The Ancient Iran Museum

The first independent museum in Iran, is located in the western part of Mashq Square in Tehran, on Si Tir Street. Construction of this museum began on May 11, 2001, under the orders of Reza Shah, by the French architect André Godard. The museum building was completed in 1937, and it was opened to the public for visitation. Since the design and layout of a museum must be consistent and harmonious with its subject matter and artifacts, and connected to the history and art of the land, the facade and entrance portal of the museum were constructed in the style of the Taq Kasra (Arch of Ctesiphon). (Taq Kasra is the name of the palace known as the archway of Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sassanian Empire, which is thirty-five meters high, fifty meters wide, and twenty-five meters deep). The color of the bricks was also chosen to be dark red to reflect the architecture of the Sassanian era. The museum building covers an area of ​​approximately eleven thousand square meters, with the main building constructed in three floors. The architects of this building, André Godard along with Maxime Siroux, were French architects who had the palace of Ctesiphon in mind during the Sassanian era in their design. This museum showcases the splendor of Iran during the ancient times, displaying artifacts from the Stone Age, Medes, Assyrians, Elamites, Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sassanians beautifully to visitors. From pottery and metal vessels from the Stone Age to objects and sculptures from the Sassanian era, this museum has it all.