Isfahan Mollabashi House (Motamedi House)

Mollabashi or Motamedi House is from that kind of house that attracts everyone. The Mollabashi house in Isfahan is that dreamy house of we, Iranians that makes everyone fuddle. In this article, in addition to hints at some corners of the house, we tried to put photos from every corner of that.

Isfahan Mollabashi House is also known as Isfahan Motamedi House. This house belongs to the Zand and Qajar periods. In recent centuries, this house had been the observer of the history of Isfahan. Recently, in the 80’s, a person named Dr. Motamedi bought and renovated this place. Some days, even the main owner of the house or their sons are inside the house.

One of the unique points about this house is that the floor of all the rooms is carpeted, and it instills the beautiful sense of being at home to the visitor with the existence of the Iranian carpet, that so-called house is nicely carpeted.

In this article, you will read …

• Mollabashi Home Address
• The movie of Shah Neshin (Alcove) of Mollabashi House in Isfahan
• Visiting hours of Mollabashi house
• the home’s phone number
• Mollabashi house in Isfahan
• Who is Mollabashi?
• The virtual tour in Mollabashi House in Isfahan
• Plan and architecture of Mollabashi house
• Pool section of Mollabashi house
• Mollabashi house’s decorations
• Reconstruction of Mollabashi house
• The importance of Mollabashi house in terms of architecture of Iranian historical periods
• A short clip of the Motamedi house in Isfahan
• Visiting of Mollabashi House in Isfahan
• Colourful glasses
• The roof of Mollabashi house
• The attractive corridor of Mollabashi house in Isfahan
• The possibility of group visiting from Mollabashi house
• Who are the suitable people that can visit Mollabashi house?
• The best time to visit Mollabashi house
• Other historical houses in Isfahan
• Other spectacular places of Isfahan
• Weather forecasting of Isfahan
• Exact location of Mollabashi house in Isfahan

Why is it recommended to visit Mollabashi House in Isfahan?

It is a house that has remained from the Safavid, Zand and Qajar eras and has great architectural importance.

It is one of the most beautiful and exciting historical houses in Isfahan.

It is placing a treasure of art and the glory of Iranian life in itself.

Who is Mollabashi?

Mollabashi was the astronomer of Nasseraldin Shah during the Qajar period. He came to this house in Isfahan to calm the uneasy atmosphere from Tehran.

The cause of the tense atmosphere is due to the rule of Zol-al -Sultan, the eldest son of Nasser al-Din Shah. Zol-al -Sultan was a tyrant person who even wiped out the Iranian wildlife like the tiger of Mazandaran in the Miankaleh, which was in the north of the country. He got into a dispute with his wife over illegal acts.

Eventually, Zel-ol -Sultan’s wife went to the house of “Mullah Agha Hanafi”, a prominent and sedate figure at that time in Isfahan, to protest.

To avenge his wife, Zel -al-Sultan told all his sons that whoever killed his mother, would get half of his property. As a result, the atmosphere of Isfahan became unquiet.

This caused that Mollabashi, who was a religious person and a confidant of the Shah, to enter the city of Isfahan by the command of “Nasser al-Din” to calm the atmosphere.

Upon entering this mansion, this house became known as “Mollabashi House”. Mollabashi used this house as a cultural and religious institution. Numerous doors of this house also indicate this matter.

the information about the previous homeowners is not available before Mollabashi. This house is also referred to as Ms Motamedi after it was purchased by Mr Motamedi.

Mollabashi’s entrance to this house

With the entrance of Mollabashi to Isfahan, he bought the current historical house. Mollabashi House of Isfahan was not very big or beautiful at that time, but it had a very good position among other houses of Isfahan politicians and clergymen.

For example, the house of Molk al-Tajjar or the house of Mullah Agha Najafi was only a few steps away from this house. Mollabashi settled in this house by the command of the government.

When Mollabashi entered this mansion, the house consisted of only two or five doors and one part of the winter dweller that was leftover from the Zand period.

As a result, the house looked very insignificant, but with the arrival of Mollabashi, the situation of this house changed. The alcove and the 9-door room were added to this house.

These two new sections are now one of the most important and attractive rooms of this mansion and Mollabashi house in Isfahan. Most of the photos you see on the internet were taken from these rooms.

The virtual tour in Mollabashi house of Isfahan

This beautiful historic house consists of different parts of the inside, outside and different courtyards and corridors. The beautiful rooms that are inside the house, had different purposes.

One of these rooms was used for women to give birth to children. the rooms which have colourful Orsies, convey a sense of art and beauty to the human.

First, we go to the main part of the house which is the symbol of this house. An interior room with its colourful and large Orsies (windows) and Persian carpet and old backrests, touches human’s soul to sit here, meditate, just have fun and be free from the daily commotion.

If you reach these Orsies during the day and pull the curtain with the accompanying of the caretaker, beautiful coloured lights will be scattered in the room, and it will be very dreamy for the art of photography and daydreaming.

The plan and architecture of the Mollabashi house

Mollabashi house with an area of one thousand and three hundred square meters is built on two floors in three parts of inner, outer and spring house.

The outer part of this house includes a rectangular courtyard in which there are spaces on the east and west sides. Three-door rooms with beautiful plaster- mouldings are located in this section.

 In the architecture of historical and ancient houses of Isfahan, anticlinal and flat structures have been used. Changing the anticlinal method to the flat method has caused the shape of cross-shaped of the main hall to become rectangular halls with earring rooms around it.

What had happened in the Mollabashi house is that in this change of the structural system from the arch to the flat pattern, the decorations have also been changed from volumetric to flat.

Among the reasons for the tendency of the architects to flat structures in the middle of the Qajar period, we can mention the tendency of western architecture, the necessity of less skill in arched structures and the ease of building flat roofs than the arches.

Mollabashi House Pool Section

In Mollabashi’s house, like other houses built in the middle of the Qajar period, the house pool can be seen. The house pool is one of the innovations of Iranian architects to create summer space in the blind spots of the building that could absorb the light from the ceiling from the roof of the house by house pool.

The house pool is located in the middle part between the inner and outer courtyard of the building and has an octagonal shape. In the house pool, the three doors of the eastern and western parts are connected to the inner and outer rooms. The roof of the house pool is located on plastered columns.

An octagonal absorbent has been constructed in it. Absorbent decorations include damascene and a calendar in which the design and name of the twelve months of the year are engraved in English and Persian.

The inner part of the house consists of a central square courtyard. in the part of Inside, the three-door five-door and nine-door rooms are located around the square courtyard.

One of the most important differences between this house and other historical houses in Isfahan and other cities of Iran are these nine-door rooms. In other historical houses of Iran, three-door, five-door and maximum seven-door rooms have been built.

The basement is located under five doors and nine doors that were used to store food. This part of the house was also used by the residents to escape from the summer heat.

The issue of privacy has been observed in all the entrance doors of Mollabashi house, in a way that the entrance of the east side is to the corridor and the south door of the house is to the vestibule so that strangers do not see inside the house and the yard.

The alcove room

The alcove room is one of the most beautiful rooms in Mollabashi’s house. A variety of decorations can be seen in this room. The Orsies of the nine-door room is open into the alcove room.

the nine doors with an indescribable beauty have been given to this room in a way that every viewer is amazed by its beauty. In this room, valuable objects are also exhibited. the alcove room is also used for modelling works.

Mollabashi house decorations

Semi-circular arches, use of semi-embossed or cast iron flower patterns, paintings with flowers and birds, decoration of Orsies with Islamic motifs, stringcourse, metal carving on wood, mirror work, and gilding, abundant colored glass, can be seen in the interior decorations of Mollabashi house. In fact, this house is full of patterns and none of its walls is empty of decorations.

 In the courtyard of Mollabashi house, there are decorations with plaster casts, Iranian paintings, Persian calligraphy, and poems that have been created in the reconstruction of this house. Some of the decorations of this house are original and related to the building itself so that they have been reconstructed according to the remaining designs.

Even in their reconstruction, natural colors have been used in a complete way. Among them, we can mention the decorations of walls and niches with designs and patterns of small flowers.

These motifs were related to the Zand period. Mongolian, Sassanid, and solar decorations and chronoscopes in the house pool have been designed and created based on the interest and choice of the owner of the property, Mr. Motamed.

The carpets and antiques of Motamed House have been carefully selected and purchased by Mr. Motamed, which has added to the beauty and splendor of this house.

The reconstruction of Mollabashi’s house

The reconstruction of Mollabashi’s house lasted until 2016. Important and famous figures have played a role in the reconstruction of this house, such as those who were skilled in gilding, mirroring, and stalactite vaulter. most of these people are no longer alive. For example, the master-worker of the vautted of the Safavid Chamber is no longer alive. This person was one of the few skilled stalactite vaulters left in Iran.

At the time of the construction of this building, a canal was built under it for about seven kilometers to be both earthquake-proof and moisture-proof. During the reconstruction by Mr. Motamed, about ten centimeters of heavy salt and clay were poured into this canal so that the coal dust acts as a deodorizer and the salt acts as an insect repellent so that insects cannot enter the house.

Old photographs of this house before the reconstruction have also been displayed in parts of the house. These photos clearly show Mr. Motamed’s efforts in renovating this house.

The importance of the Mollabashi house in terms of the architecture of Iranian historical periods

Motamedi’s House belongs to the different historical periods in which the architecture of three historical periods Safavid, Zand, and Qajar can be seen. The architecture of the Safavid and Qajar periods can be seen in the two courtyards of this house. Above the nine-door room, wooden carved jags which are remained of the architecture of Qajar can be seen.

 The difference between the two basements in the two historical periods of Safavid and Qajar is also quite clear. In the basement of the Safavid period, the roof is arched. While in the Qajar period, the roof is made of wood. The summer residence of this house is remembered from the Zand period.

However, this part of the house has been renovated, and only in a small part of the decorations of this part of the house, the ornaments from the Zand period has remained. 

Visiting of Mollabashi House in Isfahan

After passing here, you will reach a room, which is messy and full of blankets and backrests. It takes you a moment to remember your past memories and the house of your grandparents. You may even want to hide within bedclothes and climb above them. Then, you will reach the bedroom and you will be fascinated.

The door which is in front of the pool is beautiful. with these artistic and contemporary paintings on the ceiling that you like, you can enjoy looking at the top.

You can even see beautiful paintings and contemporary tiling in the backyard. The presence of these jars may make you hungry or thirsty.

Even the roof woods in the yard are tastefully painted, this is where you can hope for more in life (although it is paradoxical, it is a dominant feeling that you will experience).

The colourful glasses

After leaving the large room and inside, the rooms inside the courtyard are also eye-catching despite their short width.

Next to this space, there was a room that was used for giving birth to children and that was previously used for this, and they went to welcome the newborn baby, and in the next room, beautiful carpets and colorful Orsies (windows) will shine and attract your attention.

The roof top of Mollabashi house

From the various sections, you visit, be sure to go up to the rooftop. You can see the house from another angle and visit other rooms and parts of the house.

Once again, we get to a room with attractive elements that despite the existence of a chair, you like to sit for a little while in an unconscious way.

The colorful Orsies and glasses in this room also catch your eye, especially when the sun shines on them.

The view of the alcove from the upper room is also spectacular from above, despite the existence of various paintings on the ceiling which are the symbols of the different months of the year, and the plastering, glasses, and Persian carpets.

Besides the beautiful, artistic, original, and Iranian architecture of this house, old furniture also plays an important role in making it more special here.

The attractive corridor of Mollabashi house in Isfahan

The rooms of this house go from this yard to the other side. One of these paths is connected by this beautiful corridor.

A beautiful corridor, which its lighting and paintings do not allow you to just cross the corridor and you like to sit in the corridor and take a photo as a memorial.

The bottom of this corridor is also decorated with these beautiful glasses. This is where the environment of this beautiful house reminds us again, that we should enjoy all the way, even the hallways, and corridors and not just crazily run toward an unknown purpose… the work that we are unfortunately used to doing these days.

Different parts of Mollabashi house in Isfahan

Mollabashi’s house can be divided into four general parts:

• Outdoor yard
• Summer resident
• Inner courtyard
• Alcove

The outdoor yard of Mollabashi’s house

 In fact, this mansion is an attractive example of the architecture of Iranian houses. The house means that they really lived in them and were close to the lives of ordinary people of their time. in this regard, Mollabashi’s house can illuminate a new angle for you from the Isfahan. The house is divided into two general parts: living spaces and service spaces. In the living space, the space is warm and intimate, full of energy, and with high lighting. In the service spaces, there are rooms for rest and indoor work in which the space is more closed, more serious, and colder.

Outdoor yard

When Mr. Motamedi bought the house of Mollabashi in Isfahan in 2001, this part was completely destroyed. That’s why most of the reconstructions took place here, and hence the reconstruction of this part is more visible than anywhere else.

There are stairs that take you to the upper floor and the porch area in this courtyard. a beautiful room is located at the end of the outer courtyard with colorful and beautiful windows facing the street.

The first image you see from Mollabashi’s house in Isfahan are the windows of this room. All the objects, tools and furniture of this room are antique and if you enter this room at sunset, the sunlight that has passed through the colorful glass is like a rainbow, which fills the whole room.

Summer resident

From the courtyard or the corridor next to it, which is completely lighting and decorated, you can reach the summer residence of the house, which is a memorial of Zand.

Of course, this part has also been completely restored and the walls of this part of the house have been completely painted. Only a part of these paintings, which is very old and left from the past, can be seen next to the first column, which has dimensions about 20 cm square.

Many historical and older decorations were found in the peeling excavations. In these paintings, the names of planets and Iranian ancient months are drawn on the ceiling and walls. There are rooms around this space that are used as residence rooms. Mollabashi mansion and the house of Isfahan is used as a diplomat hotel.

Inner courtyard

When you reach the courtyard between the outer courtyard and the summer residence, your soul became refreshed, because what you expected from a historic house is here! This part has completely preserved its historical space and nine doors and five doors with those old woods, have given a strange glory to the space.

There is only one side of the mansion that does not attract you in the first phase and it looks like a simple wall, but when you look at it from another angle, it is full of beautiful paintings that have added color to the building. The tall middle pool ends at the alcove, which is at the bottom of it, is in the basement.

 As mentioned, there are two parts of the Qajar and Safavid eras in this courtyard, and you can clearly see the difference between Safavid and Qajar’s architecture.

You can easily see the difference between the basements of the building. The Qajar basement is wider and has a wooden roof, but the Safavid basement has a vaulted roof and a spring with the material of brick.

Another difference is in the type of fireplaces, which was more important in the Safavid period and a lot of decorations were done on it. Another unique feature in this courtyard is the wooden, carved congresses that are located above the 9-door room and remind of the Qajar’s architecture once again to the viewer.

Alcove

The Alcove of this house is the most beautiful part of this house, which is the owner’s motivation for the reconstruction, and fortunately, it has not undergone much damage over time. Mirror walls, painting on the plaster, plasterwork, and light coming in through the 9-door windows, will enchant any visitor.

Antiques can be seen all around this room. Decorations on the ceiling and chandeliers have contributed to the beauty of this part of the house.

The Orsies of Mollabashi’s house in Isfahan is among the most beautiful old windows. Over the years, part of the wood of this window has withered, but they are still intact. That’s why you might smell naphthalene in this house. Examples of these Orsies can be found in the Angourestan Malek as well as the Mashrouteh House.

Basement:

Mollabashi’s house, like other historic houses, has a basement that is a place to keep food away from the heat in addition to the summer resort, in a way that despite this existence of a small pool in the water and rising of the wind from the water, makes the space inside the basement cool.

There are two basements in this house, that historical antiquity of one of them, backs to the Qajar period and the other to the Safavid period, which is one of the special features of this house.

It is interesting to know that during the reconstruction and restoration of this house, decorations were discovered that include paintings and names of ancient months and planets on the walls and ceilings, which have a very ancient history.

Other spaces of Mollabashi house or Motamedi house in Isfahan

This house has more than 10 other rooms and now they are becoming a residence; each has been named after one of the Iranian months. Each of these rooms has its own characteristics.

The possibility of the group visiting from Mollabashi house

Due to the limited space of this house and the presence of old and antique furniture in it, for a group vising of a tour or schools, you should coordinate with the management of this complex before visiting. generally, groups of more than ten people need coordination.

Which people can visit Mollabashi house?

Visiting Mollabashi house is suitable for all people except the physically disabled and those in wheelchairs due to having stairs. This house is private property and is in the possession of the Motamedi family who has rebuilt this house at their own expense for ten years. It may also not be possible to visit some of the rooms due to the residential and private domain of the house. The entrance door of Mollabashi house is usually closed. To visit it, you have to ring the doorbell and coordinate with the caretaker.

The best time to visit Mollabashi house

Due to the climate of Isfahan, the best time to visit Mollabashi house is spring. The best time to visit this house is in the morning or at noon when the house has the maximum light for photography.

In autumn and winter, the front curtains of the windows of the rooms are removed. Early in the morning or in the afternoon, the sun shines obliquely on the colourful windows, in this case the beautiful photos are taken, but if you just want to see this beautiful house closely, every season is the best time to see it.

Other historical houses in Isfahan

Other historical houses in Isfahan include Dehdashti House or Hogar Cafe, Moshir Al-Molk House, Keyvan House, Mashrouteh house of Isfahan and Jamalian House.

The weather forecasting of Isfahan

generally, for visiting any natural or historical attraction, you should check the weather of the city or its region so that proper planning can be done. You can start visiting and traveling in appropriate clothes. For this purpose, you can see the current temperature and weather forecast of Isfahan in the next five days.

Exact location and address of Mollabashi house in Isfahan

Mollabashi house is located in the urban context of Isfahan. The location and address of Mollabashi house is as follows: Isfahan city, Paghaleh neighborhood of Isfahan, Malek street, Mollabashi alley, the first house on the right. The rest of the alley in the past was for Mollabashi and also the place of stable and etc.

Of course, at the end of this post, the location section of Mollabashi House of Isfahan has been added. With the help of location, you can easily reach to this beautiful house.

Visiting hours of Mollabashi house

Mollabashi house is in the possession of the private sector, that is, it doesn’t sell tickets in the form of systematically and cultural heritage, you can knock on the door, when you get there and talk to the caretaker, who is a kind old man originally from Isfahan, and enter the house with paying the expense, so there is no specific time to enter, but as a precaution it is better to go in usual hours such as 9 am to 5 pm for someone to answer.

The home’s phone

• The home’s phone of Mollabashi Isfahan is the following number.
• 03132665637

The restaurants nearby

• man Cafe: 397 m
• Ghasre Monshi hotel- Restaurant of Isfahan: 463m Khan
• Khaan Traditional Foods Restaurant: 594 m
• Bastaani Restaurant: 760m

Hotels nearby

• Ghasre monshi Hotel: 467m
• Zende Rood Hotel of Isfahan: 535 m
• Mah bi bi ecotourism residence: 643 m
• Shervin Hotel- apartment: 702m

The surroundings attractions

• Angourestane Malek: 85m
• Sartippi house: 243 m
• Mashrouteh House (Mashroutiat House of Isfahan): 481m
• Imamzadeh Ahmad (Isfahan): 553m

What other places for visiting that are to the Isfahan Mollabashi House?

• Siose Pol: 2.7 km
• Naghshe Jahan Square: 1.5 km
• Aali Qapou Mansion: 1.5 km
• Angourestane molk Al-Tojjar House: 120 meters
• Mashrouteh house of Isfahan: 900 meters

Which hotels are near to Mollabashi House in Isfahan for residence?

• Molk Hotel
• Zende Rood Hotel
• Boutique ghasre Monshi hotel
• Sepahan Hotel
• Partikan Hotel

Which restaurants and dining halls are near to Mollabashi House in Isfahan?

• Naghshe Jahan Restaurant
• Khan Traditional Restaurant
• Namakdan Restaurant

The Conclusion:

This mansion is in a fact an interesting example of architecture of Iranian houses. Motamedi house is one the most beautiful houses that is related to different periods of history and has Iranian, very impressive decorations and architecture. However, the house was famous due to its architecture, but there are many historical stories in the backstage of it. According to the obtained documentations from the Motamedi or Mollabashi House, it is determined that the date of its building is related to the Safavid, Zandiyeh and Qajar periods.

Write about your experience of walking in the inside of the rooms and corridors of this house. Was this house dreamy for you?