Introduction
The National Museum of Iran, AKA the Iran Bastan Museum, is the first building in Iran specifically designed as a museum. It was designed by the French architect André Godard and finished in 1936. Its design was inspired by the famous arch of Taq-e Kasra in Ctesiphon. It is one of the famous examples of Sasanian architecture.
This museum houses over 2000 selected artifacts from the lower Paleolithic period to the end of the Sasanian period in 651 CE. The first floor contains the prehistoric objects. The ground floor contains historic objects, including Bronze Age, Iron Age, Elamite, Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sasanian artifacts.
First floor in detail
The Paleolithic period—hunter-gatherers (ca. 3.3 million to ca. 12 thousand years ago)
This period is the longest period in human history. People were living in small groups and living off hunting animals and gathering food. During this period, humans were using chipped stone and animal bone tools. The appearance of ornament tools and cave art happened during this period as well. The oldest artifacts in the museum are the stone tools that go back to the lower Paleolithic period (ca. 3300000-250000 years ago).
The Neolithic & Chalcolithic periods (ca. 10000 to ca. 5000 years ago)
During this period, mobile bands of hunter-gatherers settled down in small villages. The first villages were created in the Zagros Mountains, where wild species of wheat, barley, sheep, goats, and pigs were native. After humans were able to domesticate these animals, more villages were established in the valleys of Iran.
The most important invention during this period was the use of baked or fired pottery vessels. The simple adobe houses turned into multi-chambered brick houses with colored decorations too. The founding of religious ideas during this time led to the construction of temples.
The Neolithic period is a revolutionary period in the entire human history, as humans didn’t need to search for food and shelter in a hostile environment anymore. This led to the increase of population and a more complex society, which in turn created an elite class to lead their community.
Ground floor in detail
The Bronze and Iron Age (ca. 3000 to ca. 559 BC)
Up until this period, people were mostly equal to each other, but from this time onwards, people were divided into a lower class who had less access to goods and a higher class who had more access to goods. This division paved the way for the rise of the states and the formation of civilizations.
The earliest civilization that emerged in Iran was Elam, which lasted from 3300 to 550 BCE. Elamites had their own language, which was initially written in pictorial script, but later on they adopted the Mesopotamian cuneiform script. Later on, as Elam flourished, other Iranian societies emerged and started developing as well.
One of the major breakthroughs in the Iron Age was the introduction of bronze alloy, which changed the balance of power drastically between nations.
The Achaemenids—founders of the first world empire (559 to 330 BCE)
The Persians were one of the Iranian-speaking people who settled in the south in the Fars region. They made a good relationship with the Elamites, which later on led to the formation of the largest empire the world had seen up to that point.
The founder of the Achaemenid Empire was Cyrus the Great, who made an empire the world had never seen before. He introduced ideas that no one had ever heard of. Such modern ideas as accepting every ethnic group with their ideas and religions were free to live in the empire.
The next notable person was Darius the Great, who introduced standardized coinage called darics and shekels. Besides that, an extensive network of roads facilitated the trade and interaction between different parts of the empire.
Since they welcomed everyone into the empire, the art flourished. One of the most notable examples of this is the construction of Persepolis, the royal capital of the Achaemenids. The best artists and artisans from every corner of the empire gathered together and implemented their own culture into the construction of the Persepolis.
There are many objects from this period in the museum, like the statue of Darius the Great built by Egyptians or the bas-reliefs of Persepolis.
The Seleucids (313 to 146 BCE)
One of the golden eras of Iran ended by the hands of Alexander the Great, who managed to defeat the Achaemenids. After Alexander’s death, most of his empire was transferred to Seleucus Nicator, one of his generals. He chose Iran as his domain. To gain legitimacy amongst Iranians, he married a Persian princess. Thanks to the discovery of some sanctuaries dedicated to Greek gods and goddesses and many inscriptions and statuettes in Iran, we can see the level of Greek influence in Iran. Some of these objects are on display in the national museum of Iran. Even after the fall of the Seleucids at the hands of the Arsacids (Parthians) in Iran, this influence found its way into the new empire too.
The Parthians (247 BCE to 224 CE)
Arsacids (Parthians) were an Iranian tribe who were named after the founder of the dynasty, Arsaces. They were originally located in northeastern parts of Iran. Parthians were master riders and marksmen who are still remembered in expressions such as “the Parthian Shot.” Unlike their predecessor (Achaemenids) or successor (Sasanids), they were divided into several clans and didn’t have a centralized empire.
Such a system was a weak point for them. Their new enemy to the west, the Roman Empire, gained a lot from that. They entered western Asia, which up until that time was traditionally an Iranian territory. Romans managed to capture and loot Ctesiphon, the Parthian capital, three times. Though the Parthians managed to stand before the Romans, they lost their divine mandate and were replaced by the Sasanids.
During this time, the art was more provisional compared to the Achaemenids and Sassanids. One of the notable findings is a statue of a noble Parthian on display in the museum. The other notable example of Parthian art is their masterful glass objects, which are on display in the museum too. In 1994, some naturally preserved human remains were found in the Chehr-Abad salt mine in the vicinity of Zanjan. These remains date back to the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sasanian periods. One of the better-preserved examples known as the salt-man that goes back to the late Parthian and early Sasanian periods is on display in the museum hall.
The Sasanids (224 to 651 CE)
The Sassanids were from Persia and had a claim to the Achaemenid Persian legacy. After the Arsacids (Parthians) lost their divine mandate because of their multiple defeats at the hands of the Romans, Ardashir I rose against Artabanus V, the last Parthian king, and put an end to their empire. The newly established dynasty, called the Sassanids, was named after Ardashir I’s grandfather, Sasan. It is believed Sasan was the chief priest of the temple of Anahita.
The Sassanids strived for a centralized empire, which helped them to drive the Romans back across the Euphrates. During this period, major construction works were carried out in several cities, like Bishapur. The Sasanian period witnessed a major renaissance, from stamp seals, textiles, and personal ornaments to many rock reliefs and decorative stuccos. Some of these artifacts are on display in the museum.
The Sasanian dynasty was a second golden age in Iran. Due to many long wars with Romans and internal feuds over the imperial throne, they became easy prey for the tribesmen coming from Arabia. After Yazdgerd III, the last Sassanid king, was murdered, the remaining royal family fled to China in the mid-seventh century. This was an end to the ancient empires of Iran and led to a new age of Islam in Iran.
How to reach the National Museum of Iran?
The easiest way to reach the National Museum of Iran is through the subway system. All you need to do is go to Imam Khomeini subway station or Hasan Abad subway station. From there, move towards 30 Tir Street, and you can see the National Museum of Iran.
