TEHRAN - A photo collection captures views of Dar ul-Funun, a mid-19th century scholastic center in downtown Tehran, which marks the start of modern education in Iran.

Dar ul-Funun has partly been restored with the aim of making it into a museum on education. Its courtyard houses an atmospheric garden that is hemmed by walls featuring Persian poetry inscribed on decorative tiles.

According to Encyclopedia Iranica, the number of students in its first year reflected an immediate popularity of Dar ul-Funun, with about 105 students enrolling in seven main subjects.

The center was opened in 1851 by Mirza Taqi Khan Farahani (1807-1852), who was nicknamed ‘Amir Kabir’.

He was chancellor under Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, appearing to be one of the most capable and innovative figures in the whole Qajar period.

AFM/MQ/MG