TEHRAN – Restoration process of Takht-e-Marmar, a spectacular terrace within the UNESCO-registered Golestan Palace in downtown Tehran, goes through its final stage.

Literally meaning “Marble Throne”, the monument will be open to visitors from March 20, which marks the arrival of the Iranian New Year, CHTN reported.

A sum of 1.35 billion rials (roughly $30,000) was channeled into the rehabilitation project that spanned over four months, said Masoud Nosrati, the director of the World Heritage site.

Takht-e-Marmar embodies the finest of Iranian architecture as it is adorned by paintings, marble-carvings, tile-work, stucco, mirrors, enamel, woodcarvings, and lattice windows.

The throne was built in the early 19th century upon the order of Fath Ali Shah, a Qajar monarch who reigned from 1797 to 1834. It bore coronations of several Qajar kings as well as Reza Shah Pahlavi who brought an end to Qajar rule in the country.

A masterpiece of the Qajar era (1785 to 1925), the lavish Golestan Palace embodies a successful integration of earlier Persian crafts and architecture with Western influences.

PHOTO: A view of Takht-e-Marmar within the UNESCO-registered Golestan Palace in downtown Tehran

AFM/MQ/MG