TEHRAN – The Marble Palace, a historical royal residence in Tehran, is set to open to the public as an art museum after 41 years.

Originally called “Kakh-e Marmar”, the palace is scheduled to open to the public by the next month, ISNA reported on Sunday.

The palace served as a museum for a year before the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Now, after four decades, it will be a venue for showcasing Persian arts and cultural heritage handcrafted since the first millennium BC onwards, the report added.

Construction of the palace started in 1934 by French engineer Joseph Leon and Iranian architect Fat’hollah Ferdows on the orders of Reza Shah for the purpose of official functions and receptions.

The palace and its premises is currently under ownership of the Mostazafan Foundation of the Islamic Revolution.

Iran embraces hundreds of historical sites such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 22 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

AFM/MG