Wind Catcher Mansion
Badgir or Wind Catcher Mansion was built in the southern side of Golestan garden during the time of Fath Ali Shah, but during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah, Haj Ali Khan Hajib al-Dowleh made some major changes in it and even these changes continued in the following years. By comparing the beautiful watercolor paintings that Mahmoud Khan Malek al-Shoara painted of this mansion in 1278 and 1281 AH and the photos that were taken later, it is possible to know the nature of some of these changes. Apart from the beautiful Earring or Ghoushvareh rooms (two identical rooms on both sides of the main hall or room), upper rooms and corridors, the Badgir mansion has a large hall with sashes, columns, walls and ceiling which are completely covered with paintings, mirrors, plastering, inlays, and marble, and in this respect, it is considered one of the beautiful and interesting halls of the old royal palace.
The royal hall of this building, which is the main part of the building, is decorated with nine beautiful sashes. Other decorations include: two spiral plaster columns painted in the style of the Zandiyeh period, painted marble plinths, seven-color mosaic flooring, and the walls and ceiling which are mirrored and painted.
Under the above mentioned hall and mansion, there is a large pond house (the current Photo Gallery) in which there are four wind catcher towers decorated with blue, yellow and black mosaic tiles and golden domes, and the air in the pond house, the hall and the rooms are well cooled by them. Qajar kings usually used this pond house if they were in Tehran during the summer and did not go to the countryside, and the coronation of Muzaffar al-Din Shah (1313 AH) which coincided with the summer and the intense heat of Tehran was also held in the hall of this mansion on the peacock throne.
According to the writings of Muayer al-Mamalek, during the time of Naser al-Din Shah, in the pond house of this mansion, "all kinds of beautiful birds were kept..., on one side of the said mansion, nests and cages were also built and many birds of all kinds were gathered there, and sometimes when they are fed, the king came to watch and talked with his companions about catching birds and how to keep them alive.