Shams-ol-Emareh is one of Tehran’s historical buildings and a remnant of Qajar Persia. It is one of the most prominent buildings on the east side of Golestan Palace. It was built around 1830. It is notable for its height, decorations and design.
Shams-ol-Emareh is 35 meters tall with five floors. It was the tallest building in Tehran when it was built, and the first building using metal in its structure. All the pillars in the upper floors are of cast iron.
Before his visit to Europe, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the fourth king of Qajar dynasty, was thinking of building a mansion in his capital to compete with Isfahan’s Ālī Qāpū. A tall building that he could stand on its roof and see the entire Tehran. By his order, Shams-ol-Emareh building was started in 1865 and was finished in two years.. The building’s designer was Moayer al Mamalek and the architecture was Ali Mohammed Kashi. The style of this building is a combination of traditional Iranian and Western architecture.