Golestan Palace displaying 82,000 artifacts

TEHRAN.(Iranart) - An estimated 82,000 historical artifacts are on display at Golestan Palace, a UNESCO world heritage center, located in downtown Tehran near the famous Arg Square.

Masoud Nosrati, director of the palace complex, says the artifacts and treasures in the repository are “many times more than those on display,” IRNA reported.

Among the items on display are priceless jewelry, rugs, photographs, paintings, calligraphy, page illuminations and royal seals. Golestan Palace was once the seat of Qajar rulers. Referring to the Qajar era (1785-1925), Nosrati said that period was a “passage from tradition to modernity.” In interaction with Europe, Qajar rulers left behind a diverse treasure of cultural heritage. “All the exhibited items have their specific catalogue.”  

Golestan Palace is the only remnant of Tehran’s historical citadel -- a collection of erstwhile royal buildings that were once enclosed within large thatched walls. The citadel was built during the time of Shah Tahmasb I of the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1722). It was rebuilt in the time of Karim Khan (1705-1779), the founder of the Zand Dynasty and was later turned into a palace and royal court for Qajar rulers.