Garden of Paradise

Before Valiasr meets its northern end, the street huddles a green promenade inside on its last bend. The picturesque garden is Bagh-Ferdows which means the garden of paradise.  

But Bagh-Ferdows is not just a promenade with rows of mighty trees. At the end of the pathway, one can see a symmetrical edifice with a pillared iwan, pitched roofs and arched windows. It is like no other building in and around Valiasr, the longest metropolitan street in the Middle East.

Dating back to the Qajar era (1786-1925), the edifice was turned into the Cinema Museum in 1994. It now houses pictures, filmmaking equipment and documents representing Iranian cinematic heritage.

Cinema Museum is one of the many buildings in Bagh-Ferdows.

The complex includes three movie theaters, outdoor and indoor cafes and gift shops. Outside the complex, at the promenade, one may find interesting items among handicrafts and second-hand books sold by street vendors.