Mashhad is one of the Iranian metropolises and the capital of Razavi Khorasan province. This city was the capital of Iran during the Afsharid dynasty. Most of the Mashhad tourist attractions were demolished to allow the construction of roads. Today, few historical buildings are left in Mashhad. One of the beautiful historical buildings of this city is Mashhad Tavakoli House, which was added to the Iran National Heritage List in 2005.
History of Mashhad Tavakoli House
The history of Tavakoli House in Mashhad can be traced back to the 19th century and the Qajar era. This house was the residence of a famous merchant named Keshmeshian. He stayed at the house until the first Pahlavi period. That’s why some call this attraction the Mashhad Keshmeshian House.
Then, the house was purchased by Tavakoli. Despite the Keshmeshian family’s longer history of ownership of the building, today this historic house is known as Tavakoli historical house.
After Mr. Tavakoli moved out of the house, the building remained vacant for a long time. Then, Mashhad Municipality purchased Tavakoli House. In 2010, this house was repaired and renovated. The renovation process took about two years.
Currently, Tavakoli House is the site of the Maktab-Khaneh Museum. In this Maktab-Khaneh (traditional religious school), called Molla-Baji, there is a wax statue of a group of women in traditional clothing who are studying. In the other part of the Maktab Khaneh museum, wax figures depict the tradition of Falak Kardan (to bastinado, a form of physical punishment for disobedient students) and calligraphy instruction classes.
Mashhad Tavakoli House, the House of Demons!
As mentioned above, the Tavakoli house of Mashhad was abandoned for a long time after the owner moved. Then, rumors about the house being haunted started to spread in the city. The neighbors of Tavakoli House believe that there are demons in the house.
In reality, since the house was abandoned, some homeless people slept in the house at night. Their loud noises terrified the locals at night. As a result, such rumors spread among the people.
Another reason for the rumors about this house was that the rooms were nested and maze-like. Also, the house was rather dim, another reason why people grew scared.
The fact is that Mashhad Tavakoli House, like other historical houses, is a building left by our ancestors. Rumors about the house are nothing but superstition.
Features of Mashhad Tavakoli House
When visiting the Tavakoli house, the first thing that catches the eye is the entrance portal. The interior and exterior facade of the entrance door are decorated with beautiful and exquisite tilework. Also, this door has two mosaic inscriptions featuring calligraphic verses from the Quran.
After passing through the entrance portal, we face the beautiful yard of the house. The yard has a beautiful fountain and a garden with tall trees.
After this, if you can let go of the beautiful yard, you can see the view of the two-story Tavakoli House. The Iwan (large hall with an open side) and its beautiful decorated columns are the most noticeable features of the house in first glance. Tavakoli house has a very beautiful Iwan with 5 columns.
This Iwan has a very elegant and creative design. The columns of the Iwan are skillfully decorated with brickwork and plasterwork.
You can access the Iwan from the yard via a staircase. You can see several rooms inside the house. In the past, this house had two parts: Tabestan-neshin (summer dwelling) and Zemestan-neshin (winter dwelling). During the renovation of the house in 2010, the summer dwelling area was demolished.
The frame structure of Tavakoli house in Mashhad is made of wood. All the rooms in the house have Orsi windows with colored glass and wooden mesh.
One of the distinctive features of the Tavakoli house is the use of architectural elements such as stairs and columned Iwans (halls). When the Tavakoli House was built in the Qajar period, the use of such elements had recently become common. Also, the use of brickwork with precision and stunning designs is another feature of the Tavakoli house.
Visit This Historical Building in Mashhad
The presence of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS) attracts many pilgrims to Mashhad. However, its natural beauty and tourist attractions should not be ignored. Historical houses like Mashhad Tavakoli House are among the must-visit Mashhad tourist attractions.
If you travel to Mashhad as a pilgrim or as a tourist, make sure to visit Tavakoli House. Whether you want to travel to Mashhad with on an Iran tour package or personally, do not miss visiting historical monuments of Mashhad.
Destination Iran introduces several other Mashhad tourist attractions, and welcomes you to visit Mashhad Tavakoli House.
Where is Mashhad Tavakoli House?
This house, which is considered one of Mashhad’s historical monuments, is located on Navab Safavi Boulevard, near the Imam Reza shrine. You can see the exact location of Tavakoli House in Mashhad below:
Frequently Asked Questions About Mashhad Tavakoli House
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What are the features of Mashhad Tavakoli House?
This historical house, which is registered on the Iran National Heritage List, has considerable structural integrity and elegance despite its history. The architecture of the building and its tilework, Monabat-kari (wood marquetry) and murals are designed in the Qajar style.
In Mashhad Tavakoli House’s Maktab Khaneh museum, the statue of the students and teacher of the school (Mirza or Maktab-dar) showcases a view of the traditional religious schools.
What is the most important architectural feature of Tavakoli House in Mashhad?
The most significant feature of this two-story building is its wooden frame structure. It is interesting to know that no metal frameworks were used in the construction of this house, but its brick columns remain strong and standing.
What is the reality behind haunted mansions in Mashhad?
There are old rumors that Tavakoli house is haunted. The fact is that this house was abandoned for a long time. For this reason, it had become a shelter for the homeless. The activities of homeless people and their nightly escapades have caused false suspicions and rumors of the presence of demons in this house.
Therefore, there is no reason to be afraid of this historical house, as it is one of the spectacular and valuable landmarks left behind by our predecessors.
