Miyan Pushteh Palace

The Bandar Anzali Palace Museum, also known as Miyan Pushteh Palace, stands in the city of Bandar Anzali in Gilan Province. It has two floors and a floor area of about 1,168 square metres. The building includes a reception hall, 11 rooms and several restrooms, and was built with a white stone facade, double-layer walls and reinforced concrete ceilings. Artistic stucco work, plaster statues in the corners, and windows overlooking the sea and the garden give the palace an elegant, refined look. After the building was restored on the orders of Reza Shah Pahlavi, Miyan Pushteh Palace became one of the city's landmarks. Since 1367 (Solar Hijri), the building has housed the Anzali Military Museum. It now holds a collection of historic military weapons from the Zand era to the Pahlavi period, old navigation and diving equipment, personal belongings from the Pahlavi era, and gifts and objects related to Iran's military history.

The palace's architecture has several distinctive features. The main entrance is on the north side, and a wide corridor leads from it to the main hall. The broad staircase in the hall splits into eastern and western branches that lead to the second floor. Between the staircases, large sun-patterned windows face south. The palace originally had a concrete roof, topped with a metal dome covered in white tinplate. On the north side of the building there were once symbols such as two lions and the Pahlavi crown, which were later removed during repairs. The palace garden and grounds were also magnificent. Four main avenues were laid out in the grounds, with the palace at the centre of their intersection. Cypress trees were planted along these avenues, and the edges were decorated with boxwood shrubs. Hundreds of bitter orange trees in the grounds also created a delightful view, although many of them died in the heavy snow of 1328 (Solar Hijri). The construction cost of the palace at the time was reported to be about 750,000 rials. In 1363 (Solar Hijri), part of the palace's southeastern land, covering 22,500 square metres, was set aside for building the Amir al-Mu'minin (AS) Mosque, a religious studies complex and a venue for Friday prayers.

Visiting Miyan Pushteh Palace is a chance to experience history, architecture and a coastal landscape all at once. The building's northern windows open onto the Caspian Sea and give visitors a view of the water. On the south side, the lush palace garden offers a pleasant space for a stroll and a quiet rest. The best way to get there is from the centre of Bandar Anzali or the seaside boulevard; you can drive or take a taxi to the vicinity of the palace and then enter the complex on foot. Visiting in the morning or around sunset is recommended, when the soft sunlight and its reflection on the sea and the garden make the experience more beautiful. Following responsible nature-travel practices, such as not damaging greenery and respecting historic monuments, also keeps the visit sustainable and enjoyable.