Fath-Ali Shah (the second king of Qajar dynasty) and his successors built several gardens on the northern slopes of Alborz Chain Mountains in northern Tehran (Darol-Khalafeh); these gardens later formed the northern Tehran summer resort area. One of these royal hillside gardens is Niavaran Garden, which, over a long period marked by the turbulent modern history of Iran, various events, ceremonies, and occasions, has become a prominent site in the political scene of the past two centuries.
Initially, the Qajar kings chose this pleasant and temperate location as their summer residence. Fath-Ali Shah ordered the construction of a beautiful garden in a cooler area outside the city of Tehran. The garden was established next to a village called "Gordeh Vei" or "Gerdeh Beh" located in Niavaran today, replacing a nearby reed marsh. This summer garden, created in the reed marsh area by Fath-Ali Shah, was called "Nei Avaran," a name that later became famous as "Niavaran."
Later Mohammad Shah (the third king of Qajar dynasty) added a small and simple structure in this garden, and after him, Naser el-Din Shah (the fourth Qajar king) ordered the construction of the "Sahebqaranieh Palace" in Niavaran Garden in 1851.
The last and most poetic building of Qajar era, with unique features and exceptional charm, is the Koushk Ahmad Shahi (Mansion), built during the reign of Ahmad Shah (the seventh and last king of Qajar dynasty) as his summer residence in this garden.
During the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (the second Pahlavi king), some small old buildings in the garden were demolished, and the modern-style Royal Niavaran Palace was constructed, which was used as the residence of king and his family from 1968 to 1978.
Finally In 1979, the palace was seized by revolutionary forces, and in 1981, it was handed over to the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The doors of Niavaran Palace were opened to the public as a museum for the first time in 1986.
Gradually, other museums and sections were opened for public visit, including Jahannama Museum (1997), Sahebqaranieh Palace Museum (1998), Kushk Ahmad Shahi Museum (2000), Royal Library museum (2004), Garden of Inscriptions (2008), and Royal car museum (2012).