Heydarzadeh House

Heydarzadeh House is one of the historic mansions of Tabriz in East Azerbaijan Province. It stands in the old Maqsudieh neighbourhood, south of the Tabriz Municipality building and near Saat Square. Covering roughly 900 square metres on two floors, it is considered a valuable example of historic residential architecture in Tabriz. No definitive document records when the house was built, but historical and architectural studies date it to around 1870 CE and attribute its construction to Haj Habib Lak. In addition, the 1297 AH map of Dar al-Saltanah Tabriz records a building in this area under the name of the house of Haj Qoli Khan Sartip. Heydarzadeh House was added to Iran's National Heritage list in 1378 (Solar Hijri) under registration number 2524. After restoration and renovation in 1380, it was converted into the East Azerbaijan Province Tourism Information Centre.

The architecture of Heydarzadeh House is defined by two courtyards, an inner one (andaruni) and an outer one (biruni), with the main building standing between them and linking the two sections. Its distinctive features include carved wooden windows, latticed sash windows (orosi) with stained glass, columns on the iwan, brickwork decoration and wall paintings. A central hall with stucco-decorated columns, a wide staircase and a skylight connects the different parts of the building. One of the most striking parts of the house is the basement pool room (howzkhaneh), decorated with a pool at its centre, brick vaults and painted bricks, and used in the past to create a cool space in summer. The royal room (shahneshin) is also spectacular, thanks to its colourful sash windows and the reflection of light in the glass, and it is regarded as one of the finest interior spaces of the house. The mansion's location in Maqsudieh also makes it possible to visit several other historic houses nearby, such as Behnam House, Salmasi House, Ganjeh'i-zadeh House and Ghadaki House.

To reach Heydarzadeh House, head to Tabriz, Saat Square and the Maqsudieh neighbourhood; the mansion is behind the municipality building, on its southern side. Because the building currently operates as the province's tourism information centre, it is best to plan your visit during office hours and to check the conditions for entering the different parts of the building before you go. Spring and summer, particularly because of the beauty of the courtyards and greenery, are good times to visit the house and explore the historic fabric of Tabriz. During your visit, it is important to follow the rules of the complex, keep the courtyards clean and take care of the windows, sash windows and other historic decorations. Also, since there is no dedicated car park and access is limited for people with mobility difficulties, it is best to plan your transport and visiting arrangements in advance.