Meshkinfam Museum; A Gem of Visual Arts in Shiraz

Formerly known as the edifice of Foruq-ol-Molk Ghavami, the museum building dates back to 1931, the early years of Pahlavi dynasty in Iran.

The private residence that belonged to Ms. Ghavami was built in Sang-e Siah (black stone) neighborhood of Shiraz, and includes guardhouse, cookhouse, stable, bathroom, and two dwellings –Fadak guesthouse and the house of Foruq-ol-Molk.

Special sections have been created inside the rooms of the house to exhibit the works of art from three generations of Meshkinfam family. In addition, the works of art from other artists of the Fars Province have been put on display, donated to the museum by their creators or by private collectors.

The museum includes various sections exhibiting different types of artistic works categorized according to the art techniques and the date of creation, involving works of bas-relief, calligraphy, painting, photography and visual arts.

The museum has also a library that houses thousands of specialized books, magazines, newspaper articles on artistic activities, brochures, posters, and catalogues of art events, an archive of audio and video documents including interviews with prominent provincial and national artists, video reports from art exhibitions, events, and meetings, as well as documentaries on the life and works of renowned international artists, and world museums and art centers.

The museum had been closed for a couple of weeks due to the outbreak of coronavirus, but has now reopened in compliance with the health protocols defined by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Iranian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

Seventeen years after its inauguration, Meshkinfam Art Museum has earned a reputation for displaying a treasure of Iranian visual arts.