Esfahan Museum of Contemporary Art

The Esfahan Museum of Contemporary Art is located in the center of the city of the same name (Esfahān region) and its building dates back to the Safavid era. The construction of the museum underwent a renewal during the qajara era and was once the residence of the governor of Esfahān; later it was used as a registry office or statistical office and headquarters of the region while from the year 1373 of the solar Hegira was used as a museum of contemporary art in the city.

This beautiful building occupies a surface of 3000 meters, has two floors, has 6 exhibition halls and a library. The museum includes various sections such as calligraphy and writing (precious works of Koranic calligraphy, hadiths and prayers), the papier-mâché and oil section (various types of papier-mâché cases and objects, album covers, photo frames mirrors and parchment holder with famous images of the art of that time), the section of the metal works (jewels and tableware), the painting section (different styles of Iranian painting by the best masters of the country including the miniatures of Herat, Esfahān, Tabriz and individual portraits qajari) the section of hand-woven and traditional sewing (textiles, carpets and precious qalamkār or hand-painted cotton fabrics or printed in blocks of the Safavid and Qajara era), the section of glass, terracotta and ceramics (decorated crystals) and the section of wooden works (precious wood crafts such as mosaic, inlay, carving and khātam kāri).

There is also a section in this museum used as an exhibition where various exhibitions are set up on different occasions such as calligraphy and painting of coffee houses and others that often relate to Islamic arts.

The museum's specialized library is among Esfahān's most renowned libraries and has several volumes in all areas of art. The decorative arts museum is located next to the contemporary art museum.