Knowra National Museum of Iran National Museum of Iran Iran’s national archaeological and historical museum in Tehran houses artifacts spanning the country’s history, from prehistoric times through the Islamic era.
Persepolis : The ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire, built on a terrace in southwestern Iran. Its reliefs and finds connect the museum’s collections with the empire’s monumental center.
Iranian archaeology : The study of past societies in Iran through material remains, excavation, and scientific analysis. Archaeology supplies much of the evidence displayed in the museum’s pre-Islamic collections.
André Godard : A French architect and archaeologist who directed Iran’s archaeological service and designed the Museum of Ancient Iran. Godard shaped the museum’s original building and its architectural expression of Iranian history.
Museum conservation : The care of collections through preventive measures, examination, and treatment to limit deterioration. Conservation helps protect archaeological objects made from materials vulnerable to age and environment.
Iran Bastan Museum : The historical name commonly used for the Museum of Ancient Iran, the original building of Iran’s national museum. The name distinguishes the older archaeological building from the combined National Museum of Iran today.
Achaemenid Empire : The first Persian Empire, founded by Cyrus the Great in the sixth century BCE and conquered by Alexander the Great. Objects from this empire anchor the museum’s account of ancient Iranian statecraft.
National Museum of Iran—Museum of Ancient Iran : The National Museum of Iran’s building and department devoted chiefly to archaeological objects from prehistoric and pre-Islamic Iran. This department forms the museum’s principal archaeological component.
Museum of Ancient Iran architecture : The brick architecture of the National Museum of Iran’s original building, designed by André Godard and opened in 1937. Its form draws on Iranian architectural precedents to frame the archaeological collections.
Archaeological provenance : The documented origin, excavation history, and ownership history of an archaeological object. Provenance links displayed artifacts to their findspots and helps establish their historical context.
Golestan Palace Museum : A museum complex in Tehran housed in a former royal palace of the Qajar dynasty. Unlike the National Museum’s broad archaeological sequence, it centers on a royal palace and its collections.
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