A visit to Mr Jones' farm
Tehran has major palace complexes
1) Golestan, the Safavid (1501-1736, dynasty of Azeri Turk origins) began construction (but their building was not preserve) which Afshar (17 and Zand (1750 began) dynasties continued and the first two Qajar (1780s-1920s dynasty of Turkmen origins) kings finished
2) Nivaran which had 5 buildings 2 of which are build during the middle and later period of Qajars and the remaining 3 buildings are done in Pahlavi era (1925-1979).
3) Marmar (marble) palace which is off limit now and I cannot get any info on but it was built during the Pahlavi era
4) Sa'ad Abad Complex of 18 palaces of Mohammad Reza Shah's brothers, sisters and kids. The buildings are in very western style of architecture and other than rugs lack any major Iranian Cultural futures such as mosaics monabat -wood carvings.
To make sure my point is not mistaken with anti this and anti that I clarify that not I'm not arguing that there is something wrong with western things (or isn't) but that in the age of Nation-States you don't sea Russians use Spanish design or the French build in Victorian English style, the public officials of a coutry present themselves in a way that stresses their aims. Americans government buildings are in Roman renaissance style, the English stick the Lion on anything that the Royal hand might touch.
This post is going to be about the White Palace of Sa'ad Abad Complex. I will be visiting the Caspian Coast tomorrow and upon return would catch up with posts from Yazd and Golestan Palace. The Rants are being formulated so wait a bit more
The outside façade of the White Palace (WP)
The main hall of the WP. First floor.
In the whole of White Palace (palace of the king) there are four paintings -in ceiling of the main hall of the second floor- with Iranian themes two of which are depictions of Bahram (a Sassanid, Preislamic King) hunting and the other two are from personal challenges of Roostam (Iranian Legendary solider) one with Ashkaboos and the other with the Khan of China.
Ceiling of second floor hall, depiction of Roostam battling the Khaghan-e-Chin (Great Khan of China)
Private dining room, the informal dining area, the last guest entertained was Charles de Gaulle.
Formal Dining room, Last guest entertained was Jimmy Carter who famously uttered the words "Iran is the Island of Stability in middle eat" one year before the revolution. WTF?
The steps of the WP. Note the pair of feet, they belong to Reza Khan statue, during the revolution people cut him in half faith shared by many statues of the Father and the Son and Somoza's and Stalin and Marcos's.
There are also various other palace Complexes around Tehran such as Firozeh Palace (Firozeh is name of light blue/ greenish gem, don't know the English word) and Morvarid palace (Pearle Palace) both of which are Build in Pahlavi era in contract with American companies.
The Basij (the irregulars paramilitary, sometimes armed) has moved into some of the palaces Sa'ad Abad hosts the HQ of the Women and Morvarid in Karaj which used to belong to Shams, the all powerful sister of the Shah serves as another HQ.
Salute to Orwell because modern Iran is indeed the cross between the "animal farm"
I finish off this rant by saying that:
Why the animals drove off Mr. Jones?
Certainly not because they wanted to be looking in the house from the window and not be able to tell the difference between the pigs and the humans.
1) Golestan, the Safavid (1501-1736, dynasty of Azeri Turk origins) began construction (but their building was not preserve) which Afshar (17 and Zand (1750 began) dynasties continued and the first two Qajar (1780s-1920s dynasty of Turkmen origins) kings finished
2) Nivaran which had 5 buildings 2 of which are build during the middle and later period of Qajars and the remaining 3 buildings are done in Pahlavi era (1925-1979).
3) Marmar (marble) palace which is off limit now and I cannot get any info on but it was built during the Pahlavi era
4) Sa'ad Abad Complex of 18 palaces of Mohammad Reza Shah's brothers, sisters and kids. The buildings are in very western style of architecture and other than rugs lack any major Iranian Cultural futures such as mosaics monabat -wood carvings.
To make sure my point is not mistaken with anti this and anti that I clarify that not I'm not arguing that there is something wrong with western things (or isn't) but that in the age of Nation-States you don't sea Russians use Spanish design or the French build in Victorian English style, the public officials of a coutry present themselves in a way that stresses their aims. Americans government buildings are in Roman renaissance style, the English stick the Lion on anything that the Royal hand might touch.
This post is going to be about the White Palace of Sa'ad Abad Complex. I will be visiting the Caspian Coast tomorrow and upon return would catch up with posts from Yazd and Golestan Palace. The Rants are being formulated so wait a bit more
The outside façade of the White Palace (WP)
The main hall of the WP. First floor.
In the whole of White Palace (palace of the king) there are four paintings -in ceiling of the main hall of the second floor- with Iranian themes two of which are depictions of Bahram (a Sassanid, Preislamic King) hunting and the other two are from personal challenges of Roostam (Iranian Legendary solider) one with Ashkaboos and the other with the Khan of China.
Ceiling of second floor hall, depiction of Roostam battling the Khaghan-e-Chin (Great Khan of China) 
Private dining room, the informal dining area, the last guest entertained was Charles de Gaulle.
Formal Dining room, Last guest entertained was Jimmy Carter who famously uttered the words "Iran is the Island of Stability in middle eat" one year before the revolution. WTF?
The steps of the WP. Note the pair of feet, they belong to Reza Khan statue, during the revolution people cut him in half faith shared by many statues of the Father and the Son and Somoza's and Stalin and Marcos's.
There are also various other palace Complexes around Tehran such as Firozeh Palace (Firozeh is name of light blue/ greenish gem, don't know the English word) and Morvarid palace (Pearle Palace) both of which are Build in Pahlavi era in contract with American companies.
The Basij (the irregulars paramilitary, sometimes armed) has moved into some of the palaces Sa'ad Abad hosts the HQ of the Women and Morvarid in Karaj which used to belong to Shams, the all powerful sister of the Shah serves as another HQ.
Salute to Orwell because modern Iran is indeed the cross between the "animal farm"
I finish off this rant by saying that:
Why the animals drove off Mr. Jones?
Certainly not because they wanted to be looking in the house from the window and not be able to tell the difference between the pigs and the humans.
posted by The Hopeful Cynic at 5:15 AM
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