Mashhad is one of the largest cities in Iran and the capital of Razavi Khorasan province, housing many historical monuments. Malek Historical House in Mashhad is one of the Qajar historical monuments of this city, which was the residence of Haj Hossein Agha Malek in the past. He was one of the wealthy philanthropists in Iran who endowed many of his properties to the public. His private residence, which is known as Malek house, was included in the Iran National Heritage List in 1998 and is considered one of the top sights among Mashhad tourist attractions.
This house is located on the east side of Imam Khomeini Street across from the historical building of the Tax Administration of Khorasan Razavi. In terms of area and architecture, this house is considered one of the prominent historical houses of Mashhad.
Who Was Hossein Agha Malek?
Haj Hossein Malek was the son of one of the wealthy merchants close to the court of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, who was born in Tehran in 1873. He continued his studies under the guidance of Mirza Abul Hasan Jelveh. His father, Haj Muhammad Kazem Malek ol-Tojjar, was one of the famous merchants of Tabrizi origin.
Hossein Malek took over the management of his father’s estate in 1905. Then, in 1937, he endowed a large part of his estate to the public. Among his extensive endowments, the following can be mentioned:
- Malek National Library and Museum
- A library entrusted to Astan Quds Razavi (Organization in charge of management of Imam Reza Shrine and endowed estate
- Razavi Hospital in Chenaran and Sajjadieh Hospital in Torbat-e-Jam, which were endowed to the municipality
- 200 hectares of land for several educators (510 meters for each)
- Vakilabad Garden, which was dedicated to the people of Mashhad, and its supervision was entrusted to the city municipality.
His private residence, which is located on Imam Khomeini Street in Mashhad, is an example of an Iranian house built in the late Qajar period. After the death of Hossein Malek in 1973, this house was renovated once in 2000.
The Architecture of Malek Historical House in Mashhad
The property was built on a site of around 1659 square meters. Of this footage, the infrastructure of the house occupies around 600 square feet and the rest is dedicated to the courtyard and superstructure. In the courtyard area of this house, there is a large fountain, lawn area, and benches for resting.
During the excavation carried out in the yard and garden of Malek House in Mashhad, a 127-square-meter bathhouse was discovered underground. This bathhouse, which is one of the private bath houses of the house, was buried under the courtyard.
The mentioned bathhouse includes the passage, Garmkhaneh (warm room), toilet, fireplace, and firewood storage. Unlike all private and public bathhouses, this one includes a prayer room. The bathhouse of Malek House features beautiful decorations.
After visiting the bathhouse and walking through the long courtyard of the property, you will see its exterior facade on two floors. The house’s facade decoration includes many wooden windows and delicate brickwork.
It should be noted that the mentioned house was very large in the past. Currently, what is known as the Malek House of Mashhad and survived demolition is its external area.
On the first floor of the building, there is a large reception hall with a latticed wooden ceiling featuring marquetry decoration. Also, in a part of this hall, there is a fireplace with beautiful plasterwork decorations on the wall.
In addition, the upper floor has been converted into a museum, where various items are on display. In this museum, various showcases have been installed to place different objects, tableaus, and artifacts. The mentioned museum consists of two parts, the first part contains the objects discovered in the house, and the other part is dedicated to the works of various artists.
The architecture of Malek House in Mashhad is a combination of traditional Qajar architecture and European architecture.
Visit Malek Historical House and Museum in Mashhad
Malek Historical House is unique due to its beautiful architecture and contains a museum. This house is very vast and you may miss notable sights without the help of a tour guide.
If you travel to Mashhad on an Iran tour package or personally, don’t miss visiting this house. Destination Iran invites you to include the Malek Historical House on your itinerary of Mashhad tourist attractions. You can learn more about the historical monuments of this city through our website when you travel to Mashhad. We hope our blogs can help you determine your ideal travel plan in advance.
Where is Malek Historical House in Mashhad?
This house is located on the east side of Imam Khomeini Street in Mashhad, in front of the Tax Administration of Khorasan Razavi building. You can see the exact location of this house below:
Frequently Asked Questions About Malek Historical House in Mashhad
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Who endowed the Malek House to the public?
The owner of this house, Haj Hossein Agha Malek, was one of the most famous Iranian philanthropists.
Where was the Mashhad historical bathhouse discovered?
The historical bathhouse found in the courtyard and garden of the Malek House of Mashhad was buried under a pile of soil for years. The aforementioned bathhouse was discovered through archaeological excavations in the courtyard of this house. This bathroom, which is located in the basement and has an area of about 127 meters, is a special example of the private bathhouse of the Qajar period, featuring special Iranian architecture and unique Qajar decorations and has various parts such as a fireplace and a firewood storage next to it.
How old is the Malek Historical House in Mashhad?
The historical house of Malek was built during the late Qajar period, and the reason for its fame is not its age. Rather, it is the architecture and special decorations of this house that has made it a part of Mashhad’s cultural heritage.
What artifacts are exhibited in the Malek Museum of Mashhad?
Today, a museum of historical artifacts, exquisite paintings, and handicrafts is located in this house. This house is also considered the Mashhad artists forum. In various sections, artists create exquisite works of art such as illustration, turquoise engraving, enameling on glass, painting, stone carving, Toreutics on silver, copper, and steel, wood carving, rug and carpet weaving, pottery, needlework, etc.
Source: Destination Iran