The Marble Throne () is a Qajar era throne in Golestan Palace, Tehran, Iran.

thumb|The Marble Throne as it appears in 2013

History

The throne was commissioned by Fath-Ali Shah Qajar in 1805 (1221 AH). It was designed by Mirza Baba Shirazi (Naqqash Bashi) and royal stonecutter, Mohammad Ebrahim Esfahani. It consists of 65 marble stone pieces from a mine in Yazd. The throne's supports are carved in the shape of men, women, fairies, and demons.

thumb|The Marble Throne visible in a drawing by [[Pascal Coste, 1840]]

In his book, "The History of Buildings in the Royal Citadel of Tehran", Yahya Zoka describes the construction of this Takht:

"As it was impossible to carry Tavus and Naderi Takhts, this Takht was made, modeled after Solomon the Prophet’s Takht who was the king of the Jews and was in possession of great power. [Thus], as Fat′h-Ali Shah was compared to him as for his wealth and power, this throne was named Solomon’s Takht after the original throne of Solomon which is said to have been carried in the sky and flown by genies and fairies, and would land to the wish of Solomon. After the throne was put in terrace, the terrace was given the name Takht-e Marmar<nowiki></nowiki>.

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File:Interior view of the marble throne by Eugène Flandin.jpg|Drawing by Eugène Flandin, 1840

File:Golestan Palace Album No. 41-3.jpg|Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar (r. 1896–1907) sitting on the Marble Throne

File:Ahamad 1299.jpg|Ahmad Shah Qajar (r. 1909–1925) sittng on a chair on the Marble Throne, 1919

File:Reza Shah takes the throne.jpg|Reza Shah (r. 1925–1941), the founder of the Pahlavi dynasty, sitting on a chair on the Marble Throne, 1925

File:20190628143235 IMG 9859.jpg

File:20190628143224 IMG 9858.jpg

File:20190628143118 IMG 9851.jpg

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References