Museums

Three museums worth your time — the Lady Masumah (a) Museum, the sprawling Museum of Religion and the World, and the Holy Defence Museum.

Qum’s museums offer a glimpse into the rich cultural, religious and historical heritage of the region — artefacts, artworks, manuscripts and exhibits reflecting the city’s significance as a spiritual, academic and religious hub. Three are especially worth visiting.

Lady Masumah (a) Museum

Located in Astaneh Square, beside one of the main entrances to the Lady Masumah (a) shrine, this museum has two main halls — Etrat and Ebrat — and 40 valuable collections of ancient, historical and artistic artefacts. Entry is about $2 per person.

The Ebrat Hall displays millennia-old bronze and clay artefacts, glass and tile work, metal and wooden objects, textiles and carpets, seals and gems, stamps and coins, and sports medals and badges. The Etrat Hall is dedicated to Lady Masumah (a), featuring thousand-year-old sacred objects from the holy shrine — including 840-year-old tiles from the mausoleum, ancient shrine and dome artefacts, and hundreds of precious items related to the culture of pilgrimage, service traditions, ceremonies and Qurʾanic culture. It also displays handwritten Qurʾans attributed to the Infallible Imams (a) and blessed artefacts from the holy shrines in Iraq.

Museum of Religion and the World

One of the city’s most fascinating museums, spanning over 3,200 square metres and established to promote the Islamic way of life through religious knowledge and jurisprudence. It comprises ten collections:

• Environmental — a large array of taxidermic and synthetic animals: over 200 aquatic species, more than 60 birds, over 200 reptiles and insects, and more than 20 quadrupeds.
• Holy Relics — genealogical records of the Ahl al-Bayt, sacred flags of their shrines, and models of the holy shrines.
• Jamkaran Mosque — genealogical records of the special deputies of Imam Mahdi (a), models, and old mihrabs of the mosque.
• Scholars and Jurists — records and photos of Shia marjas and jurists and their personal belongings, including handwritten books and, unusually, the car of Grand Ayatollah Gulpaygani (ra).
• Worship — a model of the Kaaba, a visual representation of the Hajj rituals and other acts of worship, and precious stones.
• Work and Life — ancient tools and equipment for work and daily life, and traditional, antique items.
• Economy — coins, banknotes, old endowment deeds, contracts, and ancient scales and balances.
• Cultural and Social — examples of “cultural invasion”, such as gambling tools, drugs, entertainment instruments and ostentatious clothing.
• Citizenship — displays on issues such as infringement of rights, noise pollution and destruction of public property.
• Defence — models of historical Islamic battles such as Uhud and Khandaq, light and heavy weapons, spoils of war and more.

Holy Defence Museum

Over forty years have passed since the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq war, often called the “Holy Defence”. This museum honours the men who gave their lives in the war and remembers the goals of the Islamic Republic. Numerous artefacts are displayed both outdoors and inside the main building, which covers 7,800 square metres over three floors — one housing the largest and richest library on the Holy Defence and related themes. Though only inaugurated in 2020 with a limited number of exhibits, there are plans to add many more galleries. Unlike most museums here, entry is free.