A Home for Wildlife in a Tehran Power Plant

The Haft Chenar Wildlife Museum in Tehran is a vast, attractively-built complex on one of the older streets in south Tehran, Shahid Mostafa Davati Street. The building dates back to the Qajar dynasty and was formerly used as a power plant and a hosiery factory before being turned into a zoo and education center.

"Unfortunately, many museums are not well-publicized by the authorities and many people are not aware of their existence," IranWire’s citizen journalist wrote after recently paying a visit. “This one is very useful for teaching young children about wildlife.”

Today the site houses a mixture of geological artifacts, natural artifacts, and living and preserved specimens of invertebrates, vertebrates, aquatic animals, reptiles, birds and mammals. It is also home to a large taxidermy collection – and to a massive brick chimney, a testament to its industrial past, which stands at 33ft high and juts out over the surrounding landscape.