Dehdashti Mansion

The Dehdashti Mansion, also known as the "Oil Mansion" (Emarat-e Roghani), stands in the historic quarter of Bushehr, in the old neighbourhood of Koti. It was built during the Qajar period by Haj Gholamhossein Dehdashti, a well-known oil merchant, which is why it is also called the "Oil Mansion". With four storeys and a distinctive architectural style, it is regarded as one of the outstanding examples of Qajar-era architecture in southern Iran.

The Dehdashti Mansion was built using materials such as gypsum plaster, coral stone, lime, teak and sandalwood. The ceiling of the reception room is decorated with oil paintings inspired by European painting. Other notable features of the building include fine plasterwork, crescent-shaped geometric lattice work (gereh-chini), wood carvings, and sash windows (orosi) with stained glass. Numerous commercial documents have been found inside the mansion, some of them written in the distinctive Siyaq script, and some of the stamps on them date back 200 years. These documents relate to India, Britain, Germany and the Qajar era, and are now held by the Cultural Heritage Organization.

Since 1998 (1377 in the Solar Hijri calendar), the building has been under restoration by the Bushehr Cultural Heritage Office. The work has included shoring up the deteriorating sections with piles, repairing the roof, and rebuilding the collapsed parts. The Dehdashti Mansion is open to the public, and visitors can stroll around its outer grounds. The building lies in the old quarter of Bushehr and can be reached by city taxi or on foot from various parts of the city. Given the region's geographical location and climate, the best time to visit the Dehdashti Mansion is during the cooler seasons, especially autumn and winter. During these months, the mild and pleasant weather makes for an enjoyable visit to this historic monument.