Golestan Palace

Golestan Palace is the most recent construction on the timeline of Iranian WHS, dating from the 19th-century Qajar dynasty. It also is possibly the only real attraction of Tehran - a metropolis of 10 to 15 million inhabitants. Because of its location in the capital’s city center, it is the most visited Iranian WHS among our community after the ones in Esfahan. Still, this results in only a meager 696th spot overall.

Despite its relative fame, the palace is not so easy to find for an individual visitor. It lies just off a main boulevard and is completely surrounded by much higher government buildings from the 1960s and 70s. The construction thereof by the government of the last Shah was made at the expense of older buildings belonging to the Golestan Palace (such as a theater).

When you finally find yourself at the entrance gate, there’s a big decision to make: how many of the 8 buildings/museums warrant a visit? Because on top of the 2x 150,000 Rial entrance fee to the grounds and the main buildings, there are additional fees of 80,000 each for the others. I decided to settle for 3 extra tickets: to the Building of the Windcatchers, Edifice of the Sun, and the White Palace. It turned out that the actual tickets do not mention a specific building, so in the end, you can always switch to another one if that appears more interesting.

I first did a full lap around the palace …

My visit to the Golestan Palace got off to a bit of a rocky start. It was 15 minutes after 'opening' time, and while there was already a line of foreign and local tourists waiting to go in, the man at the desk resolutely ignored everyone. Eventually, another man appeared, 'coincidentally' at the exact same time as a large French tour group, to start issuing tickets. He seemed offended when I wanted to be served before them, even though I'd been in line for 20 minutes.

The ticketing process itself is pretty arcane. Base entry price (circa April 2016) was 150, 000 rial (5USDish), a ticket to see the main attractions (the throne, hall of mirrors, etc) another 150, 000, and eight (!!!) other rooms (such as Persian paintings, European paintings, royal gifts) each costing 80, 000 and requiring their own printed ticket. The total price for everything was 940, 000 rial, or something like 30USD. I declined this offer, and settled on the two main tickets.

The garden area is pleasant enough, but not spectacular. The ornate throne room is covered by scaffolding and a large fabric curtain, but the guards did not mind me peeking my head and camera through the middle. I've seen perhaps too many European palaces in my time to still be enthused by opulent room interiors, and the Golestan Palace isn't really an exception. It was explicitly inspired by a visit from.the Shah to Versailles, and is inscribed for its nature as a Persian …

For most overseas travellers Tehran is inevitable in Iran, being the most likely entry pont and central transport hub. But the notorious traffic jams and dull concrete blocks make you feel like leaving the city as soon as possible. In other parts of the world "bustling nightlife" could outbalance the architectural disadvantages - but in the Islamic Rapublic amenities are limited to some pizzerias (forced to close if they play Western music too loud), traditional tea houses (can be fun once), cinemas (playing Iranian movies in Persian), and family picnicks (not for tourists unless you are invited).

What brings some - not too much - light into this grey concrete town, is the imperial past. The palaces are must see, as well as the tresury of the National Bank, where the crown jewels are deposited. As before the 18th century Tehran did not play an important role in the history of iran, the palaces are also quite young. Saadabad, the luxury hideout of Mohamed Reza Pahlavi, the last shah is a glitzy mid 20th century villa, that reflects the sophisticated taste and glamurous lifstyle of Farah Diba.

Golestan Palace is different. It was originally a regional royal residence built within the mud thatched walls of Theran. The major works begun with the rise of the Qajars at the end of the 18th century. Though it is not really old, its style reflects the age old Iranian traditions. Desptie the growing French and Russian influence in Iran the lifstyle of the …