National Library and Archives of Iran, National library and archives in District 3, Tehran, Iran.
The National Library and Archives of Iran is a state institution in District 3 of Tehran, built in concrete and brick, that combines the roles of a national library and a national archive under one roof. The building contains reading halls and research areas where visitors can consult books, documents, and records from many different periods.
The institution was first established in the 1930s as a national library, and the archive function was added and developed over the following decades. The current building in District 3 was constructed as part of a later modernization effort that gave the institution its present form and scale.
The library holds Persian manuscripts that go back many centuries, giving visitors a direct look at the written traditions of the country. Some of these texts are displayed in dedicated areas where you can see them without needing a research appointment.
Access to the reading halls generally requires prior registration, so it is worth checking in advance what documents you need to bring. If you only want to see the exhibition areas, you can usually enter without any special formalities.
This institution is one of the few in the world where a national library and a national archive share not just a building but also administrative management. A researcher can consult a printed book and an official state document from the same reading desk on the same day.
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