Sepahdar Garden Mansion

The Sepahdar Garden Mansion, one of the outstanding works of Qajar-era architecture, is located on West Palestine Street in Qazvin. This two-story brick mansion stands within the historic Hezar Jarib Garden. It was built on the orders of Mohammad Vali Khan Tonekaboni, known as Sepahdar-e A'zam, between 1323 and 1327 AH (lunar Hijri). Its design and construction were inspired by the Kolah Farangi mansion (Chehel Sotoun Palace) and the Grand Guesthouse of Qazvin, reflecting Sepahdar's power-seeking character and his wish to display his authority in Qazvin. The building was registered on the Iran National Heritage List on 3 Esfand 1377 (Solar Hijri) under registration number 2227.

The architecture of the Sepahdar Garden Mansion is influenced by Chehel Sotoun Palace and the Grand Guesthouse of Qazvin. The building has a porch (iwan) with tall columns, surrounded by crescent-shaped arches. The ground floor contains corridors and service rooms, while the upper floor has a rectangular hall and numerous rooms. This design reflects the ambition of Sepahdar-e A'zam, who intended to show off his standing in Qazvin by building such a structure. Over the course of its history, during World War I the Sepahdar Garden Mansion was used as a headquarters by Russian and British troops. After Mohammad Vali Khan fell into tax debt to the government, the building was confiscated by the state and suffered damage from neglect, until it was restored in 1335 (Solar Hijri) and handed over to the Agriculture Department.

Today, the Sepahdar Garden Mansion is under the control of the Qazvin Agricultural Jihad Organization and is used as an agricultural museum. The museum displays old farming tools, traditional tractors, plows and other agricultural equipment. Visiting this museum is a good opportunity to learn about the history of agriculture in Iran and how it has changed over different periods.