Iran Cinema Museum

About the Museum

The Iran Cinema Museum (Persian: موزه سینمای ایران) is located within the historic Ferdows Garden (Bagh-e Ferdows) complex in the Tajrish district of Shemiran, northern Tehran, Iran. The museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation, documentation, and exhibition of Iranian cinematic heritage, from the earliest era of filmmaking in Iran to the present day.

History and Founding

Ferdows Garden is a 19th-century Qajar-era estate spanning approximately 20,000 square meters, with its mansion building occupying about 1,000 square meters. The garden dates to the reign of Mohammad Shah Qajar (1808–1848) and changed hands multiple times over the following century. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the complex served as a filmmaking training center until 2002, when it was formally repurposed as the Cinema Museum of Iran. Some sources indicate an earlier founding date of 1994 for the initial museum initiative.

Collections and Holdings

The museum's collections are extensive and include approximately 40,000 photographs of Iranian cinema and artists, over 5,000 volumes of cinema-related publications and magazines, 3,000 historical documents including correspondence and contracts, approximately 350 pieces of historical filmmaking equipment, 2,500 film posters and announcements, and 4,000 screenplays. The museum is organized into thematic halls covering the history of cinema globally and in Iran, behind-the-scenes filmmaking, international recognitions and awards received by Iranian films, and a dedicated section on the role of Armenian filmmakers in Iranian cinema.

Significance for Media History

The Iran Cinema Museum is the primary institutional archive for Iranian film history and cinema heritage. Its holdings document the full arc of Iranian cinema — from the silent era through the internationally acclaimed Iranian New Wave — and include materials related to figures such as Abbas Kiarostami, Asghar Farhadi, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, and Jafar Panahi. The museum also screens films in its cinema halls.

Access and Usage

The museum is open to the public at Bagh-e Ferdows in northern Tehran. Screenings take place in the onsite cinema halls. The museum's website is available at en.cinemamuseum.ir.