TEHRAN -- The curator of the Golestan Palace wishes she could keep the museum open until midnight in summer so that more people would be able to visit.

The Golestan Palace is one of the most beautiful cultural anthropology museums in Iran and if it were lit by projectors it would be more fascinating, Parvin Seqatoleslam told the Persian service of CHN on Sunday.

“On the one hand, we can’t expect the personnel to stay at the palace until late at night when there is no transportation system to take them home. On the other hand, we should consider the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization’s limitations in providing such facilities,” she added.

She noted that people are becoming more and more interested in visiting museums because they want to learn more about their identity, religion, and culture.

Seqatoleslam believes that museum curators should be history experts and people who have a relevant education.

The Golestan Palace is a memorial from Tehran’s historical citadel shining like a gem. The citadel dates back to the Safavid era. It was renovated at the time of Karim Khan (1705-1779), the first ruler of the Zand dynasty, and was used as a mansion by the kings of the Qajar era. Nasser ad-Din Shah made great changes to the complex as well.

Almost one third of the citadel was the king’s residential area. It consisted of interior (seraglio) and exterior parts. The exterior part included the courtyard and the huge Golestan garden separated by several buildings. The buildings were later destroyed during the time of the Pahlavi dynasty.

The interior was located in the northern part of the garden and was the home of the king’s wives.

The courtyard was used for formal visits and gatherings. However, it was also destroyed during the Pahlavi dynasty and the headquarters of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance was built at the site.