Azerbaijan Museum is the major archaeological and historical museum in Tabriz, in the northwest part of Iran (East Azerbaijan Province). It was established in April 1958.[1] The museum consists of three major halls, a side yard, office rooms and a library. It mostly contains objects discovered from excavations in Iranian Azerbaijan, also some artworks and sculptures of artists. Its library contains more than 2500 books, both handwritten and printed, about history, archaeology, art and Iranian culture.[2]
The Azerbaijan museum is the first and oldest museum in the northwestern part of the country, and the exhibits that you can find inside of it include objects from different archaeological sites throughout the country and cover the full chronological span of its history, making the museum one of the most important in Iran and a truly national one. [3]
The museum has three galleries. The first gallery bears the oldest remains from 5th millennium BC until Sassanian dynasty (212-656 AD). The second gallery consists of two parts: one for Islamic archeology and another part for coins and seals. The third gallery includes some sculptures made by Ahad Hosseini.
On May 7, 2013, five silver plates belonging to the Sasanid time were stolen from Azerbaijan museum.[4] In November 2013, Iranian police arrested the thieves but they couldn't retrieve the stolen items.[5]
Azerbaijan Museum is located in central part of Tabriz.