Darvaze Tehran (Darvaze Baghe Melli)

T his imposing brick gateway, decorated with high Haft Rangi tiles, was built in 1922 by command of Reza Khan when he was minister of War. It faces what it used to be the Ministry of War, an old Qajar building a few hundred yards to the north; the space between was for many years a big military parade ground, the Maidan-e-Mashq, but has now been built over.

On the right through the gateway are the large police headquarters, built in neo-Achaemenian style during Reza Shah's reign; on the left a museum completed in 1967, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Apart from numerous faience inscriptions, the tiling on both sides of the gateway illustrates military subjects such as machine guns and soldiers. The main faience inscription over the central arch, which is crowned by a chamber where military music was played, is an Arabic and records well-known words of the Prophet Muhammad as quoted by the Imam Reza.

Another inscription states that the gateway's wrought-iron work was made in the Tehran arsenal.