TEHRAN – A historical house in Tehran has been converted into the Calligraphy Museum of Iran.

The museum, home to a rare collection of Persian calligraphy, was inaugurated on Saturday during a ceremony attended by a large number of calligraphers and artists.

The house that was formerly owned by Gholamreza Fuladvand, a senator during the reign of Iran’s last monarch Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was converted into a museum under the auspices of Tehran Municipality’s Beautification Organization.

Speaking at the ceremony, the director of the organization, Isa Alizadeh, said that calligraphy enjoys a high status in Islamic art.

“Calligraphy has deep connections with morality, spirituality and mysticism. The exquisite tile works on the walls and the mihrabs in the mosques bear beautiful calligraphy that reflects the glory of this precious art,” he said.

However, he regretted the fact that a lot of invaluable copies of calligraphy works have been damaged or looted by other countries due to mismanagement.

Alizadeh also explained that most of the items displayed at the museum come from the rare collection of Iranian master of calligraphy, Abdollah Foradi (1927-1996).

“We need to collect more works by master calligraphers, and continue to buy works by contemporary artists,” he added.

The Director of the Iranian National Committee for the International Council of Museums, Ahmad Mohit-Tabatabai, remarked that several other museums such as the National Museum of Iran and the Reza Abbasi Museum also display pieces of calligraphy works.

“However, converting a historical house in the capital Tehran into a calligraphy museum is quite praiseworthy,” he added.

Calligrapher Ali Shirazi also expressed his hope that the museum would be active in accumulating works by contemporary artists.

The museum is located on Hoquqi Alley off Somayyeh Street in downtown Tehran.

Photo: Guests visit the Calligraphy Museum of Iran in Tehran after an inauguration ceremony on August 19, 2017. (Mehr/Melika Farshforush)

RM/MMS/YAW