TEHRAN – A private press museum has opened to the public in Rasht, the capital of Gilan province, in northern Iran.

It is the first press museum being inaugurated and run by the private sector in Iran, the provincial tourism chief Vali Javani said on Thursday.

“The museum showcases a collection of 200 of the most influential and rare newspapers and magazines printed in the past 100 years,” Javani stated during the inauguration ceremony of the museum.

The establishment of the press museum relied on the extensive archive of its founder and his family, Jahani said.

“In addition to that, efforts have been made to collect other magazines and newspapers to enrich the museum’s collection.”

Highlighting the national significance of the museum, the official said: “The museum currently houses 10,000 copies of publications.”

Javani added, “The museum received its license from the Directorate of Museums of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, and we hope to see more specialized museums with different titles opening in the province.”

The opening of the Rasht Press Museum is seen as a positive step toward promoting Iran’s journalistic history, offering a valuable resource for researchers and individuals interested in the legacy of printed publications.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the official acknowledged that, given the national aspect of the museum, some quantity limitations can be addressed with the help of those active in the field.

The history of newspaper and book publication in Iran can be traced back to the mid-19th century when Mohammed Shah, the third Shah of the Qajar dynasty was in power.

According to the Iran Chamber Society, reliable evidence indicates the first Iranian who founded publication facilities in Iran was an educated technocrat named Mirza Mohammad Saleh Shirazi.

AFM