House of Latifi, the Museum of Handicrafts of Golestan

Gorgan is famous for its nice weather, lush nature, dense forests, and waterfalls. But the city itself, especially its ancient architectures, should not be left out. Gorgan and its district are full of historical and magnificent buildings and houses. Some of them have been repaired brilliantly during recent years. One of them is Latifi House. It is now also the Museum of Handicrafts of Gorgan and many tourists visit it daily.

The house of Amir Latif is located in an old and traditional district of Gorgan, in Imam Khomeini Street, Laleh 11 Alley. It is very close to the other historical sites of the city such as Nalbandan Bazaar, Jame Mosque of Gorgan, Taghavi School and Naharkhoran Forest Park, making it possible for the visitors to enjoy the architecture of the city, bazaar, and nature in one trip.

House of Latifi was once the residence of Mehdi Khan Saed Lashkar, also known as Medi Khan Malek. He was the last ruler of Gorgan during the Qajar dynasty. This two-story house covers an area of about one thousand cubic meters. The wooden entrance door leads to a narrow corridor, and then, a yard with a water pool and small garden, all in the form of rectangular. There are buildings with wooden windows and colorful glasses in three sides of the yard. The main mansion is located on the northern side. This house has a crypt and a Howz Khaneh, and windcatchers have been installed in it. The crypt is in the basement of the mansion and it was used to store food, as well.

The three-door rooms of the mansion were used by the members of the house, while the five-door rooms were used to greet guests. Other spaces such as the kitchen are in this part of the house. Since it is a north-south house, some rooms are used in summer and some in winter.

The House of Latifi was opened to the public in 1389 SH. The Korsi Room of the house has been furnished like a traditional Gorgan house, with real size mannequins, and show the visitors an almost real Yalda celebration.

There are some booths on the first floor that sell handicraft products from different cities of Golestan. On the second floor, the handicrafts of Gorgan and Golestan, like Coppersmithing, blacksmithing, felt making, Jajims, carpets, thread spinning, and mat weaving, have been introduced. Some of them no longer exist.

The House of Latifi was registered as a national heritage in 1378 SH.