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Tabriz Municipality Tower Is a Modern Symbol

Tabriz Municipality Tower is the first municipal building in Iran, located in Shahrdari Square or Saat Square.
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Introduction to the Tabriz Municipality Tower (also known as Saat Tower or Kakh-e Shahrdari)

Tabriz Municipality Tower is the first municipal building in Iran, located in Shahrdari Square or Saat Square. This hall and mansion are the places to concentrate all the administrative and civil affairs of the Tabriz municipality. After walking in Saat Square, you can visit the Tabriz Municipal Museum, which will introduce you to the old culture and life of the Tabriz people. Tabriz is a city with a long chronological history, which hosts valuable works due to its rich culture. Also, the city contains a unique brilliance in the four seasons, which displays the magnificence in each season. One of the historical buildings of Tabriz, also considered one of the cultural buildings of the city, is Tabriz Municipality Palace.

The history of Tabriz Municipality Municipality Tower

Tabriz is the city of the first ones, so it includes the first municipal building in Iran, which is the palace of Tabriz Municipality. The construction of the municipal building began in 1935 during the Pahlavi I period and the mayor of that time, Arfa-Al-Molk Jalili. The building, known as the symbol of Tabriz, was built in the old and abandoned cemetery in the style of German architecture.

Tabriz Municipality Palace is also known as Saat Tower (Qabaghi ​​ Saat) due to the existence of a clock at its highest point. The tower clock rings every 15 minutes to convey the passage of time in the city to the people of Tabriz. In 2007, the government changed the use of the building to the first museum of the city and municipalities of the country because of commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the first city and municipality association of Iran in Tabriz and opened the palace to the public.

The architecture of Tabriz Municipality Palace

The Tabriz Municipality Palace contains three floors with a U-shaped infrastructure. One of the remarkable and surprising points of the building is the aerial map, which resembles the design of an eagle in flight. Since the architect of this mansion was a German person, its architecture is consistent with the German World War period houses.

You can see a tall clock at the tip of the eagle, which is considered one of the main features of the complex and is on the central axis of the building. Due to clocks on every four sides of the tower, passers-by can see them from any side that approaches the palace. You can see the inspiration of Iranian art and architecture in the interior of the Municipal Museum Palace. But the exterior design of the building uses stones that give it a European style. The north and east facades of the building (the main streets of the city) contain cut stone, and the south and west facades are a combination of brick and stone. In all the walls, they used bricks with sand and lime mortar. The carved stones in the windows and roof of the building are among the most stunning decorative items used in architecture.

Another feature of the building is the ceremonial entry overlooking the square and several conventional gates in the area palace. The roof of the Tabriz Municipality Palace contains decoration with Iranian motifs, and all the windows are colourful and exquisite. At the entrance of the Tabriz Municipality building, there is a pleasant yard and garden, and in the middle of the yard, there is a large pool full of water, where you can witness a scenic and pleasing atmosphere. There are also benches around the pool for visitors to rest. The attractive building doubles the magnificence of the surrounding palace with its stunning lighting at night. The building has maintained its majesty and importance from the past to the present. Hence is the place to hold some municipal activities and official diplomatic meetings.

There are four museums and halls in the Tabriz Municipality Palace, and if you visit the basement, you should start your tour at the Municipal Museum.

Tabriz Shoe Museum

Tabriz shoes include an enviable reputation, and in the museum, you can introduce yourself to the antiquity of Tabriz shoes. All shoes exhibited in the shoe museum are made of leather and sewn and made using the simple equipment that existed in the past. Tabrizi shoe maker exports their product to some countries due to their high quality.

 The Fire brigade Museum

The Fire brigade Museum is in another room in the basement, which shows the old firefighting equipment and the way of their work.

Halls of the Municipal Museum

After seeing the museums on the basement floor, go to the main building and visit the halls of the Municipal Museum. A museum in which there are different halls and inside each of which you can see old things.

One of the most significant and valuable halls is the Carpet Hall, which displays a unique treasure of 110-year-old carpets and rugs. Also, 12 carpets in the collection were woven and finished by Arfa-Al-Mulk Jalili from the establishment of the Tabriz Municipality Palace till 1941 A.D. You can witness the history and development process of old generation cameras in different eras in the Hall of Old Cameras. The Document Hall has displayed several books and old manuscripts of the municipality. You can visit a collection of native and classical instruments in the Sound Hall. Hall of Holy Defence has presented photos and documents of war and martyrs. You can also see the Contemporary Art Hall, Calligraphy Hall, and Printing Hall.

On the way back from the museum, you can see old autos, including the first Fire brigade automobile of Tabriz, in the palace area. And other cars, that watching them will take you on a journey through history.

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