In the center of Tabriz, there is one of the oldest and most important museums in Iran, a museum called the Azerbaijan Museum, which is visited by 100,000 domestic and foreign tourists yearly The Azerbaijan Museum is one of the best museums in Iran and after the National Museum of Iran in Tehran, it is the second archeological museum in Iran. The museum is designed in a three-story building with an area of 2400 square meters according to the plan of a French archaeologist and it is inspired by local architecture.
History of the Azerbaijan Museum
The establishment of museums in Tabriz dates back to 1306 and 1307 Hijri, in those years a number of coins were discovered that were displayed in the hall of a library in Tabriz. After Lots of welcome and visits, a group of history lovers in the city decided to set up a museum in the city to display such works. After many efforts, the construction of this museum finally started in May(Ordibehesht) 1337 Hijri, and about 4 years later, this museum was opened with three halls.
Works of the Museum of Azerbaijan
The Museum of Azerbaijan has historical and artistic monuments belonging to the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras. At present, the Museum of Azerbaijan has an important and valuable treasure containing twelve thousand pieces of antique and artistic objects, of which 2300 pieces have been registered. Due to lack of space, a limited part of these works are on display in different sections of the museum. For lovers of history, culture and art.
Ground floor of the Museum of Azerbaijan
On the ground floor of the Azerbaijan Museum, pre-Islamic artifacts and artifacts have been collected, including the 7,000-year-old Ismail-Abad Hill potteries, one of the most historic in this area. Antiquity of “Sarpantin” Mineral stones in this museum, which were found in Jiroft, Kerman, date back to prehistoric times; Pictures of various plants and animals are engraved on these stones. Also, the statue of the goddess woman, which was found in Rostamabad, Gilan, is Two- to three-thousand- years old; this statue depicts the value of women in ancient Iran. Two- to three-thousand-year-old relics from the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid eras are also housed in the museum.Other landmarks include the men’s and women’s corpses of the first millennium BC.
These bodies were discovered during scientific excavations in 1999 in the grounds of Kaboud Mosque, and in fact, they are part of the remains of a 3,000-year-old cemetery. The Corpses have been transferred to the museum due to their simultaneous burial. At the end of the hall on this floor and on the wall on the north side, there is the stone of Bismillah, which is considered one of the rarest works of art in Iran. This huge stone consists of five parts, four of which are the frame and the other part is the text of the work. All the carving work on the surface of this beautiful and unique stone has been done by the Iranian artist “Mohammad Ali Quchani”.
The first floor of the Azerbaijan Museum
In the first-floor Showroom, along with the relics of ancient Iranian civilizations, objects from the Neishabour civilization date back to the fourth century AH, characterized by the use of white glaze with Islamic motifs and Kufic handwriting. The historical course of these ancient monuments continues until the Qajar period. Other outstanding works in this section are the potteries of the patriarchal period and the secret lock belonging to the late sixth century AH. Also in the new hall of this section, the Museum of Azerbaijan has displayed the oldest coins minted in the geographical area of different periods of Iran, from the Achaemenid period to the Qajar rule.In addition, examples of the rarest and most beautiful old seals can be seen next to the coins.
Basement of the Azerbaijan Museum
The basement of the Azerbaijan Museum has long been home to the display and maintenance of exquisite sculptures created by the famous Tabriz sculptor Ahad Hosseini. These statues have a deep insight into human history and ethics over the past centuries, especially the twentieth century.
Cost and time table to visit Azerbaijan Museum of Tabriz
Ticket price: 500,000 Rials
Opening hours: 8:00 – 18:00
English and Farsi address of Azerbaijan Museum of Tabriz
Azerbaijan museum, Next to the Kaboud mosque, Imam Khomeini street, Tabriz
تبریز- خیابان امام خمینی- جنب مسجد کبود – موزه آذربایجان
