Zinat Al-molk historical house: A shining symbol of Qajar architecture in Shiraz

Historical and traditional houses in Iran have their own position in the tourism industry, most of them are changed to other functional structures and today used as museums, boutique hotels, libraries and other functional structures but some of them have unique features and functionality.

History of Zinat Al-molk house

Zinat Al-molk house is actually a part of qavam house in Shiraz. Zinat Al-molk is the sister of Qavam and her mansion is interconnected to qavam mansion via a tunnel which is made underground to connect two houses together. To understand the reason you should get familiar with Persian dialect and traditions after Islam. When Persian invaded by Arabs and accepted the Islamic religion and rules they followed the shariah of Islam and because of this separation of men and women is a strict rule which should be followed strictly in Islam religion.  Following the separation the form and architecture of the buildings changed dramatically and because of this the real houses and building as Qavam house changed to inner and outer parts which were connected by an octagonal room or space which was named as Hashti which means octagonal space.
The inner space is named as Andarooni or interior and the outer space named as Birooni or exterior. The interior building or space is strictly forbidden to see even from above or higher space and it is totally private. No one has the chance to enter inner space or andaroony without permission and in this occasion all women of family or friends which stayed in andaroony should wear hijab according to Islamic shariah or should be hidden in other rooms in a way no man or masculine creature could see their hair or their body.
To prevent men to see the women without religious wearing even the door hammer bell is changed to male and female one, the male one is in the left side in the masculine form and the sound is more bass than the other one in right which is in female form and the sound is less bass comparing the male one. So when the male man knocks the door by male hammer bell the sound shows a man is behind the door and the owner of the house understands that a male is behind the door and wears the hijab. Instead if a woman knocks the door by a female hammer bell the owner or housekeeper who was living in the house understood the difference between the sounds and understood that a woman is coming inside the octagonal and there is no need to wear hijab and religious clothing.
Now you understand the importance of interior and exterior space in Islamic house and you can imagine how important was the Zinat Al-molk mansion which was connected or was a part of interior of such an important man as Qavam the prime minister of Fars province nearly 200 years ago and during Qajars dynasty. Zinat Al-molk was a generous woman and most of the people relied on her help in hard times. In many religious manifestations and events according to the Islamic religious calendar, Zinat Al-molk donated food and money to the poor people and many people stayed in her home during civil wars and other occasions like earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Architecture and decorations of Zinat Al-Molk house

Zinat Al-molk mansion is very different from the form and style in architecture and all rooms in this house were interconnected in a way. If you start visiting this house from the left after continuing a U-Turn you return to the first location and continuity is an urge for the architectural rule in this house. Actually the architect of this mansion is same as the architect of qavam house and because of this you can find many common points in both building but if you look at the forms, colors and ornaments in Zinat Al-molk house you can find out that all the elements are more feminine and more delicate. The blue tiles everywhere attract the eyes of visitors and all the tiles and plasters are detailed that show a woman's eye checking the forms and styles and motives in the building.
Most of the spaces are covered by wood and most of the pillars are wooden and fluted in spiral form which during Zand dynasty was new to the country and make the pillars more sophisticated and beautiful than the other eras. This house has a vast basement which was used as a cover for weapon stock during the war and during local civil wars the defenders hid themselves in this basement and in case of urge and need they acted fast and returned to the basement and hid until the next mission. In the center of the yard there is a beautiful and shallow pool which is used as a water reservoir for normal needs and by showing the reflection of the main building the beauty of the house got twice and meanwhile the water used to irrigate the trees and flowers in the small garden in the mansion.
In higher parts of the building you can find a wooden disk which is very normal in Qajars dynasty houses and is like a logo for elite homes. You can find different motifs like lion and sun and other paintings on this wooden disk as you can find this kind of wooden board in Qavam building and other elite houses in Shiraz and many other cities in Iran in the Qajars era. In the yard you can find stone tablets which the Achaemenids soldiers or guards are protecting the house symbolically and in many houses as Qavam house you can see. These two tablets are symmetrical and look like each other. Even after many years these tablets are intact and in good health fortunately.
    Architecture and decorations of Zinat Al-molk is unique and the forms are so delicate compared to the other houses in Shiraz even in other cities of Iran. You can find many detailed motifs like flowers and wild animals which were part of the life of Shiraz people at that time. Because many wild animals like Ibex and mouflons were living in plains around the Shiraz city in Fars province you can find traces of those animals in the paintings of ceiling and walls in Zinat Al-molk house which are repaired in a very professional manner by the cultural heritage ministry.

Hall of mirroring

      The summit of perfection of the house is reflected in the hall of mirroring. The walls and ceiling are covered by small pieces of cut mirrors which reflect light in the best manner and make the atmosphere so beautiful and shiny which you cannot find anywhere in Shiraz. Noblemen and elite important people were served in this house and even today it attracts the eyes of visitors and it is the best place for taking pictures and selfies for people who are visiting the house of Zinat Al-molk. The story of mirror working is sweet. According to legends there was a very rich merchant who was in the job of importing mirrors from other countries especially Russia in old times. Because glass and mirrors are fragile the merchant had a big pile of broken mirrors which were broken during transportation and piled in his stock for a long time and no one knew if they were useful or not. So they piled these broken mirrors for a long time. One day a merchant asked his consultants to find a way to use them. One of the clever craftsmen asked him to let him cover the wall with broken pieces and during this process he found out by cutting them he can make geometrical forms and flowers and he did. This is like the birthday of new art in Iran and Persia. Even if this story is not true, the result is magnificent. Next time you intend to visit Shiraz, never forget to visit Zinat Al-molk house and hall of mirroring.

Inner courtyard

The inner courtyard of the house is cozy and tranquil in a way. When you stay in the courtyard you can touch the coziness and peace and the atmosphere makes you calm enough to take a nap and enjoy the tranquility of the atmosphere. Especially in the hot summers, finding a place like the inner courtyard of Zinat Al-molk house is like a bonus from the god. You can find this space as a piece of paradise on earth which is reflected in this interior part of Qavam sisters’ house.

Smash rooms

Smash rooms of Zinat Al-molk are interconnected and if you start from a point after walking and continuing the way in the rooms you understand that at the end you will find yourself in the starting point. This kind of continuity is unique in traditional houses of Iran.

Paintings and Plasters

The paintings and plasters of Zinat Al-molk house are unique and delicate in a way that indulges the eyes of the viewer and shows exactly how a woman ordered the paintings and forms. Many forms and motives are formed in a way that you cannot be confident if a human being was in charge to make and paint those delicate but sophisticated forms and flowers. In most of the paintings the artist used natural paints and pigments and pure gold to make them more flourishing and more durable as even today after many years you can find colors shiny and in good condition as they were painted not long before. The plasters cut in the best form and are unique and so beautiful that they attract the eyes of visitors for a long time.

Shiraz Wax Museum  

 The cultural heritage ministry in a very genius act made many sculptures of important and noblemen of Shiraz even Zinat Al-molk herself in the form of wax and it resembles like Madam tussauds museum branches in other countries. Actually we have many wax sculptures in other museums in Shiraz and other cities but in Zinat Al-molk house you can find a big collection of sculptures of artists and poets and even historians in a very small space which attracts cultural people and gathers them together like a magnet in a new era. This wax museum is exactly like the madam tussauds museum and it is worth visiting if you have the chance to visit Shiraz and Zinat Al-molk house.
   The location of Zinat Al-molk historical house is very close to Vakil bazar complex and just by walking you can approach the house which is just one street far from Qavam house and as mentioned before both of them are interconnected by a tunnel and it shows how close them are, so if you visit one you will have the chance to visit the other. You can strike both aims in one touch. Zinat Al-molk house is unique and we strictly recommend you to visit this place if you are visiting Shiraz in future. In any case we are looking forward to visiting you in Shiraz and Fars province. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask us on sanapersian site.