Alavi's House or pottery museum

If you are going "to kill two birds with one stone" the  Pottery Museum is the best place. You will not only visit an Iranian old house with traditional decoration but also the best artistic Potteries in Tabriz can surprise you well. The Pottery Museum is an art museum in Tabriz, Iran, established in one of the historical houses of the city known as Sarraflar’s House, which belongs to the Qajar era.

Tabriz City due to its role as a Royal residence in the Qajar dynasty crown princes has various historical houses of that era. The houses are fully decorated with original Iranian decorations and can amaze visitors easily. Although some of these houses are damaged and destroyed bt Tabriz's terrible earthquake, the remained houses are renovated and turned into different museums to present the Tabriz culture.
A beautiful and wonderful 2-floor house where you can see and experience the various stages of making local pottery of Tabriz on a potter's wheel. If you are interested in pottery and like to experience it the only live pottery museum in Iran is calling you. This Qajar house (1789-1925) is renovated during the Pahlavi era and registered as a national heritage by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of East Azerbaijan province. It is changed to Pottery Museum In 1995.

Architecture

This great old house that is suitable to Iranian culture and customs like all Iranian houses consists of a basement and a main floor.

How to visit Tabriz in one day

Yard

The yard like all Iranian traditional houses has a water pond in the middle with many flower gardens and different trees. The courtyard is dedicated to an open-air museum to display some pottery.

Basement

The basement of the house is for practical pottery classes and the first floor, which is the main part of the building, is the pottery exhibition and pottery gallery.
If you are interested in pottery, you can visit pottery classes in this museum or participate in their classes.

First Floor

The first floor of this building with different rooms, authentic Iranian decorations, and museum objects including all kinds of pottery will not only enchant you with its traditional designs but also introduce you to an important part of the history of Iranian pottery. Here you can enjoy the elaborate pottery designs.

Different parts
1- The Howz-Khaneh (literally: pool house): It is located in the Basement part and is a place for Meetings and artistic workshops.
2- Permanent Ceramics Exhibition (Gallery): This area consists of three parts. The artworks of one of Tabriz's contemporary potters were exhibited to the public.
3- Permanent shop: The museum shop is constantly active and the works of the students of the East Azerbaijan Pottery Union are offered for sale.
4- The Education Department (Training Courses): In the Tabriz Pottery Museum there are specialized pottery training courses using local clay from the region.
5- Presentation of the different stages of traditional pottery making: In this part of the museum, visitors are introduced to the stages of pottery making. Most Tabriz pottery is edible. They are made from white earth supplied by the village of Zanvar Marand. This type of pottery is covered with two colorless and turquoise glazes that double the beauty of these works by applying decorations to the white bottom.