Saed News: In this article, we take a journey to the Kamranieh Palace, the magnificent villa of the powerful and influential son of Naser al-Din Shah, located in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods of Tehran.
Saed News History Desk Report:If one day you stroll through the leafy and quiet streets of Kamranieh in Tehran, it may be hard to believe that this area was once just a lush and secluded plain on the outskirts of the Qajar capital. However, the story of this neighborhood begins when one of the most influential Qajar princes decided to build a private garden and palace for himself. The Kamranieh neighborhood in Tehran was originally a large garden owned by Kamran Mirza, the son of Naser al-Din Shah and then-governor of Tehran, who built various residences there for his own use.
Kamran Mirza Nayeb al-Saltaneh, the third son of Naser al-Din Shah, was one of the most powerful figures in the Qajar court. For many years, he served as the Minister of War and the Crown Prince, playing a major role in high-level decision-making. Few may know that he was among the first to recognize the potential of the northern lands of Tehran.
During the mid-Qajar era, Tehran was still a small and limited city. But just beyond the Shemiran Gate, at the foothills of the Alborz Mountains, lay vast lands ideal for gardening due to their pleasant climate and flowing springs. With his substantial income, Kamran Mirza purchased a large portion of this land—areas that today include the neighborhoods of Niavaran, Farmanieh, Kamranieh, and Dezashib.
The lands in this region originally belonged to Mirza Saeed Khan Ansari, the Foreign Minister under Naser al-Din Shah. Kamran Mirza bought the lands of Jamaran and Hesar-e Bu Ali from him, expelled the local residents, and seized the area. He then established a summer garden and residence for himself near the Sahebqaraniyeh Palace and named it Kamranieh.
The Kamranieh Garden covered an area of approximately 900,000 square meters and was constructed in the year 1295 AH (1878 CE). It stretched from the beginning of Manzariyeh to Rostamabad (now modern-day Farmanieh).
Within this garden, a luxurious summer palace was built, known as the Kamranieh Garden, which rivaled royal palaces in beauty and amenities. It featured fruit trees, stone pools, high-ceilinged buildings, and verandas overlooking the mountains, making it a unique leisure spot for the Qajar royal family. The estate included multiple inner and outer courtyards, including a two-story pavilion for hosting guests. It also had ornamental pools with fountains and cascading waterfalls, all fed by a qanat (underground water channel) called Hesar-e Bu Ali Qanat.
The Kamranieh Garden boasted exceptionally beautiful and rare floral arrangements designed by several Austrian gardeners. They collected a wide variety of tropical and temperate plants and flowers from across Iran and the world, creating an unmatched garden at the time. It featured both ornamental and fruit-bearing trees—including pineapples, which had been imported from Europe. A greenhouse was also built to protect delicate plants during the winter. The garden was maintained by two Austrian head gardeners and 25 Iranian gardeners, with 20 workers watering the plants daily. The cost of maintaining the garden was extremely high, and a considerable annual budget was devoted to its upkeep.
Following Kamran Mirza’s death in 1307 AH (circa 1889 CE), the garden and surrounding lands were inherited and partially divided among royal family members and associates. However, with the onset of the Pahlavi era and the modernization of Tehran, things began to change.
During the 1940s and 1950s (1320s–1330s SH), Kamranieh’s lands were gradually sold to influential individuals and wealthy families. Some private villas and gardens were built during this period. Nevertheless, most of the area retained a semi-rural and low-density character until the 1970s.
After the 1979 revolution and the political shift in Iran, many large estates in northern Tehran were confiscated or redistributed. Kamranieh underwent significant transformation as well. The old gardens were demolished, and the land was repurposed for large-scale residential projects. From the 1990s onward, tower construction in Kamranieh accelerated rapidly.
Today, all that remains of Kamranieh Garden is the name on a glittering street. High-rise luxury towers, newly built villas, embassies, and international offices have replaced the once peaceful garden retreat of a Qajar prince.
