Qavam
House (also widely called "Narenjestan Qavam")
is a
traditional and historical
house in Shiraz, Iran.It was built in the mid
to late 1800s by Mirza Ibrahim Khan. The Qavam family
were merchants originally from Qazvin. But they
soon became active in the government during the
Zand dynasty, followed by the Qajar and Pahlavi
dynasty as well.The Qavam "Naranjestan"
preserves the elegance and refinement enjoyed by
the upper class families during the nineteenth century.
The paintings on the low ceilings
of the house are inspired by Victorian
era Europe.
The mirrored
porch was a focal point of the house, overlooking
onto gardens lined with date palms and flowers. During
the second Pahlavi era, the House became the headquarters
of Pahlavi University's "Asia Institute",
directed by Arthur Pope and Richard Nelson Frye. Frye
and his family also lived in the house for a while
as well. The house today is a museum open to the public.
Narenjestan
building, known as "Narenjestan Qavam" is
a part of Qavam complex. It was designed and used
as "Birouni" (a part of building to receive
people out of the family circle). It was the domicile
of Governor's Court of Fars during Qajar period./
It also includes Zinat-ol-molk house, designed and
used as "Andarouni" (part of the home for
only the close family).The other parts of the complex
were: Private bath house, public bath house, Husseinieh
(religious ceremonies building, detention house and
stable. The detention house and stable no longer exist.
Narenjestan and Zinat-ol-molk buildings (Andarouni
and Birouni) were connected via underground passage
way.
The
complex is a significant representation of Iranian
architecture during "Qajar" period. Narenjestan
and Zinat-ol-molk buildings are examples of traditional
Iranian residential architecture.This structure
was built between 1879-1886 on the Northern side
of the luxuriant "Narenjestan Garden"
in Shiraz. Its construction is attributed to "Mirza
Ebrahim Khan", the great grandson of the elder
"Qavam" and grandfatherr of the contemporary
"Qavamolmolk", with the assistant of a
master mason.
In 1965, Narenjestan
was handed over to the staffs of Asian Institute and
Shiraz University. One of its halls was being transformed
into a museum later.It is necessary to mention, that
Professor Arthur Upham Pope spent 50 years of his
time life, working here, dedicating it numerous antique
artifacts. Museum's collections of photographs and
slides, initiated by Professor Pope, are also preserved
here.
