Ghasr Museum Garden

Ghasr Prison, now known as the "Ghasr Museum Garden" (Bagh-Museum-e Ghasr), is located in Tehran, District 5 of Municipality Region 7, on Shahid Sayad Shirazi Expressway, Police Street. This historic complex was Tehran's first centralized prison and was later turned into a cultural, artistic and historical museum. It was originally built as a palace during the Qajar period, but later became Ghasr Prison (a political prison). The palace was rebuilt during the reign of Reza Shah (1308 SH, 1929), and after the 1953 coup (1332 SH) some sections were set aside for political prisoners. The building is registered on Iran's National Heritage List, and at the 11th Best Museums Selection Ceremony (1397 SH, 2018) it was named the country's top museum in the indicators of collection building and management development.

The architecture of the present building combines industrial design with traditional Iranian elements and was reconstructed by Nikolai Markov. The Ghasr Museum Garden includes a variety of sections: the political prison, the Markov Museum, the Farrokhi Yazdi Hall, watchtowers, a prayer hall, and a Persian garden with extensive vegetation, including elm, pine, grape, plane, mulberry and cypress trees. The Markov Museum has temporary and permanent galleries, a documents center, a bookshop, a café and a multipurpose assembly hall. The Farrokhi Yazdi Hall hosts conferences, music performances, theater and film, and the watchtowers, equipped for astronomical observation, offer a different kind of experience of history and science. Prominent political and cultural figures were imprisoned in Ghasr Prison, including Bozorg Alavi, Mohammad-Taqi Shariati, Morteza Motahhari and Ayatollah Taleghani.

To reach the Ghasr Museum Garden you can use a private car, the metro or the bus. The nearest metro station is "Shahid Mofatteh", and bus lines from Imam Khomeini Terminal, Resalat Square and Shahid Beheshti bring visitors close to the museum. Visiting hours are Saturday to Wednesday from 8:30 to 14:30 and Thursdays from 8:30 to 13:30; it is closed on Fridays and public holidays. The paths around and inside the garden are suitable for walking and a light stroll, and visitors who behave with courtesy and respect can enjoy the historic and cultural atmosphere of the complex.