A new museum featuring over 220 musical instruments and items related to sound and music has opened in the Azadi Tower in Tehran. The exhibition showcases instruments from Iran and other countries worldwide, as well as antique equipment for recording and reproducing sound.
The opening ceremony took place on Tuesday at the Azadi Tower, attended by Mehdi Shafiei, Deputy Minister of Culture for Artistic Affairs, along with several musicians, cultural heritage enthusiasts, and music lovers. The event began with a performance by an ensemble playing Iranian musical instruments.
Seyed Mohsen Hosseini, head of the Azadi Tower, noted that in recent years, the complex has sought to expand its museum directions alongside its cultural and artistic programs. He emphasized that the new museum is intended not only to display musical instruments and sound-related items but also to introduce visitors to part of Iran's musical history and heritage, preserve relevant documents and artifacts, and serve as a venue for specialized events.
Hosseini added that this museum will help strengthen the museum potential of the Azadi Tower and contribute to the preservation of Iran's musical and sound heritage.
Sajjadine Hosseini, a researcher, collector, and tar operator whose collection forms the basis of the museum, stated that continuous cooperation between artists and cultural institutions is necessary to preserve Iran's sound and musical heritage. He described the museum as the result of four decades of collecting and cultural activity.
Sajjadine also mentioned that in 2018, a sound museum was established in the historic city of Tabriz—the first private museum in the country dedicated to sound and music. It was located in one of the buildings of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts.
Currently, the Azadi Tower displays over 220 instruments and objects related to sound and music. Among the Iranian instruments featured in the exhibition are the tar, setar, kamancheh, santur, oud, nay, sorna, balaban, and tombak, alongside instruments representing various cultures and regions around the world.
One section of the museum is dedicated to historical technologies for creating, recording, and reproducing sound. It houses gramophones, phonographs, magnetic tape equipment (reel-to-reel and cassette), vintage radios, telephones, bells, whistles, and other sound-related items. The collection also includes ritual instruments, traditional sound-making devices, children's instruments, and lesser-known musical instruments, allowing guests to explore music beyond the history and development of conventional instruments.