Niavaran region is located in north Tehran, near the Alborz mountain range. It was chosen as a summer residence of Iranian kings for the first time during the Qajar era. In the past, the Niavaran complex in Tehran was much smaller than today and was located outside the city of Tehran. Due to the proximity to the mountains and the excellent climate in this area, Fath Ali Shah the second king of Qajar ordered to build of a garden and a mansion as his summer residence in this area.

Years later, during the Pahlavi era -the last royal dynasty of Iran- Niavaran Palace was first chosen as a place to receive foreign guests, and then it became the residence of the king and his wife, Farah Diba, and their children.

The architecture of the Niavaran complex is primarily a fusion of Iranian and European architectural styles. The design of the Niavaran Palace building was done by Mohsen Foroughi. He was a professor of Iranian architecture and the head of the Tehran University of Fine Arts. He was also one of the founders of Tehran University’s Faculty of Architecture. Farah Diba, who studied architecture in France, was responsible for the interior design of this palace too.

The retractable roof of the palace is considered one of the most important innovations of its time. In the construction of this roof, the use of aluminum has made it light enough for mobility.

The ground floor of the palace consists of a reception hall, a waiting room, a dining room, the blue hall, and a 400-meter cinema hall,

There are priceless decorative objects on this floor, such as paintings by great artists of the world, and very beautiful and valuable furniture. Some of the objects that catch the eyes of each visitor are surely the carpets. Most famous Iranian carpets are spread in this palace and each one has a unique design. The most famous one called Salatin represents portraits of Iranian kings throughout the history of Iran, from the Achaemenid period to the Qajar era.

The decorative dishes that you can see on this floor are all historical and valuable works; Among them, we can mention Marlik archaeological pottery. Of course, it should be mentioned that most of these valuable dishes were gifts from foreign officials to the Iranian royal family. Another one of the most valuable objects inside this hall is a beautiful piano that the German government gave to the Shah as a gift.

The upper floor of the Niavaran Palace was the residence of the royal family and the bedrooms are located there. Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s private room and the afternoon resting room are also located on this floor. It is interesting to know that all the furniture on this floor is as it originally was. You can even see Farah Diba’s personal clothes among which the tribal dresses and needlework of Baluchistan are remarkable.

The last floor contains the bedroom of Leila, the youngest daughter of the Shah, the conference room, and the office of Farah’s secretary.

The living room on the third floor is also remarkable from a historical point of view. It is said that the last moments of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s presence in Iran and Niavaran Palace were in this room and then he moved to the airport with his wife and left Iran forever.