Meybod Post House
The Meybod Post House, known as Chaparkhaneh, stands as a captivating museum nestled within a traditional Qajar-era way station. Exploring this site offers a profound insight into the life and culture of Iran.
History
With its origins tracing back over three centuries, this ancient brick edifice, constructed during the illustrious Qajar period, once served as a vital way station within the country’s postal system, with roots extending to the Achaemenid empire.
Description
Adjacent to the Meybod Caravanserai, a captivating historical structure comes into view: Meybod Post House. Situated on the main thoroughfare connecting significant cities like Rey and Kerman, it functioned as a haven for government postmen and their equine companions, providing respite and facilitating exchanges. Additionally, the premises housed a contingent of horses, poised to replace weary animals arriving from distant locales.
Designed to ensure the safety of vital missives and parcels, the Meybod Post House boasts the architecture of a fortress, replete with watchtowers and towering walls featuring apertures for observation and defense. Much like other central Iranian constructions, this post house centers around a courtyard, flanked by stables and supplemented by rooms near the entrance for postmen and travelers.
Given the pivotal role of the postal delivery system in the nation’s history, a network of such way stations once graced roads nationwide. Yet, today, the Meybod Post House stands as one of the few remaining vestiges of this bygone era.
Beyond its architectural splendor, the museum houses lifelike fabrications of horses and mannequins, artfully depicting the mechanics of Iran’s historical postal system—a legacy inherited from the Achaemenid empire. The museum also showcases an array of stamps, antiquated typewriters, and vintage telephones, offering visitors a window into a significant facet of Persian cultural heritage.
Visiting Hours
The Meybod Post House Museum welcomes visitors from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during the first half of the year, and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the latter half, providing ample opportunity to immerse oneself in the rich tapestry of Persian history and culture.
