ISFAHAN MUSIC MUSEUM

In two words: Unforgettable experience! Opened in December 2015 by a group of music lovers, this museum is simply exceptional and unique in Iran. Started by Mehrdad Jeihooni and Shahriar Shokrani in the early 1980 ' s, which was only a simple collection of instruments has grown over the years to become a legacy, a momentous testimony to Iranian culture and traditions and their evolution over the centuries.

A tip, don't go at the end of the day thinking about closing the visit quickly before going back to the hotel. You can easily spend two or three hours dreaming in the different rooms and extend the experience with a small private concert in the room dedicated to this effect. The museum is not big by size, but it is immense by the quality of its exhibition.

The first room, dedicated to percussion and strings, presents the national instruments, with in particular a very beautiful collection of tars, some of which have taken up to three years to be made. There is a large declination of sizes and materials for classical models, but some rarer models can be described such as this tar of nearly a century or another, on the hollow back specially designed for pregnant women. For it was a time, yes, or even women could play music! And for times where it's music that was totally forbidden, you can admire miniaturized and flat instruments that could be hidden under the clothes! Also in this room, an exceptional santouri alignment.

The second piece focuses on specific instruments in each region of Iran. In this way, we can admire all the know-how of nomadic populations in this field, including gheychak, a small guitar which originally was made with the head of a horse and which over the centuries has circulated along the Silk Road before arriving in Italy, where it gave birth to the violin. You can also try cooking utensils, which were improvised when the need to play music was felt!

These instruments, far from being presented as relics, are all in a state of functioning. You are not encouraged to touch them, because they remain fragile, but by asking nicely you can try one or two without problems. And in any case, your visit will be ipad in hand, with each instrument a small emptied that will allow you to see how it is played and what sounds it can render.

After such a beautiful initiation, you will be able to visit in a room entirely dedicated to the musical handicraft and where you can observe artisans in their work, to learn everything from the secrets of the manufacture of instruments, and of the tar in particular.

Finally you will be invited to a small private concert, because here there are only fans who play throughout the day. They told you: Unforgettable experience!

Don't miss to linger in the new boutique, where you can find a wide choice of Iranian music Cds as well as small memories and musical instruments.