TEHRAN (Mehr News Agency) – National Garden Portal was opened here on Sunday concurrent with the beginning of the auspicious month of Ramadan followed by ceremonies of playing kettledrums.

The renovation of the historical edifice began in 1998 with a budget of 470m rials.

National Garden Portal was constructed in 1961, southern part of Mashq Square where armed forced used to exercise.

When Reza Khan was minister of war, a glorious tall portal was built at the entrance of the square where armed forces of Qajar used to take exercise. The portal was later surrounded by the central post office and the old building of Irano-British Oil Company. Later, the buildings of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malek library and museum, Iran’s National Museum and Iran’s National Library were added.

The portal has huge doors made of metal and brass, installed a year after the main mansion was constructed. Three entrances with beautiful arches are included in the portal. The middle gate is larger than the two at the sides.

At the top of the middle gate a room with a gabled roof and several windows opening to both sides of the national garden was built. The room was used for playing kettledrums and announcing sunset and sunrise by playing a trumpet.

The tile works on top of the portal include symbols of lion and sun, flag of Iran as well as a number of verses from the holy Qur’an.