This museum that was founded in 1937 by Andre Godard in the era of Reza shah Pahlavi, was a good response to lack of places to keep and protect found things in archaeological excavations. Unlike the Pahlavi, the Qajar kings did not care about the archeology at all so in result all of the found items by foreign archeologists had been transported abroad and to the museums in western countries usually for free. Reza shah ordered to build a museum in Iran and forbidden exporting antiques and found things. National museum of Iran is the best place to know the history of this land.
This museum includes two floors. The second floor has been lunched recently and focuses on prehistoric era. On the first floor you learn a lot about the ancient history of Iran specially Medes, Sassanians, Parthians and Achaemenids. The exterior architecture is a combination of Sassanian and Seljuk architecture; that is a proper combination of preislamic and Islamic Iranian architecture.
In interior architecture the architect tried to use simplicity in order to let you focus on the antiques easily. When you enter it is better to start from the right side which there is a huge map of Iran. The step on guides there are hospitable and know a lot about the history so they can inform you more about the history of Iran.
Little by little you continue your way by visiting so many glorious items from different eras and by the end of the U shape path you may find yourself at the stairs to go to the second floor. On the second floor you should start from the left sides again by visiting the map of Iran and after a U shape path you would almost find a lot about the civilization of people in Iran.
To visit this museum you should go to Imam Khomeini sq, then Imam khomeini st then at the junction of 30tir you can easily find the great entrance of this museum on the right side.
Testament to The expertise and hard work, or The ability to make me feel utterly unaccomplished.