12 Shiraz Museums That Will Make History Feel Alive

Thursday, August 21, 2025

From royal ruins to wax figures and a treasure room of rare stones, Shiraz’s museums turn every corridor into a time machine.

12 Shiraz Museums That Will Make History Feel Alive

Shiraz and its museums are symbols of history. The area hosts so many valuable galleries and museums that you rarely find their like in other cities. Shiraz’s multi-millennial age and rich historical background have made this ancient region one of Iran’s key tourist hubs. Undoubtedly, many historical treasures lie hidden here — evidence embodied by the museums of Shiraz and its surroundings. These museums are organised around various themes — historical, cultural, climatic, natural — and they contain objects that date back to the earliest civilizations of ancient Iran.

Whether you are a history lover or not, you will be amazed by Shiraz’s museums. Pay attention to every detail; these museums are the historical memory of this land. The objects and inscriptions belonged to people who lived here thousands of years ago. They walked on this same ground and breathed this same air.

Visiting Shiraz’s museums should be one of the main activities you include on a trip to the city. You will never forget the authenticity present in these museums. Stand quietly before inscriptions, statues, spears and more — can you hear the voice of history?

Persepolis Museum (Takhte Jamshid Museum)

One of Shiraz’s best-known museums is the Persepolis Museum. The museum building stands in the ancient Marvdasht area, within the 2,500-year-old Persepolis complex. Marvdasht is one of Shiraz’s most beautiful historical sites, and each year many tourists travel to Shiraz specifically to visit this historic area.

This building was formerly known as the Queen’s Palace. Its construction was ordered by Xerxes and was ultimately completed during the reign of Artaxerxes I. The Persepolis Museum building is recognised as one of Iran’s oldest reconstructed structures.

Takhte Jamshid Museum

The museum’s collections

This exceptional museum is full of artifacts and finds from ancient Iran; the building consists of a large hall, two galleries and a portico. During a visit to the Persepolis Museum you can see valuable remains such as the sacred inscription of Xerxes’ sanctuary, stone and metal sculptures, clay tablets in the Elamite script, gold and silver jewelry, old musical instruments, column capitals, spearheads and arrows, jars and pottery vessels, and more.

Takhte Jamshid Museum

Opening hours of the Persepolis Museum

Spring and summer: 07:30–19:30
Autumn and winter: 08:00–18:00

How to get to the Persepolis Museum

Address: Shiraz — 10 km north of Marvdasht

Pars Museum

One of the most attractive museums in Shiraz is Pars Museum. This valuable museum is located on Zand Street in the Bagh-e Nazar area of Shiraz, and its building dates to the Zand era. The building has been used as a museum since 1315 (Persian calendar) and was registered as a national monument in 1314 (Persian calendar).

A defining feature of Pars Museum is that the mausoleum of Karim Khan Zand sits in the eastern royal chamber of this building. The museum houses highly valuable objects from various historical periods. These items include Karim Khan Zand’s sword, paintings by Lotfali Khan the portraitist, inscriptions and bronze pieces from Lorestan, a collection of rare handwritten Qur’ans, and decorative enameled objects.

Pars Museum

Opening hours of Pars Museum

07:30–20:00

How to get to Pars Museum

Address: Shiraz — Municipality Square, opposite Karim Khan Citadel

Shiraz Natural History and Technology Museum

Undoubtedly one of Shiraz’s most remarkable museums is the Natural History and Technology Museum. It was established in 1353 (Persian calendar) with the aim of raising public knowledge and understanding of the value of animals, plants, minerals and fossils in human life and the environment.

Shiraz Natural History and Technology Museum

The museum’s sections and collections

The Natural History and Technology Museum includes special sections such as zoology, botany, geology, anthropology, anatomy, technology, taxidermy and more. The collection maintains more than 2,500 specimens of invertebrate and vertebrate animals, 60 species of medicinal plants, a fish fossil dating 70 million years, various mineral samples, and other items.

Opening hours of the Natural History and Technology Museum

08:00–16:00

How to get to the Natural History and Technology Museum

Address: Shiraz — Modarres Boulevard, Azadegan Street

Shiraz Museum of Visual Arts in the Forough-ol-Molk House (Meshkinfam)

The Forough-ol-Molk House is a valuable Qajar-era building. The house originally belonged to a notable and wealthy Shirazi woman, Forough-ol-Molk, who was known for her interest in art, mysticism and constitutionalism. The house was built in the late Qajar and early Pahlavi periods by Forough-ol-Molk Qavami on a plot of 1,020 square metres, and in 1377 (Persian calendar) it was registered as a national monument.

The museum exhibits valuable works in painting, photography, calligraphy, relief and more.

Restoration and purpose

Shiraz Museum of Visual Arts

In 1381 (Persian calendar) the three-storey building was restored and refurbished to create a centre to display works by major Shirazi artists, including works by the Meshkinfam family; it was entrusted to Hossein Meshkinfam.

The building includes a kitchen, stable, bath and two residential units. Highlights include tile work, stone paintings, brick walls and timber-beam ceilings. One principal feature of the Forough-ol-Molk Museum is a library holding more than 100 specialist books and journals, which enhances the visitor experience.

The Forough-ol-Molk Museum of Visual Arts (Meshkinfam) is one of Shiraz’s most attractive tourist sites, showcasing works by contemporary Fars artists. The museum is located in the old fabric of Shiraz, in the Sang-Siah neighbourhood near Imamzadeh Bibi-Dokhtaran, and welcomes visitors daily.

Opening hours of the Museum of Visual Arts (Forough-ol-Molk House)

08:00–19:00

How to get to the Museum of Visual Arts (Forough-ol-Molk House)

Address: Shiraz — Old city fabric, Ayatollah Dastgheib Boulevard, Sang-Siah neighbourhood, behind Imamzadeh Bibi-Dokhtaran

Shah Cheragh Museum (Shah-Cheragh Shrine Museum)

One of Shiraz’s main attractions is the Shah-Cheragh shrine. In 1344 (Persian calendar) a museum was established there for pilgrims and visitors. Inside a part of the shrine courtyard there is an impressive museum that preserves artifacts from both pre-Islamic and post-Islamic periods.

Shah Cheragh Museum

Collections of the Shah-Cheragh Museum

The Shah-Cheragh Museum comprises a large hall that displays many valuable items including rare Qur’ans, handwritten manuscripts, ancient coins, various old metal, ceramic and glass vessels, weapons from different eras, valuable objects such as lanterns and candlesticks, and paintings by notable artists.

Opening hours of Shah-Cheragh Museum

08:00–21:00

How to get to Shah-Cheragh Museum

Address: Shiraz — Ahmadi Square, Shah-Cheragh complex

Hammam-e Vakil (Vakil Bath) Museum

Vakil Bath was built during the Zand period by Karim Khan Zand. The building is unquestionably one of the masterpieces of Iranian architecture, attracting many tourists each year. Today it has become one of the city’s finest ethnography museums.

Hammam-e Vakil

Previously, after restoration, Vakil Bath served as a restaurant and was later converted into a carpet museum; eventually, due to the building’s original function, it was registered as the Vakil Hammam Museum with registration number 917 in the national monuments list.

Hammam-e Vakil

Exhibits and presentation

Currently, the sarbineh (central warm room) of Vakil Bath features 30 wax figures arranged in various poses that demonstrate bathing customs and their special rituals. Entering the Vakil Hammam Museum allows visitors to learn about past customs, dress and culture in Shiraz.

Hammam-e Vakil

Opening hours of the Vakil Bath Museum

08:00–20:00

How to get to the Vakil Bath Museum (Vakil Hammam)

Address: Shiraz — Lotfali Khan Zand Street, Taleghani Street, Vakil Bath Museum

Museum of Celebrities of Shiraz (Zinat-ol-Molk House)

One of Shiraz’s main tourist attractions is the Museum of Celebrities. The museum resembles Madame Tussauds in London.

Museum of Celebrities of Shiraz

The Zinat-ol-Molk House belonged to the Qavam-ol-Molk family; its construction began in 1290 AH and was started by Ali Mohammad Khan Qavam-ol-Molk II, concluding in 1302 AH under Mohammad Reza Khan Qavam-ol-Molk III.

Museum of Celebrities of Shiraz

Opening hours of the Museum of Celebrities (Zinat-ol-Molk House)

08:00–20:00

How to get to the Museum of Celebrities (Zinat-ol-Molk House)

Address: Shiraz — Lotfali Khan Zand Street

Military Museum of Shiraz (Afif-Abad)

The Military Museum of Shiraz is located in Afif-Abad Garden and specialises in military tools and weapons discovered in Shiraz. The museum houses a valuable collection of cold and firearms, automatic and semi-automatic weapons, various swords, armor, spears, helmets, shields, hunting guns, flintlock muskets, pistols, machine guns and more from different periods — from the Safavid era to the present.

Military Museum of Shiraz

Building and layout

The Afif-Abad museum building consists of two floors: the ground floor houses the arms museum and the second floor is the “museum of admonition.” In the past the building served as a residence for the Pahlavi family when in Shiraz.

Military Museum of Shiraz

Notable pieces

Among the museum’s significant weapons are the personal rifles of Fath-Ali Shah, Naser al-Din Shah, Mozaffar ad-Din Shah, Reza Shah, and Mohammad Reza Shah, as well as rifles of the Forest Movement heroes, Dr. Heshmat’s pistol, and the Ab-Anbari machine gun of Rais-Ali Delvari.

Military Museum of Shiraz

Opening hours of the Military Museum (Afif-Abad)

08:00–13:00 and 15:00–19:00

How to get to the Military Museum (Afif-Abad)

Address: Shiraz — South Qasr-dasht Street, end of Afif-Abad Street

Qavam Orange Garden Museum (Narenjestan Qavam)

One of Shiraz’s most beautiful museums is the Qavam Orange Garden Museum. This large, magnificent Qajar-era mansion is celebrated for its exquisite architecture and is a favourite spot for both domestic and international tourists.

Qavam Orange Garden Museum

The building was constructed in 1257 AH by the Qavam family under Mohammad Ali Khan and his son Mohammad Reza Khan. Its mirror work and plaster carving are exceptional, making it a masterpiece of Iranian architecture. Brickwork, woodcarving and traditional Qajar painting are visible throughout this splendid building. A portion of the house also exhibits archaeological finds discovered in Shiraz.

Qavam Orange Garden Museum

Opening hours of Qavam Orange Garden Museum

08:00–13:00 and 15:00–19:00

How to get to Qavam Orange Garden Museum

Address: Shiraz — Lotfali Khan Zand Street, Narenjestan Qavam

Museum of Traditional and Ritual Clothing of Shiraz (Salehi House)

Salehi House is a Qajar-era building that in 1384 (Persian calendar) was dedicated by the Cultural Heritage Organisation to the Museum of Traditional and Ritual Clothing of Shiraz. The house displays the beauty of Iranian-Islamic architecture in its details: decorative fretwork, stucco, wooden ceilings — all hallmark features of Qajar architecture.

Museum of Traditional and Ritual Clothing of Shiraz

Salehi House consists of inner and outer sections with rooms arranged in three-door and five-door layouts. The courtyard walls are tiled and decorated with intricate motifs such as arabesques, floral and bird designs, and images of Qajar kings and soldiers.

How to get to the Museum of Traditional and Ritual Clothing (Salehi House)

Address: Shiraz — Historic fabric, opposite Shah-Cheragh, Haft-Pich Alley, Salehi House

Stone Museum of Shiraz (Haft-Tanan)

One of Shiraz’s most magnificent museums is the Haft-Tanan Stone Museum.

Stone Museum of Shiraz

During the Zand period, Karim Khan Zand decided to create stone monuments for seven Shirazi mystics buried on the slopes of Chehel-Maqam mountain, but because the individuals were obscure their tombstones remained without inscriptions. Today the place is known as the Haft-Tanan Stone Museum, where historical stone samples and ancient inscriptions are preserved.

The scripts on these stones include Kufic, Nastaʿlīq, Naskh and Tughra styles. This valuable collection dates from the 3rd to the 11th centuries AH.

Stone Museum of Shiraz

This museum is currently managed by the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organisation and is listed in the national register of Iran’s monuments.

Opening hours of the Stone Museum (Haft-Tanan)

08:30–17:30

How to get to the Stone Museum (Haft-Tanan)

Address: Shiraz — End of Haft-Tanan Boulevard

Shiraz Music Museum (Manteghi-Nejad House)

One of Shiraz’s specialised museums is the Music Museum (Sounds and Melodies), which focuses specifically on Iranian music and instruments. The museum is housed in a Qajar-era residence called the Manteghi-Nejad House that was converted into a museum in 1384 (Persian calendar) by the Cultural Heritage Organisation.

Shiraz Music Museum

Collections and sections

Key sections of the Music Museum include a listening room, a viewing room, an audio-visual archive, documents and manuscripts of master musicians, and a gallery of instruments featuring Iranian instruments from different regions.

How to get to the Music Museum (Manteghi-Nejad House)

Address: Shiraz — Ahmadi Square, behind the New Mosque

Water Museum of Shiraz (Vakil Ab-Anbar)

On the eastern side of Karim Khan Citadel stands the Water Museum, a legacy from the Zand period.

Water Museum of Shiraz

This museum displays models of water structures from various historical periods of Iran. The building served as one of Karim Khan’s water reservoirs and is registered as monument number 935 in the national list.

Opening hours of the Water Museum (Vakil Ab-Anbar)

09:30–14:00

How to get to the Water Museum (Vakil Ab-Anbar)

Address: Shiraz — Topkhaneh Square, east side of Karim Khan Citadel

Dar-e-Nour Stone and Gem Museum (Darya-ye-Noor)

This museum is Iran’s second major gem and stone museum after Tehran’s Stone Museum. It opened in 1390 (Persian calendar) and has attracted many visitors since its inauguration. The collection includes 140 types of precious and semi-precious stones and gems, many of which are regarded as rare.

Dar-e-Nour Stone and Gem Museum

The Stone and Gem Museum is located on the ground floor of Shiraz’s Eram Garden complex and is one of the garden’s most visited sections.

Opening hours of the Stone and Gem Museum (Darya-ye-Noor)

08:00–21:00

How to get to the Stone and Gem Museum

Address: Fars Province, Shiraz County, Eram Boulevard, Eram Garden

Final word about Shiraz museums

Visiting Shiraz’s museums is one of the core activities you should include in a trip to the city. These museums are among Iran’s richest and most visited, and every year many tourists come to Shiraz eager to see them.

How could you travel to a city with millennia of history and not visit its historical museums? Every corner of this ancient city bears traces of previous generations — historic houses, centuries-old gardens and millennia of culture. All of this gives Shiraz an authenticity that is impossible to overlook. Many historical and natural treasures have been discovered in this region, which itself attests to the city’s numerous museums.

When you plan your trip to Shiraz, be sure to visit the city’s museums and galleries and enjoy the unique collections that reveal the civilisation of Iran.

Practical Tips

Tip

Include museum visits as a core part of your Shiraz itinerary — they are among the city’s primary attractions.

Check each museum’s opening hours before you go — hours vary considerably between sites.

For the Persepolis Museum, plan a visit to the Marvdasht site — the museum is located in the Persepolis complex, 10 km north of Marvdasht.

See the falgship collections: gems at the Dar-e-Noor museum, royal relics at Persepolis and Qajar architecture at Narenjestan Qavam.

Visit the Vakil Bath Museum to learn bathing customs — the sarbineh features 30 wax figures showing traditional rituals.

  Labels: Tourism