Amjad al-Ashraf Mansion

The Amjad al-Ashraf Mansion is one of the most valuable historical buildings of the Qajar era in the city of Sanandaj, Kurdistan Province, located on Salahuddin Ayyubi Street. The mansion was built in 1217 AH (lunar Hijri) at the commission of Mir Abu Talib, a merchant from Isfahan, with the collaboration of leading master craftsmen from Isfahan. Construction took place during the rule of Amanullah Khan Ardalan, then governor of Kurdistan, and from the outset it was regarded as one of the most important residential and ceremonial buildings in the city. The mansion's location within Sanandaj's historic quarter and its connection with the cultural and religious currents of the Qajar period have doubled its historical value.

The mansion was originally a combination of residential spaces and a ceremonial hall, and during the month of Muharram the hall was used as a husseiniyeh and a venue for mourning ceremonies. The architecture of the building includes three-door and five-door rooms on two floors, a paved central courtyard with a rectangular pool, a bathhouse, and service areas. The mansion's eye-catching decoration is among its most distinctive features; delicate plasterwork with arabesque (eslimi) motifs, paintings inspired by Western styles, artistic tilework in the husseiniyeh, and orosi sash windows with stained glass present a rare display of Qajar architectural art. The materials used in the building include gypsum plaster, brick, lime, sarooj mortar, and straw-clay (kah-gel), and some of the decorative materials were brought from Isfahan to Sanandaj.

The Amjad al-Ashraf Mansion is easily accessible via Salahuddin Ayyubi Street in the center of Sanandaj, and the building lies within the urban fabric of the old city. The best time to visit this historical site is spring and early autumn, when Sanandaj's weather is milder and exploring the city's historic quarter is more enjoyable. While visiting this historical complex, visitors should refrain from damaging the building's delicate decorations, touching the plasterwork and historic walls, and littering or causing any kind of damage, so that this valuable Qajar architectural heritage is preserved for future generations.