Reza Abbasi Museum
The Reza Abbasi Museum in Tehran, located on Shariati Street, is considered one of Iran’s most significant museums. It was named after the renowned Safavid painter Reza Abbasi and opened its doors in 1977. The museum showcases a vast collection of artwork ranging from the first millennium BC to the Qajar era. As you approach the museum’s entrance, you’ll notice a beautifully crafted logo carved into the wall above it. This logo was created by Morteza Momayez, a founding member of the Iranian Graphic Design Society and a descendant of Reza Abbasi. Currently, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism oversees the management of the Reza Abbasi Museum in Tehran.
Halls of Reza Abbasi Museum
The building consists of three stories and visitors are intended to begin their tour from the third floor and move downwards. The five halls showcase 50,000 items from various historical eras.
Pre-history Hall: This exhibit showcases works from the first millennium BC as well as historical periods including Sassanid, Parthian, and Achaemenid. The hall displays ceramics and metals with elegant and uncomplicated designs, often inspired by nature. Each piece hails from a distinct region in Iran, such as Azerbaijan, Shush, and Lorestan.
Islamic Art Halls 1&2: In the Islamic halls of the museum, you can view various artifacts from the Seljuk, Timurid, and Safavid periods. These include pottery vessels, metal objects, architectural elements, jewelry, and textiles. Additionally, there are pencil cases and book covers on display from the Qajar period.
Calligraphy Hall: The Reza Abbasi Museum’s calligraphy hall showcases manuscripts from the Islamic period, featuring Kufic, Naskh, and Thuluth fonts on religious pages of the Holy Quran and other books. These manuscripts are examples of the earliest forms of writing and offer insight into the evolution of calligraphy.
Miniature Hall: This hall displays paintings from various Islamic periods, including works from the first centuries of the Islamic era. The oldest leaf of the Great Mongol Shahnameh, dating back to the 8th century AH, is the most significant piece in this collection.
Reza Abbasi Museum has two sections, a workshop and a laboratory that deal with the maintenance and restoration of objects, paintings, and manuscripts.
It also has a library with 10,000 volumes of books in English, Persian, French, and German about historical objects.
Visiting hours
The Reza Abbasi Museum is open from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM during the first six months, and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM during the second six months of the year.
