"GOLESTAN PALACE" Tehran Tourist Trap Tip by DAO

This is a must visit museum if you visit Iran. It is a huge complex mostly built by the Qajar ruler Nasser al-Din Shah. He expanded and developed a few earlier royal building into this massive and ornate collection after seeing some grand European Palaces. It has a staggeringly huge collection of alabaster statues, murals, paintings, Quaranic manuscripts, a few weapons, clothes, ceramics and many elaborate interiors. Also the complex is blessed with reflective pools, pleasant gardens, massive wind towers (ancient air-conditioning), mirrored surfaces and decorative tiles everywhere. There are also park benches where you can sit and take it all in. Sounds perfect doesn’t it?

So what is the problem? EVERY building is a separate museum. That’s right – you have to pay a separate fee and obtain a separate ticket for all of them. You have to do this at the main entrance the complex. This can add up for a budget traveller, make a pleasant experience complicated and leave you with decisions to make. Do I see them all, or some and which ones? You cannot go inside the buildings and have a free look see first.

Unique Suggestions:
If you can prepare ahead of time take a look at their website listed below and choose which ones to visit. I had to make some guesses with the guide they had in ‘English’. I did miss out the Historic Photograph Gallery in the interest of time. If you leave one or two out and like the look of them – you can return to the entrance and buy additional tickets. You need to buy at least one to get properly into the grounds. The Marble Throne Veranda (Ivan-e Takht-e Marmar is the best one to start with in terms of location and excellent collection of 65 alabaster statues.

LOOK HERE FIRST:
Golestan Palace website