Today in History / Rare Colorized Images of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar’s Lavish Parties Revealed – What Extravagance He Displayed! + Photos

According to the historical section of Saed News, here are three rarely seen photographs from the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, vividly capturing the atmosphere of royal parties and courtly gatherings. All three images were taken by Antoin Sevruguin, the renowned photographer of the Qajar era.

The first photo was most likely taken during one of the Shah’s short excursions near Tehran. In this image, the Shah is seated on a chair, looking directly at the camera. Standing to his right is a young boy known as Aziz al-Sultan, famously nicknamed "Malijak the Second."

In the background, members of the royal court and palace cooks are seen preparing a meal. Some are peeling eggplants, while other ingredients are laid out in trays, ready to be added to the cooking pots.

The second photo lacks specific details but appears to have been taken at the moment the Shah entered a hall, seemingly set up for a royal banquet or courtly gathering.

Standing to the Shah’s right, holding a cane, is Ali Asghar Khan Amin al-Sultan, who served as Grand Vizier during the last decade of the Shah’s reign. To his left stands Kamran Mirza, the Shah’s third son and Vice Regent, who, according to historians, had frequent conflicts with Amin al-Sultan. Mirza Reza Kermani, the man who assassinated Naser al-Din Shah, cited the oppression and injustices of Kamran Mirza’s entourage as one of his motivations.

The third photo, in which the Shah himself does not appear, shows a number of guests attending the wedding of Aziz al-Sultan (Malijak the Second) and Akhtar al-Dowleh, daughter of Naser al-Din Shah.

This event was considered one of the most extravagant and expensive weddings of its time. The photo was taken at the Baharestan Palace, which after the Constitutional Revolution was repurposed as the building of the National Assembly (Majles).