Mellat Museum Palace

Iran, Iran

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The Mellat Museum Palace, commonly known as the Mellat Museum or White Palace, is the largest and most prominent building in the Sa’dabad Palace Complex in northern Tehran, Iran, and it was built as the summer residence of Mohammad Reza Shah and his consort Farah Pahlavi.

Constructed between 1931 and 1936 by Iranian and Russian engineers under the design of Engineer Khorsandi, the palace is a five‑story, 54‑room structure with a white‑colored exterior that gives it the name “White Palace,” and it combines an Iranian‑Roman architectural style with lavish interior decoration, including grand oil paintings, intricate plasterwork, marbled corridors, and fine chandeliers.

After the 1979 revolution, the museum opened in 1981 and now displays a rich collection of Pahlavi-era artifacts and furnishings: enormous handmade Persian carpets, Chinese porcelain, Iranian and Western paintings, luxurious furniture, and even a desk that belonged to Marie‑Antoinette, while the basement houses the Farah Art Collection Museum, and the upper floors include the Shah’s office, billiard room, ceremonial dining hall, Farah’s workspace, music hall, reception rooms, and the family living room, all preserved with their original decor and personal items.