Ebrat Museum (Former Qasr Prison)

Ebrat Museum — ebrat means "lesson" or "warning" in Persian — is a former political prison that was used by the SAVAK (the Shah's secret police) before the revolution and by the Islamic Republic's security apparatus after it. The building is a distinctive circular structure designed on Panopticon principles, with radiating wings of cells visible from a central tower.

The museum presents the pre-revolutionary period as its primary subject: the torture methods used by SAVAK, the names and photographs of political prisoners, and testimonies from survivors. It is not comfortable viewing. The cells, some of which have been preserved or reconstructed, give a visceral sense of incarceration. Tours are conducted in Persian; English-language audio guides are available. The museum is sober and serious, without the triumphalism that sometimes mars similar sites, and it is worth visiting even if your Persian is minimal.

things to do museum
A story
The circular Qasr Prison was designed on a Panopticon model — a central guard tower from which every cell in the circular wings was theoretically visible. It was built during the Pahlavi era to hold political prisoners, including many who later became leaders of the Islamic Republic. After 1979, the same prison held opponents of the new government. The guide will tell you the history of both phases, in Persian, with some care about emphasis.