Pars Museum is located in the center of a lovely garden called Bagh Nazar which doubles the splendour of its spectacular view. The exterior of the museum is designed as an octagon decorated all around with gorgeous blue tiles among which Shah's hunting scene is engraved.

Inside this octagonal building is the central hall with a dome elaborately designed with the art of Muqarnas and carvings on the walls. This mansion was built by Karim Khan Zand in order to receive royal guests and representatives of foreign countries during the Zandieh Era.

Pars Museum houses valuable works from the ancient Achaemenid, Sasanian and even pre-Islamic eras to famous contemporary paintings. The tomb of Karim Khan Zand is considered the most important part of the Pars Museum and is located in Bagh Nazar.

Take part in Shiraz Walking Tour to visit this bath with the local Shirazi tour guide who will tell you the customs of this city.

Let us introduce you the easiest way to get an Iran Visa to visit the Pars Museum if you have the temptation of visiting the Vakil complex. As soon as you are in Iran you may need a comfortable Airport Transfer. Let us arrange it for you at the lowest rates.

Pars Museum in History

The old Nazar Garden was one of the largest gardens of Shiraz during the Safavid rule (1501–1722). During the Zand dynasty (1750–1794), Karim Khan Zand built this beautiful octagonal mansion called Kolah Farangi. During his time, this magnificent mansion was a place to receive guests, foreign ambassadors, and official ceremonies.

The exterior of the Kolah Farangi mansion is octagonal, decorated with the scenery of the hunting and the story of Solomon sitting on the throne. The brick designs, tiling, pictures and big stone dadoes are among the architectural features of the building.

After his death, Karim Khan was buried in this garden but Agha Muhammad Khan from the Qajar dynasty ordered his grave to be exhumed; his bones were moved to Golestan Palace. Once more, during the Pahlavi dynasty, the bones were exhumed and returned to the Nazar garden. In 1936 the pavilion became the first museum outside the capital city of Tehran.

Artworks in Pars Museum

Pars museum is a display of almost 30 handwritten Qurans and a number of magnificent paintings by famous Persian artists. Among the paintings is the well-known Karim Khan’s Smoking Shisha created by Jafar Naqash. Other objects include metal objects, pottery, coins and seals from the 4th millennium BC to the contemporary period. The sword of Karim Khan Zand and the two famous Qurans from the Quran Gate known as Hifdah-Man are also kept in this museum.

The Hifdah-Man Quran have been transferred to Pars Museum after the gate was stricken by the earthquake.