Iran’s art of mirrorwork reaches new milestone at Golestan Palace
Global registration of the art of mirrorwork in Iranian architecture known as Ayeneh-Kari is a source of pride for Iran’s cultural heritage, said the director of the Golestan Palace World Heritage Site.
Afarin Emami added that the restoration and conservation of the mirrorwork masterpieces at Golestan Palace have reached a new milestone — one that ensures the continued brilliance and splendor of this art form in Iranian architecture, according to chtn.ir.
She noted that coinciding with the inscription of “the art of mirrorwork in Iranian architecture” on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the organization and restoration of the mirrorwork in the entrance hall of the Mirror Hall at Golestan Palace have been completed.
Emami continued that this measure represents a significant step in the protection and restoration of the extensive mirror decorations of this site, adding that the opportunity created by the temporary closure of museums and their gradual reopening was used in the best possible way.
Referring to the importance of the mirrorwork at Golestan Palace, Emami emphasized that the extensive and unique mirror decorations of the building — created between 1874 and 1882 by the renowned Iranian artist Sani ol-Molk — are among the most radiant and magnificent works in the history of Iran’s architecture.
She added that, within the framework of plans for the reopening of the main halls of the palace, including the entrance hall, the Mirror Hall, and the Salam Museum Hall in the coming days, special attention was paid to these decorations.
Accordingly, immediately after the large-scale and integrated organization and restoration of the Hall of Dishes and its mirrorwork embellishments on stucco, the restoration of the Mirror Hall was also carried out.
She further explained that although the protection, maintenance, and restoration of mirrorwork in the buildings of the Golestan Palace Complex have been ongoing for nearly two centuries, since 2019 this effort has gained renewed importance through reliance on the knowledge and expertise of master craftsmen and restorers, as well as systematic conservation management. Alongside conservation and restoration efforts in all other decorative elements of the complex, the extensive mirrorwork decorations have been recognized as a focal point of artistic creativity and aesthetic sensibility, contributing to the continuity of the palace’s vibrant and living architecture.
The official pointed out that over the past years, a total of nine large-scale conservation and restoration projects have been implemented exclusively on mirrorwork surfaces in an extensive and integrated manner within the complex.