A ceremony was held in Tehran's Carpet Museum on Monday to mark the conclusion of the first phase of the renovation project in the four-decade-old building.
The officials of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization attended the event, ISNA reported.
"Renovations were conducted on the underground floor, parts of interior sections and the Protection Unit's office, for which roughly 20 billion rials ($4.7 million) were spent," Parisa Beizaei, director of the museum, said.
"In the second phase, panels and other extensions will be designed and a new building will be used to display items," she added.
Mohammad Hassan Talebian, cultural heritage deputy at ICHHTO, said the project is part of the renovation drive launched in the organization.
"When I took up the position at ICHHTO, the Carpet Museum's status was undesirable, but now the first phase of renovations is complete and other phases are on the agenda," he said.
The official added that over the past few years, no efforts had been made to maintain the museum and its storerooms, showcases and halls were in dire need of improvement.
"After the Carpet Museum, other museums of national importance must be improved because they can help boost cultural tourism," he said.
Talebian also said the Fatemi-Kargar Junction is capable of turning into a cultural zone as historical sites such as the Museum of Contemporary Arts, Laleh Park and Carpet Museum are located nearby.
Mohammad Reza Kargar, ICHHTO's director for museum affairs, said museums in Iran have been neglected for years.
"The 1970s was a golden age for museums in Iran, but they gradually declined until the last decade, which marked a period of severe downturn in their operations," he said.
Fresh attention has been directed toward these places over the past few years, the most significant example of which is the restoration and reopening of the Islamic section of the National Museum of Iran.
"The renovation of National Museum was implemented for the first time after 80 years since its launch," Kargar said.
Abdolaziz Farmanfarmaian took inspiration from traditional Iranian elements to design the Carpet Museum of Iran, with the facade of the building resembling a carpet loom.
It was officially launched as a museum in 1977. With an area of 12,000 square meters, the museum is located near Tehran's Fatemi-Kargar Junction.
A recent dispute over the construction of Metro ventilators within the buffer zone of the museum has not been fully resolved yet.
Add new comment
Read our comment policy before posting your viewpoints