Malek Mansion

Malek Mansion is one of the most prominent historical monuments in Bushehr Province. It stands in the Bahmani neighbourhood, on Mahini Street, in Malek Alley, and was registered as a National Heritage Site of Iran on 17 Azar 1377 (8 December 1998) under registration number 2184. The mansion was built in the late Qajar period by Mohammad Mahdi Malek al-Tojjar, a well-known Bushehri merchant. After travelling to France and seeing the magnificent palaces there, he decided to build a similar mansion in Bushehr. French architects were employed to design and build it, and most of its materials were sourced from Bushehr County.

With a floor area of 4,000 square metres, Malek Mansion consists of a complex of buildings and various spaces, designed on two floors. Its architecture combines French and bungalow styles, which were common on the Persian Gulf coast at the time. One of the mansion's unique features is its natural cooling system. Double-layered walls with a gap between them channel cool air into the building. Using palm leaves and local thorns, this system worked as a natural air conditioner in summer. In the late Reza Shah period, the mansion was turned into a military dormitory. After several rounds of rebuilding it gradually fell into disrepair, and because of its large size it never received a full restoration.

In recent years, because of a lack of care, a number of homeless people lived in the complex. In 1397 (2018), however, with the cooperation of the Bushehr Cultural Heritage Department and other bodies, they were moved out of the building. In 1398 (2019) the mansion was handed over to the private sector to be restored and then used as a hotel and traditional restaurant. Visiting Malek Mansion is open to the public, and you can stroll around its outer grounds. The building lies in the old quarter of Bushehr, and you can reach it by city taxi or on foot from different parts of the city. Given the location and climate, the best time to visit is the cooler seasons, especially autumn and winter. In these months the mild, pleasant weather makes for an enjoyable visit to this historical monument.