A tour of the largest private arts museum in Iran

The top floor of Tehran’s Saba Museum is home to precious works of arts. The following is an excerpt of a report published in the 94th issue of Tejarat-e Farda weekly on the museum, which was acquired by Pasargad Bank almost a decade ago:

Saba Museum in downtown Tehran is so magnificent, as far as architecture is concerned, that one cannot walk past the building without feasting their eyes on it.

Saba Museum in downtown Tehran is so magnificent, as far as architecture is concerned, that one cannot walk past the building without feasting their eyes on it. If you are into arts and culture, you have definitely visited the exhibitions the building plays host to every once in a while. However, you may not know that the top floor of this building is home to a collection worth billions of dollars. In the museum Pasargad Bank, which owns one of the most exclusive collections of paintings in Iran, puts on display visual arts items it has acquired over the past decade. The permanent expo admits visitors free of charge.

After the Islamic revolution [of 1979] Pasargad was the first institution to invest in arts. The bank has described investment in arts as a very profitable venture for financial institutions.

The visual arts museum of Pasargad Bank reopened in October 2009, putting 140 works of art including bas-reliefs, Impressionist paintings and statues, pub art, calligraphy and calligrams by modernist artists on display. Valuable works of art by prominent artists, both living and deceased, along with those of young artists are being displayed at the expo.

After the Islamic revolution [of 1979] Pasargad was the first institution to invest in arts. The bank has described investment in arts as a very profitable venture for financial institutions. For instance, a Persepolis statue has fetched Pasargad an unprecedented $2.8 million at a Christie’s auction in Dubai. And the most expensive item sold at Tehran’s grand auction this year belonged to Pasargad.

The museum is ranked Iran’s second best only after the Contemporary Arts Museum. Visitors will find at least one work of art by 65 percent of all Iranian contemporary artists in this museum.