The Marble Palace ( fa, کاخ مرمر, ''Kākh-e Marmar'') is an historic building and former royal residence in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. It is located in the city centre,
but the location was a quiet quarter of Tehran when the palace was erected.
History
The property in which the Marble Palace is situated used to belong to
Prince Abbas Mirza Farman Farmaian, and contained his private residences and office. Upon ascension to the throne,
Reza Shah
Reza Shah Pahlavi ( fa, رضا شاه پهلوی; ; originally Reza Khan (); 15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was an Iranian Officer (armed forces), military officer, politician (who served as Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran), ...
, whom had previously been a sentry guard at the property confiscated it from the Farmanfarmaian family and evicted the family of Abbas Mirza Farman Farmaian in less than 24 hours. The demolition of the earlier buildings took place shortly thereafter.
The Marble Palace was built between 1934 and 1937. It was constructed on the orders of Reza Shah by French engineer Joseph Leon and Iranian architect Fat'hollah Firdaws.
It was originally built to host official functions and receptions.
[
The palace was used by Reza Shah and then his son ]Mohammad Reza Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ( fa, محمدرضا پهلوی, ; 26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980), also known as Mohammad Reza Shah (), was the last ''Shah'' (King) of the Imperial State of Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow in the Irani ...
as their residence.[ Reza Shah and his fourth spouse ]Esmat Dowlatshahi
Esmat Dowlatshahi ( fa, عصمتالملوک دولتشاهی; 1905 – 25 July 1995) was an Iranian royal and the fourth and last wife of Reza Shah.
Early life
Dowlatshahi was born in 1905. She was a member of the Qajar dynasty. Her father w ...
lived at the palace with their five children until Reza Shah's exile in 1941. Reza Shah signed his letter of abdication at the palace in September 1941.
Numerous significant royal events occurred during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah. It was one of his two significant palaces in addition to Golestan Palace
The Golestan Palace ( fa, کاخ گلستان, ''Kākh-e Golestān''), also transliterated as the Gulistan Palace and sometimes translated as the Rose Garden Palace from Persian language, was built in the 16th century, renovated in the 18th cen ...
.[ The Marble palace was identified with the Shah's persona in the 1950s.][ The palace hosted all three marriage ceremonies of the Shah. The Iranian wedding ceremony of the Shah and his first spouse, Princess Fawzia, was held at the palace in 1939, and it was their residence until their divorce in 1945.
In October 1950, the betrothal ceremony and in February 1951, the wedding ceremony of the Shah and his second spouse, ]Soraya Esfandiary
Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary ( fa, ثریا اسفندیاری بختیاری, Sorayâ Esfandiâri-Baxtiâri; 22 June 1932 – 26 October 2001) was Queen of the Imperial State of Iran as the second wife of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whom she ma ...
, were held at the palace. Both betrothal and marriage of the Shah to his third wife, Farah Diba
Farah Pahlavi ( fa, فرح پهلوی, née Farah Diba ( fa, فرح دیبا, label=none); born 14 October 1938) is the widow of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and was successively Queen and Empress (''Shahbanu'') of Iran from 1 ...
, also occurred at the palace. Shahnaz Pahlavi
Shahnaz Pahlavi ( fa, شهناز پهلوی, born 27 October 1940) is the first child of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his first wife, Princess Fawzia of Egypt.
Early life and education
Shahnaz Pahlavi was born in Tehran on 27 ...
, daughter of the Shah and Princess Fawzia, also wed Ardeshir Zahedi
Ardeshir Zahedi, GCVO ( fa, اردشیر زاهدی; 16 October 1928 – 18 November 2021) was an Iranian politician and diplomat who served as the country's foreign minister from 1966 to 1971, and its ambassador to the United States and the Uni ...
at the palace in October 1957. In addition, the palace hosted the Shah's 48th birthday party.
Besides these events the Shah also survived an assassination attempt at the palace on 10 April 1965 perpetrated by an Iranian soldier. Following this event which is known as the Marble Palace Plot the palace was no longer in use[ and was made a museum in 1970.]
Style and technical features
The design of the two story palace was first developed by Ostad Jafar Khan.[ However, final sketch was produced by Ostad Haidar Khan.][ The overall architectural style of the palace is eclectic, combining Eastern, including ]Qajar
Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
architectural features, and Western architectural styles.
The palace is surrounded by a garden. The external surface of the palace is of white marble.[ The stone entrance of the palace where two statues of ]Achaemenid
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...
soldiers holding arrows were erected particularly reflects eclectic architectural style.[ These statues were carved by Iranian artist Jafar Khan.][ The palace has other gates which were made by local craftsmen from different provinces. The palace is covered by a huge dome that is a ]replica
A 1:1 replica is an exact copy of an object, made out of the same raw materials, whether a molecule, a work of art, or a commercial product. The term is also used for copies that closely resemble the original, without claiming to be identical. Al ...
of the Sheikh Lotfollah mosque
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque ( fa, مسجد شیخ لطف الله) is one of the masterpieces of Iranian architecture that was built during the Safavid Empire, standing on the eastern side of Naqsh-i Jahan Square, Isfahan (city), Esfahan, Iran. Const ...
in Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
.[ The dome is covered by ]arabesque
The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...
tiles with scroll-like patterns.[
The internal area of the palace is highly formal with heavily carved doors and extremely high ceilings.][ The palace has a very large reception room where mirrors are used like in many mosques and holy shrines in the country. The room is known as "Hall of Mirrors". The interior of the palace was furnished by rich fabrics and rugs.][ Decorations were made by Iranian architect Hossein Lorzadeh.] The tiles used at the palace were produced by Ostad Yazdi and paintings by Ostad Behzad.[
The land area of the palace is , of which is used for residence.][
]
Current usage
After the 1979 Islamic revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
in Iran, the palace was used as a museum until 1981.[ Then it was given to the ]expediency discernment council
The Expediency Discernment Council of the System ( fa, مجمع تشخیص مصلحت نظام ''Majma'-e Taškhīs-e Maslahat-e Nezām'') is an administrative assembly appointed by the Supreme Leader and was created upon the revision to the Co ...
.[ Local people reported that the palace had been used by the senior politicians in ]the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
. The historical items used at the palace, including furniture, are being exhibited at the decorative arts museum in Tehran. The palace had been close to the public until July 2020 when it was redesigned as the museum of arts following its acquisition by the Mostazafan Foundation
The Mostazafan Foundation of Islamic Revolution ( fa, بنیاد مستضعفان انقلاب اسلامی) formerly Bonyad-e Mostazafan va Janbazan (Foundation of the Oppressed and Disabled or "MFJ") is a charitable '' bonyad'', or foundation, i ...
in 2019.
Gallery
Marmar Palace 23289.jpg
Marmar Palace 1398110615003146819495814.jpg
Marmar Palace 3361502.jpg
Marmar Palace 3361476.jpg
Marmar Palace 3361457.jpg
Marmar Palace 3361501.jpg
Marmar Palace 45453.jpg
Marmar Palace 1398110615003231219495814.jpg
Marmar Palace 1398110615003117119495814.jpg
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marble Palace
1937 establishments in Iran
Buildings and structures in Tehran
Houses completed in 1937
Palaces in Tehran
Royal residences in Iran