TEHRAN – Collections of rare relics have been put on show for the first time at Tehran’s Dafineh Museum, which opened to the public on Sunday after some five-year closure due to an extensive restoration.
The museum is owned by the Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution, which is one of the largest commercial enterprises in the country.
The opening ceremony was attended by Parviz Fattah who presides over the foundation, and a host of cultural officials, artists, cultural aficionados, researchers and journalists.
Achaemenid-era (c.550-330 BC) scepter made of gold, busts and figurines, oil paintings, Seljuk-era earthenware, personal ornamentations, calligraphic works, banknotes, ancient coins, and rare rugs are amongst objects on display at the museum.
Last year, Iranian architect Seyyed Mohammad-Hossein Rahmati was honored at the 35th edition of the WA Awards, which is organized by the World Architecture Community, for the design of the lobby of Dafineh Museum.
The building’s architecture was inspired by the works of late American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The building’s architecture was inspired by the works of late American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
Also, the doors of Kakh-e Marmar (“Marble Palace”), a historical royal residence in Tehran, opened to the public on Sunday as an art museum after more than four decades. The palace served as a museum for a year before the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Now, it is turned into a venue for showcasing Persian arts and cultural heritage handcrafted from the first millennium BC onwards.
Iran embraces hundreds of historical sites such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 22 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.
AFM/