Sa’dabad Palace Complex | Tehran Palace
In the crowded city of Tehran, we go to a beautiful garden that is known today as Sa’dabad Palace and has many buildings; The place is also called Sa’dabad Museum Palace and has many fans due to its pleasant atmosphere and attractive museum palaces. Join Chiyakotravel to review the sights of Sa’dabad Palace and take a look at the architecture and history of this complex.
Why Sa’dabad Palace?
- It is one of the most important historical attractions of Tehran.
- It is a valuable relic of the Qajars and Pahlavis.
- It has numerous and unique museums that can satisfy all kind of preferences.
- It is one of the most popular places for photography in Tehran.
- It has good facilities such as cafes and restaurants and provides you with a complete tour.
- You can experience a pleasant walk on it.
- It is one of the best places for family and friendly outings.
- It has valuable and irreplaceable treasures.
- You can see a combination of Iranian and European architecture in it.
Introduction to Sa’dabad Palace complex in Tehran
In the north of Tehran, you can find different options for fun. One of these options is the historical and cultural complex of Sa’dabad Palace which has an area of about 110 hectares. A complex consisting of numerous palaces, buildings and museums which is located in the northern and most pleasant climate of Tehran, and has natural forests, springs, aqueducts, gardens, greenhouses and streets. It is bordered by the Alborz Mountains to the north, Golabdareh to the east, Valenjak to the west, and Tajrish to the south, with the Jafarabad River flowing through it.
In this collection, you can take a step in the world of Qajars and spend a few hours reviewing the history of Pahlavis. This historical landmark will take you on a fascinating journey and exploring it will become a pleasant memory for you. In addition to its historical significance, this is a pleasant place to spend pleasant hours.
History of Sa’dabad Palace
Qajars, who had free-living lifestyle, always picked up the purest places, and wanted their resorts to be in the best places. Tehran which bore the title of capital, was one of the most desirable places for the construction of various residences. For these kings, There were no better places than the refreshing expanse of the foothills and the lush valley of Darband to experience a pleasant stay in it and spend time free from the tensions of the times.
This was a good excuse for the formation of Sa’dabad palace and to become the summer residence of the kings of this dynasty during Qajar period. The oldest building in this complex dates back to the reign of Ahmad Shah Qajar. Of course, Qajars were not so lucky, and did not get much opportunity to use this collection.
After the coup d’etat of 1299 and the capturing of Saadabad palace by Akbari family, this complex underwent changes and after expansion, it was allocated to Reza Khan’s summer residence. In the place of this area and next to the sub-buildings left by Qajars, new structures were formed and over time, 14 small and large palaces with different architectural styles were created.
Haj Agha Reza Rafi, nicknamed Ghaem Magham al-Molk – one of the political figures of Iran in Qajar and Pahlavi eras and a friend of Reza Shah Pahlavi – writes in his memoirs:
I bought Saadabad from Abolfath Sardar Azam – the son of Lady Ozma, sister of Zell-e-Soltan for 400 thousand Tomans with the seal of Haj Agha Nor for Reza Khan. Saadabad, which I bought at that time, was not this big and its area was eight thousand meters by the river with the present palace of the Queen Mother. Of course, after buying Sa’dabad palace from Sardar Azam, I bought Ali Khan Wali hill from Mr.Wali for 7,000 Tomans, and this hill is the same hill on which Shahvand Palace was built by Reza Khan and Shahpour Abdolreza’s mother (Esmat Dolatshahi) was sitting in that palace.
Each of the created buildings was dedicated to the residence of a member of the Pahlavi dynasty. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi also joined this complex in the 1350s and settled there. The newest palace in this complex also belonged to Leila Pahlavi – the youngest daughter of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
With the revolution of 1978, this collection lost its past use and became a museum. A number of Sa’dabad palaces were visited by the public, and some were dedicated to the presidency over time.
Sights of Sa’dabad Palace complex
Sa’dabad Museum Palace in Tehran is a large complex and exploring it requires a mental background; Here we try to visit different parts of this collection so that you do not miss the fascinating experiences. Of course, here we will confine ourselves to a brief description of the heritages and museums of the collection, and in the future we will deal with each of them in detail:
Sa’dabad Garden
The first thing you encounter when visiting Sa’dabad Palace is its different atmosphere and scenic grounds which is called Sa’dabad Garden. tall and old trees along the streets create an attractive environment that you can not easily miss. Here you will find different species of plants, animals and birds, and you can have fun with them for hours. The presence of thousands of old sycamore trees dating back at least 100 years is one of the most important features of this garden and due to the rarity of some plant species and the age of the garden, it can be considered as a natural tourist attraction along with historical monuments. Birds such as rock bunting, magpie, common redstart, gray wagtail, White wagtail, Lesser Kestrel, Syrian woodpecker, etc. have found refuge in this garden, and in the corners of this collection you can find mammals such as Persian foxes and squirrels, reptiles such as Caucasian Agama, snakes, insects and beautiful butterflies.
From the beauty and freshness of this garden, it is enough to know that Darband river flows in the middle of this complex and brings water from Alborz mountains to this place.
Museum of Fine Arts | Asvad Palace
At the southernmost point of the complex, there is a building whose construction began in 1319 by order of Reza Shah. In 1320, with the exile of this king, the mentioned building remained unfinished until in 1342-1343, its construction was resumed by the order of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and in 1346, it was used as a court ministry. The use of black marble stones made this building have an attractive appearance and became known as Asvad Palace. All these stones were brought to this place from Valiabad of Chalous mine at that time.
After the Islamic Revolution of Iran and in 1982, they defined a new function for this building and opened its door to the public in 1985 as a museum of fine arts. In this museum you can see the heritages of contemporary Iranian artists such as Sohrab Sepehri, Hossein Kazemi, Nasser Oveisi, works of European painters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, modern paintings, bronze and marble sculptures, Safavid Iranian works, Afshar, Zand, Qajar and so on.
Sa’dabad Palace Royal Albums and Documents Museum
We come to one of the old buildings in the palace complex of Sa’dabad which the first Pahlavi ordered to be built as a guard office building and in the second Pahlavi period was used as the counter-intelligence command of the Imperial Guard – one of the most important military-administrative units. The Security Guard (Immortal Guard) was responsible for providing security for the residents of Sa’dabad, full control and supervision over all movements and the entry and exit of vehicles, and so on. After the victory of Islamic Revolution, various administrative uses were considered for this building, until in 2012, it was opened to the public as a museum of royal albums and documents of Sa’dabad palace.
All the events of the fifty-year period of Pahlavi regime were recorded using photographs, films, audio and video tapes and written documents, and today a collection of these documents is kept in Sa’dabad Museum of Royal Albums and Documents.
Nation Museum Palace
The Palace of the Nation Museum is one of the landmarks of Sa’dabad which has an area of 5,000 square meters and is the largest palace in the complex. The use of white in its facade has made it famous as the White House. This building was built in the years 1310-1315 S.H and became the summer residence of second Pahlavi and his wife Farah Diba. The White House has 54 different units including 10 large ceremonial halls, and the combination of Iranian and European art is one of the main features of its interior and exterior architecture. The elaborate bedspreads adorn this building and the collection of woven carpets by the artists of Kerman, Kashan, Yazd and Mashhad have also given it a different look. Farah Diba repaired and rebuilt the palace building based on her preference between 1345-49.
The sections of this palace are: large waiting hall, small reception hall, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi office, billiard hall (snooker), small waiting hall, Farah Pahlavi rest room, large reception hall, ceremonial hall, family living room and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi lunch room.
Among the heritages and sights of Sa’dabad Palace in Tehran, the following can be mentioned:
- A masterpiece of stone art in part of the exterior and interior of the palace
- The peak of the beauty of the art of bedding in the ceremonial halls and the Shah’s office
- The largest carpet and chandeliers and the largest collection of dishes over 500 pieces in the dining hall of the second floor foyer
- A bronze statue of “Cain returns from hunting” in the Shah’s bedroom which was awarded to both countries during the Second Pahlavi era on the occasion of the Algerian Treaty (between Iran and Iraq) in 1975 by Boumediene, the then President of Algeria.
Sa’dabad Palace | a place for fun
To reach Sa’dabad, you have to go to the old neighborhoods and, of course, the hustle and bustle of the capital. After passing the crowds and entering the side streets, you will reach the entrance of Saadabad; A door that can be considered the border between Tehran today and yesterday. Just take a few steps away from this door to find yourself in a different atmosphere in the crowded capital of Iran. You can breathe easy and discover the fragments of this large garden away from worries.
A pleasant walk
Take a walk and cross the historical passages. Take a map of the collection and look for museums. Step by step in this large garden, you will find an excuse to stand, watch and enjoy. In the spring, a flower dress sits on the body of this garden and attracts a large crowd. You can watch Sa’dabad masterpiece in autumn; The rustling of leaves and the passage of streets surrounded by old trees on both sides will give you an indescribable feeling.
A romantic place
Sa’dabad palace can also be considered a romantic place; During your visit, you will see many couples and families who have decided to combine their travels with history and do not miss watching the historical sights during their walks and conversations. The passages of Sa’dabad palace give life for a two-person walk and create lasting and sweet memories.
Visit different museums
Every time you step on a new building, a new story awaits you; Somewhere you disappear to watch the royal attire, in a corner of the garden you experience a funny walk in the royal kitchen, in another part you step into the world of art and in a part, you enjoy the experiences of first Iranian tourists.
Create delicious moments
Although fatigue does not make sense in this garden; But if you want to freshen up, you can go to the cafe and restaurant of the complex and enjoy the scenery while drinking a cup of tea or a meal and add to the sweetness of your trip.
Photography
Sit on the benches for a few minutes and enjoy watching the history that is mixed with the nature of Tehran. The booth of photographers is always set up in Sa’dabad palace and you will most likely see groups of photographers practicing different techniques and trying to capture all the beauties of this collection.
Finally, note that you have to discover all the parts of the collection yourself; Just take a step into this garden to become a regular customer. Do not just go to this collection once; Because you miss a lot of experiences.