Harandi Museum Garden in Kerman hosting two museums
Iranica Desk
The old houses and buildings of every city are indicative of its historical wealth, and the city of Kerman is no exception, boasting a large number of valuable artifacts. Among its attractions is the Harandi Museum Garden, a remnant of the Qajar period, located in the city center, where elements of both Iranian and non-Iranian architecture are beautifully combined. This complex consists of a garden, a central building, and other side sections. Today, it hosts an archaeological museum and a collection of traditional instruments.
During the Qajar period, numerous gardens were constructed in Kerman, and Harandi Garden is one of them. It was built on the outskirts of Kerman in 1873 by Mohammad Rezakhan Adel al-Sultan, a military official of the region. The plan for the central building of the garden was sent by Morteza Gholi Esfandiari, the son of Adel al-Sultan, from France around 1877. The building’s design is a combination of a French plan and Iranian architecture.
In 1934, the garden was sold to Abolqassem Harandi, a prominent merchant of Kerman. In 1970, the building and a part of the garden were donated to the Ministry of Culture and Arts to be converted into a museum. After some time, the rest of the garden was also purchased by the Ministry of Culture and Arts. In 1975, the garden was registered as a national monument of Iran.
In 1989, the Cultural Heritage Organization purchased a series of musical instruments from Iraj Golsorkhi, a music composer. Master Hossein Masoud Kermani, an employee of the Cultural Heritage Organization and the last maker of the ancient method of making the tar instrument, announced in 1999 his intention to launch a musical instrument museum in Kerman. Seyyed Mohammad Beheshti, the then head of the organization, welcomed this proposal, and the Cultural Heritage Organization inaugurated it in 2001. The central building was also launched as the Kerman Archaeological Museum in 2003.
The garden of the complex features unique elements of Iranian gardens, while the central building showcases a fusion of Iranian and European architectural features. The Archaeological Museum, housed within the complex, contains four rooms where discovered artifacts such as pottery, stone, metal, glass vessels, and stone inscriptions from various periods, including the Islamic era, are preserved. Most of the historical artifacts have been obtained from the Halil-Rud area (Jiroft) and Shahdad.
Central building
The central building, a two-story structure, presents a blend of non-Iranian and Iranian architectural elements. Covering an area of 2,000 square meters, it is situated to the north of the garden, adjacent to the fountains. The building features a low-depth domed roof, and its floor, originally made of traditional bricks, has been replaced with ceramics.
Currently, the ground floor of the central building has been repurposed into a museum of traditional instruments, while the upper floor now houses an archaeological museum.
Outbuildings such as the servants’ quarters, bathhouse, kitchen, and stable were originally constructed in the garden. However, today, no remains of the stable and storage areas exist, and the kitchen is utilized as an administrative building.
Qanat
Another highlight of the Harandi Museum Garden is its qanat. Historically, qanats were utilized to transport water from wells to the surface. The qanat of the Harandi Museum Garden is situated at the end of the garden, near the pond. Previously, two water paths from the Tahmasbabad and Hassanabad qanats flowed through the garden. Additionally, a designated area for the servants’ residence near the main entrance has since vanished.
Green space
In the past, the garden was home to fruit trees such as fig, mulberry, apple, grape, pomegranate and barberry, of which only pomegranate trees remain today. Additionally, ornamental flowers like roses adorn the Harandi Museum Garden.
Traditional Instruments Museum
The Traditional Instruments Museum features 32 display cases safeguarding over 250 unique traditional instruments, including five crafted by Hossein Masoud. Masoud has generously donated several instruments to the Kerman Traditional Instruments Museum.
Within the Kerman Traditional Instruments Museum, an information section offers audio and visual services through software, hardware, internet, and video. Additionally, the museum houses a dedicated study center for research and exploration in the field of traditional Iranian music.
Visitors can use the audio system in the display cases to acquaint themselves with the playing techniques and melodies of the instruments performed by renowned music masters. Annually, the museum hosts “A Night with Iranian Traditional Music,” featuring performances by music masters and pioneers using ancient instruments. The museum is adorned with beautiful paintings on the walls and alongside the display cases, showcasing pleasant images and poems about authentic Iranian music. Additionally, the museum features images of great artists and pioneers of Iranian music. The museum also houses around 300 old photos from the Qajar period with a musical theme, some of which are on display.
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum aims to showcase the ancient civilizations of the southeastern region of Iran and their connections with neighboring civilizations. The museum is divided into two main sections: Pre-Islamic and Islamic periods, and includes multiple pavilions such as:
Shahdad Pavilion: This pavilion displays artifacts from the archaeological excavations of the Shahdad ancient site, including various types of pottery, stone, and metal (bronze) vessels dating back to the third and fourth millennia BCE.
Among the other artifacts in this showcase are delicate necklaces and stone vessels resembling doats.
Jazmourian Pavilion: The discovered artifacts from Jazmourian (inland basin in Kerman Province) include various delicate grey pottery with beautiful patterns. The artifacts from this period belong to the late third millennium and the early second millennium BCE. Remarkable examples in the collection are the bronze axes that were obtained from Jiroft, the western marshes of Jazmourian, and from unauthorized excavations. Other important findings from the Jazmourian region belong to the Seleucid, Parthian, and a mix of Greek, Central Asian, Indian, and Central Iranian plateau cultures. These findings include ceramic cups, plates, jars, and rhytons ending with the heads of animals such as horses, sheep, cows, and half-human beings.
The Achaemenid bronze mortar is one of the most significant artifacts in the Harandi Garden Museum.
Islamic Era Pavilion: The glazed pottery, metal, and glass objects such as various vessels, oil lamps, and perfume bottles, as well as stone inscriptions from different Islamic periods, adorn this showcase.
Number Four Pavilion: This section mostly consists of various engraved pottery and beautiful small bronze animals found in the excavations of Jiroft. Other important artifacts in this section include bronze vessels discovered in Bazenjan.