In this article, by viewing images of the strange palace of Shams Pahlavi in Mehrshahr, as well as pictures of her daughter's wedding ceremony in this palace, we take a journey back to many years ago.
According to Saadnews' historical service, the Pearl Palace, also known as Shams' Palace, is one of the most beautiful and unique buildings from the Pahlavi era, located in Mehrshahr, Karaj.
The Pearl Palace was built on a 111-hectare plot of land with a construction area of 2,500 square meters between 1966 and 1968. This palace belonged to Shams Pahlavi, the sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who chose this area for her residence due to her asthma condition. The design of the building was done by William Wesley Peters, the famous American architect from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, with a cost of over one million dollars.
According to Faradeed, architecturally, the Pearl Palace is considered a completely modern work, with no signs of traditional Iranian architectural principles. The exterior facade of the palace consists of two concrete domes and a large skylight that fully covers the roof. The main structure is designed in the shape of a stingray, seemingly holding a pearl in its mouth.
All the interior spaces are under a spiral-shaped ceiling, decorated with skylights in the shape of pearls. The use of plexiglass, which allows light to pass through, and circular forms are prominent features of this building. On the northern side of the palace, a lake shaped like the fins of a stingray adds to the beauty of the surroundings.
In this regard, the Pearl Palace can be considered the first example of "organic architecture" in Iran. Organic architecture, invented by Frank Lloyd Wright, emphasizes the use of natural forms in the design of buildings.
The interior spaces of the palace include various sections, such as the Golden Hall, Shams' private office, a reception hall, a cinema hall, a billiard hall, a swimming pool, fountains, bedrooms, and a place for rare bird species. One of the most distinctive parts of the palace was the shell room, which had a special design and spiral-shaped decoration, making it stand out. Large glass ceilings directed abundant natural light into the building, enhancing the grandeur and beauty of the interior spaces.
The Pearl Palace was considered one of the most luxurious palaces in Iran at the time, not only due to its stunning architecture but also because of the extreme opulence seen in its decoration.
However, in recent years, this palace has largely fallen into ruin, with only a few traces of its original opulence remaining. Nevertheless, there have been recent discussions about restoring and preparing it for public visits.
Images of Shams Pahlavi's daughter's wedding ceremony at the Pearl Palace Wedding of Shams Pahlavi's daughter
