The Sa'dabad Complex (Persian: مجموعه سعدآباد, romanized: Majmuʻe-ye Saʻd-âbâd) is a 80 hectare complex built by the Qajar and Pahlavi monarchs, located in Shemiran, Greater Tehran, Iran.Today, the official residence of the President of Iran is located adjacent to the complex.
| Sa'dabad Complex | |
|---|---|
مجموعه سعدآباد
| |
The White Palace
| |
  Location in Tehran | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Address | Darband, Zafaraniyeh, Tajrish, Valiasr Street |
| Town or city | Tehran |
| Country | Iran |
| Coordinates | 35°49′00″N 51°25′21″E / 35.816664°N 51.422539°E / 35.816664; 51.422539 |
| Current tenants | President of Iran |
| Construction started | 1921 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Hossein Behzad |
The complex includes natural forest, streets, qanats, galleries, mansions/palaces and museums.
The complex was initially built and inhabited by Qajar dynasty of monarchs in the 19th century. After extensive expansions, Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty resided there in the 1920s. His son, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, moved there in the 1970s. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter stayed in the palace during a visit to Iran to guarantee U.S. support for the regime.[1] After the 1979 Revolution, the complex became a public museum.
Large parts of the complex are museums, which are accessible to visitors. Other parts are currently used by the Office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The complex is operated by the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran.
During the Pahlavi period, this palace was the place of the last years of Reza Shah's life before his exile to Mauritius. It was also the place of residence of the king's mother (Taj al-Muluk) until the time of the 1979 Revolution.
This palace is currently in the possession of the Presidential Institution of Iran and is reserved for special guests of the Government of Iran; and for this reason it is also famous as "The Republic Building". This palace is also currently inaccessible to the public.[2]
The Green Museum Palace has been called "the most beautiful palace in Iran". This palace is important due to its historical and architectural importance. It dates back to the Qajar period and has two styles of Iranian architecture. They called this palace "The Stone Palace" during the reign of Reza Khan and "The Shahvand palace" during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi; later, it was called "The Green Palace" because of its green façade.[3]
The Palace of the Nation Museum with an area of 7,000 square meters is the largest palace in Sa'dabad complex.
Until after the 1979 revolution and the transfer of the complex to the Cultural Heritage Organization, it was renamed "The Palace of the Nation Museum" (Mellat museum in Persian). The construction of the Palace, began in the late Pahlavi period.
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35°49′02″N 51°25′24″E / 35.817252°N 51.423451°E / 35.817252; 51.423451