assigned to a specific collection: The third floor is the hall of ancient Iran where objects from Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid empires and prehistoric civilizations are kept and show the knowledge of Iranians in using different materials. The second floor is the hall of Islamic art where metal, pottery, and textile masterpieces from Seljuk, Timurid, Safavid, and Qajar dynasties are shown. And the first floor is home to a rich collection of Iranian miniatures and calligraphies are kept.

4- The Carpet Museum of Tehran

The Persian carpet is a world known for its antiquity, high quality, and eye-catching designs reminding the Garden of Eden. Almost everyone who travels to Iran is interested in Persian carpets and likes to learn more about this wonderful art and where is a better place for learning about Iranian carpet than a large carpet museum. The Carpet Museum of Iran located on the northern side of Laleh Park in Tehran is home to a great collection of handmade nomadic carpets, rural woven carpets, and city style carpets from different carpet weaving centers of Iran dating from the 16th century to the present. This museum, with an exterior design resembling a carpet loom, is a two-story building designed by Mr. Farmanfarmaian the Iranian architect, including two exhibition halls and a library with 7000 books. Don't miss this museum in Iran, at least once.

5- Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, One of the Must Visit Museums in Iran 

This large art museum which is located on the other side of Laleh Park of Tehran in Kargar Street is one of the best museums in Iran which attracts many art lovers. This modern building, which resembles Baadgirs (wind catcher towers) of Yazd and is a sample of contemporary art itself, was designed by Mr. Kamran Diba the great Iranian modern architect and built-in 1977. Apart from art masterpieces from Iranian artists, the selection of Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art which was collected by Farah Pahlavi includes masterpieces from great artists like Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Auguste Renoir, Rene Magritte, Jackson Pollock, etc.

6- Glassware and Ceramic

Being established in a gorgeous building named “Qavam Complex” which was the residential house of Mr. Ahmad Ghavam, the prime minister of Iran during the Qajar Era, the Glassware and Ceramic Museum of Iran or simply the “Abgineh Museum” is another amazing museum of Tehran, which is situated in 30 Tir Street. With its smart interior design, this two-story building is home to a precious collection of Iranian ceramics and glassware from ancient civilizations like Parthians to Seljuk ceramics with calligraphy designs and more practical objects from the Safavid Dynasty.

7- Gilan Rural Heritage Museum in Iran 

Supported by UNESCO, Gilan Rural Heritage Museum is located in Saravan Forest Park in Gilan Province (18 kilometers away from Rasht), where rural culture is very rich and varied. This 2600 square kilometer eco-museum consists of 9 sections each representing a village of Gilan with their unique architecture and culture. Also, in this unique museum visitors get familiar with different handicrafts, local cuisines, and the subcultures of the villages of Gilan.

8- Isfahan Music Museum in Iran 

Isfahan Music Museum is one of the most amazing museums in Iran located in the New Julfa Quarter of Isfahan. This new private museum was founded by a team of Iranian music enthusiasts in 2015 and is home to over 300 traditional Iranian instruments, regional Iranian instruments, and many international instruments. Visiting this museum includes a tour through the hall where Iranian music instruments and instruments from every corner of the world are kept, a workshop where visitors learn about producing Iranian instruments, and a live Iranian music performance played by young musicians.

9- Azerbaijan Archeology

Designed by the French architect Andre Godard according to the local architecture of Azerbaijan region of Iran, Azerbaijan Museum of Tabriz is the second important archeology and ethnography museum of Iran after the National Museum in Tehran and is home to an exquisite collection of masterpieces from prehistoric, pre-Islamic and Islamic eras in Iran. This museum is home to thousands of antique objects like coins, carpets, potteries, and metal wares from ancient eras excavated in the Azerbaijan region in Iran to 19th century and some sculptures made by contemporary Iranian artists. The museum’s library contains more than 2500 handwritten and printed books.

10- Yazd Water 

Yazd is a historic and desert city with an amazing architecture designed based on the climate and natural circumstances of the area. The Yazd Water Museum shows the genius tools, technics, and methods of transferring and keeping water in the arid climate locals of Yazd, that have been invented by the people living in this area. Two Qanats (underground water canals), earthen urns, well wheels, and other water tools are what visitors see in this museum. This museum’s building is a charming house that belonged to a merchant and turned into Yazd Water Museum in 2000.

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