Tavakoli House

Tavakoli House is one of the most distinctive historic houses in Mashhad. It stands on Navab Safavi Street, in Asgariyeh Alley, in the old quarter close to the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza. Roughly 180 years old, this historic building dates from the Qajar period and was registered as one of Iran's national monuments on 11 Mordad 1384 under registration number 12374. The house was built in 1221 by the architect Ehsan Khan Gharaei, and its first owner was a merchant named Keshmeshian, a well-known dried-fruit trader of his time. The house later became known by the name of its next owner, Tavakoli, and it has kept that name in the city's historical memory.

Tavakoli House is a valuable example of Qajar-era residential architecture, known for its timber structure, columned porches, stucco decoration, brickwork and stained-glass sash windows (orosi). The house had two sections, a winter quarter and a summer quarter, but the summer section has been destroyed over time. After standing abandoned for years, and because of its neglected state and unofficial comings and goings, it became associated in the popular imagination with legendary tales and was nicknamed the "House of the Jinn". Between 1389 and 1391, however, Mashhad Municipality carried out restoration and reconstruction work on it, and after its revival part of the house was turned into a museum called the Maktab-khaneh (traditional school), which recreates the traditional learning environment of past eras.

Today, besides its historical and architectural value, Tavakoli House is visited as an important cultural and tourist attraction in Mashhad's old quarter, and its proximity to the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza makes it very easy to reach. Inside the house, visitors can see the central courtyard with its pool, old rooms, the restored traditional school rooms and traditional decorations. During your visit, please follow the principles of responsible tourism, including looking after the building, not damaging the decorations and respecting the historic setting, so that this valuable Qajar monument is preserved for future generations.