Museum of Decorative Arts (Historical mansion of Rakib Khane)

Rakib Khane Mansion Through Time

This building was constructed over the ruins of a Safavid palace named: “Jobbeh Khaneh”. During Shah Abbas the first reign, king of Safavid dynasty, this iconic mansion was constructed. Through Qajar era this mansion was in residency of the rulers of Isfahan and its basement was used as a prison. It was also home to Zelol Sultan who was famous for the destructions that happened under his orders. This is one of the rare buildings that wasn’t destroyed by Zelol Sultan. During Pahlavi dynasty it first belonged to the governor and later it turned into civil registration organization.

What Does Rakib Khane Mean?

Currently, this mansion is known as the museum of decorative art which is also named Historical mansion of Rakib Khane. Rakib Khane is a word that is used for the places which hold the horse riding equipment. This mansion is located in the cultural context of the Isfahan city near the palaces of Ali-Qapo and Chehel Sotun.

Special Features of Rakib Khane

The remaining columns of this palace are moved to Chehel Sotun Palace. The mansion’s courtyard is surrounded by beautiful gardens giving it a fascinating mood with calming atmosphere. On one of the sides of this mansion there is a tower that gives it a sophisticated design. The special architecture designs such as stucco work and mirror works are the highlights of this historic house. 3000 historical pieces are held in this museum which belong to different dynasties along history.

7 main sections of the museum

  • Calligraphy and handwritten books
  • Lacquered and oil Art works
  • Braid making and traditional embroidery works
  • Paintings
  • Metal works
  • Glassware, pottery and Chinese
  • Wood works including wood joints and wood carvings

Overview


Opening Hours

Saturday- Wednesday: 8:30 – 13:30
Thursday: 8:30 – 12:30


Location

Museum of Decorative Arts, Ostandari Street, Isfahan, Iran


Contact

(+98) 31 3221 8606


Price

150000 Rls

Sheykh ol-Eslam’s Historical House

Sheykh ol-Eslam's Historical House

In Sheikh-ol Eslam Alley, Chaharah-e Takhti, an excellent Qajarid mansion is located. The fine mirror and plaster work with beautiful pendentives (a triangular segment of a spherical surface, filling in the upper corners of a room, in order to form, at the top, a circular support for a dome) give Sheykh ol-Eslam’s Historical House an exceptional decoration. Today, textile arts are done in workshops placed in this house such as:  weaving, cloak weaving and braid making. The art of weaving is one of the ancient arts of Isfahan. The weaving on different textiles such as silk, wool and cotton is done by artists.

The Entrance of a Persian Traditional House

The entrance of the house is decorated with a circular doorknob (for ladies) and a bar-shaped one (for men) with a floral design and headed-steel nails. Each of the doorknobs would make a different sound.

Who Is Sheykh Ol-Eslam?

This beautiful historical house was once the residence of the high-ranking theologian ‘Sheykh-ol Eslam’. On special occasions this house was used as a place for holding religious ceremonies and theater called Ta’zieh. This kind of religious theater was performed in such a professional way that many believe the theater of Iran owes a great deal to this.

Handicraft Workshops

Today, workshops of some traditional handicrafts, which are headed by the masters of each craft, such as: brocade weaving, plasterwork, and lattice-window making.

Sheykh Ol-Eslam’s Historical House Mainly Consists of Two Parts:

  • Andarooni (interior) in which family and the household would spend time.
  • Birooni (exterior) which is beautifully designed with wood joint and Muqarnas was used by guests and visitors. This part is embellished with frescoes, mirror works and stucco work in an eye-catching way.

This valuable historic building has been registered as number 997 in national heritage list.

Overview

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Malek Vineyard

Malek Vineyard

Angurestane Malek-ol-toj’jar is Persian for the vineyard of Malek-ol-toj’jar. Malek-ol-toj’jar was one of the successful merchants who lived during the Qajar dynasty. At that time, Zelol-sultan was the ruler of Isfahan city and the son of Naser-al-din Shah, one of the kings of Iran.

Who Is Malek-Ol-Toj’jar?

On the order of Zelol-sultan many palaces were destroyed till Malek-ol-toj’jar purchased the two remaining Ali-Qapo and Chehel Sotun Palaces as a mean of keeping them as storage places to save them.

Angurestane Malek-ol-toj’jar is one of the historical houses located in Malek Street, Isfahan. It was dedicated to Imam Hossein. Different religious ceremonies are held in this house in Imam Hossein’s honor. Malek-ol-toj’jar, in his will, demanded to be buried in this house.

The Exceptional Decorations of This House

All around the house are placed different traditional furniture which belonged to Malek-ol toj’jar such as: The table, the chairs and the chandeliers. They are depicted in the photographs taken of the room.

The building is located on the northern part of the plot with two great halls. The former is fully decorated with sash windows and plaster work while the latter is larger and it is decorated with columns, huge latticed doors in colorful glasses, and balconies all around for ladies to attend meetings. High quality wooden panels on the ceiling are also visible. The courtyard is covered by steel trusses for religious meetings.

Different Parts of the House

  • The inner courtyard: in Persian it is called Andarooni. A beautiful pond along with a Persian style garden is placed in this courtyard it used to help the house’s air conditioning. Later, it was removed for the purpose of holding ceremonies in an easier way.
  • The winter room: sunlight would come through the windows during the winter, so they would choose this room to stay in during the winter. The tomb of Malek-ol-toj’jar and his wife are laid to rest in this room.
  • The summer room: it is decorated with beautiful stained glass windows.

According to two inscribed plaster panels, the date of its construction was 1906 A.D. and the date of the late merchant death was 1922 A.D. inscribed on the marble tombstone along with a photo of him.

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Mollabashi Historical House

Mollabashi historical House

Dating back to Zandieh and Qajar dynasty, Mollabashi Historical House is one of the most beautiful houses among all others. Also, it has some features related to Safavid dynasty.

History of Mollabashi Historical House

Zelol Sultan was famous for the destructions that happened under his orders. When Zelol Sultan the son of Naser-al-din Shah who was the ruler of Isfahan city this house was purchased by Mollabashi. Mollabashi was a famous astronomer during Naser-al-din Shah. This historical house is also known under the name of Motamedi House.

Mollabashi Historical House is registered on the National World Heritage list. This house is placed in the cultural-context near the other Isfahan Historical Houses.

Stained glass windows and mirrored walls are a part of the outstanding architecture of this house. The remarkable stucco decoration among with the colorful tiles decorating the ceiling gives the place a marvelous look.

The three main parts of Mollabashi Historical House

  • Courtyard: The reconstruction of this part is more visible than any other parts of the house. The end of the courtyard leads you to a beautiful room. This room overlooks the street. During the day, the room is showered in sunlight. The staircase would lead you to the porch and the rooftop.
  • Summer House(Tabestan-Neshin): From the courtyard you can get to the summer room which has noticeable Zandieh Features. The painting on the walls of this room depict the names of planets and ancient Iranian months.
  • Inner Courtyard: This part is where you can truly see most of the historic aspects of a traditional Iranian house.

The entrance doors of the rooms are adorned with Muqarnas tiles. A water pond in the center gives this house a traditional Persian atmosphere. A rectangular room with fresco walls was designed and used to host special guests. It was big enough to hold different celebrations in it.

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Javaheri Historical House

Javaheri Historical House

One of the most beautiful historical houses belonging to the Qajar Dynasty is the Javaheri Historical House. This mansion is located in Jamale Quarter, near the twin minarets of Dardasht. The mansion has many exceptional features with its fine lattice windows and fantastic veranda. The Cultural Heritage and Handicrafts Organization have recently converted this historical house into a training and handicrafts center. The aim was to create a suitable space for artists to create art, train new artists, share their experience, and sell their products.

Different Parts of Javaheri Historical House

In an architectural point of view, Javaheri House has a square plan. The main side of the house is located on its southern side which is connected to a hallway. The western wing of the house has a side doom with three floors overlooking the courtyard. The western side of the house mirrors the opposite side. The existence of the pond next to a garden with fine trees create a unique atmosphere. This helps the house retain a traditional feel. The staircase leads up to the roof. From the rooftop view, you can have a view of Jameh mosque.

Javaheri Historical House Collections

Javaheri house holds an extraordinary collection including: The Persian plaster work of Milk and Sugar, Arched pans of five and three, and colorful glasses which are visible in the main hall also known as Shahneshin. in the basement located on the western side of the house, there are some exceptional examples of tiles in different methods. Different handicraft workshops such as: emboss working Marquetry, calico work, inlaid works, and lock making are placed in this historical house.

Javaheri Historical House is located in the historical-cultural context of the Isfahan city.

Overview

Opening Hours

Location

Contact

(+98) –

Price

Free