Tomb of Karim Khan Zand, culture and art garden

Years ago, during the Zandieh dynasty, one of the historical gardens of Shiraz called Bagh-e Nazar with its towering cypress and orange trees attracted the attention of King Karim Khan Zand and he ordered to build a garden, a court, a royal citadel and a pergola mansion. Pergola mansions are independent, tent-like structures often built for the temporary and seasonal residence of kings. The pergola mansion of Bagh-e Nazar, which was one of these residences, became his tomb after Karim Khan’s death.

The magnificent octagonal pergola mansion of Bagh-e Nazar, built right in the middle of the garden, was the site of official ceremonies, feasts, as well as parties attended by foreigners during Karim Khan’s lifetime.

Features of the mansion

One of the important features of the pergola mansion is the beautiful paintings that can be seen on the exterior with tile decorations. These paintings, which are created symmetrically on the four sides of the building, narrate the scene of the hunting ground and also the story of Solomon sitting on the throne. The interior of the building also has a central hall, four royal residences, and four fountains on the four sides of the building.

Pars Museum

The historical monuments of Bagh-e Nazar have attracted many tourists. For this reason, the pergola mansion was considered a good place to set up a museum. Therefore, in 1936, a museum called the Pars Museum was established in this mansion and works from three prehistoric, historical, and post-Islamic eras that were displayed in this museum.

Among these works, a variety of coins, seals, and bronze objects related to several thousand years BC can be seen along with works from more recent periods, such as the collection of watercolor paintings by Lotfali Shirazi. Among these paintings, a work by Jafar Naghash, one of the painters of the Zand period, which shows the famous image of Karim Khan Zand smoking a hookah, is very impressive.

Unique Qurans

There are Qurans in the Pars Museum and its treasures that cannot be found anywhere else. Among them is a Quran, which belongs to the ninth century AH and was written by Sultan Ibrahim bin Shahrokh Teymouri. This Quran weighs forty kilograms and on the edges of its leaves are stamps and relics of great personalities in different periods.

Before being transferred to the Pars Museum in 1937, this Qur’an was located at the gate of the Qur’an in Shiraz and its protection of travelers was considered one of its miracles.

Another unique Qur’an of the Persian Museum, which of course is kept in the museum’s repository, is a Qur’an attributed to Uthman the third caliph, who wrote it in his own handwriting and was killed while writing it. A few drops of his blood were also spilled on it.

In addition, other Qurans attributed to Imam Ali (A.S), Imam Hassan (A.S), Imam Sadegh (A.S), and Qurans written by their companions and followers will be displayed in the Pars Museum. These Qurans were previously kept in the Atigh Mosque in Shiraz.