Travel back in time at Mofakham’s House of Mirrors—where history, reflections, and personal insight come together inside Iran’s most dazzling Qajar-era palace

 

💫 Mofakham’s House of Mirrors: A Walk Through Time

PAST — “Where the Mirrors First Learned to Speak”

When you step into Mofakham’s House of Mirrors in North Khorasan, you’re not just entering a historic building—you’re stepping into a piece of Qajar-era life. This palace was once part of a much larger royal complex, built for princes, ministers, and foreign guests.

What stands out immediately is the way the walls are covered with thousands of tiny mirror pieces. In the past, these weren’t only for decoration. Royal architects used mirrors to show status, light, and clarity of mind.

People back then believed that when your reflection appears from many angles, you see the truth about yourself—your strengths and weaknesses—because nothing hides in that much light.

As I walked inside, I could almost imagine the ministers and noble families moving through the halls, adjusting their collars, checking their expressions, trying to impress the king, yet also confronted by their own reflections everywhere.

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PRESENT — “Seeing Ourselves in a Different Light”

Today, tourists like me visit with our phones out, taking photos from every corner because the mirrors make everything glow. But as I moved from room to room, I noticed something:
The mirrors here are imperfect.
Some are cracked.
Some are uneven.
Some reflect your face at a funny angle.

And somehow… that feels refreshing.

In a world where we use filters and editing apps, these old mirrors felt honest. They don’t try to flatter you. They just show you as you are.

I found myself slowing down. Looking more closely.
And strangely, it made me think about how modern life creates its own hall of mirrors—social media, photos, self-presentation. Everything polished. Everything curated.

But the real charm of Mofakham’s House is that it doesn’t hide its age or its cracks. It tells the truth gently, the same way an old friend might.

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FUTURE — “What It Teaches Us Going Forward”

Before leaving, I stood in the central hall once more and let the light bounce around me. It felt like the building was giving a quiet lesson:

1. Your story doesn’t need to be perfect.

The broken mirrors still shine. In fact, they shine more beautifully because of their history.

2. Reflection is important.

Not the kind you do with a front-camera selfie, but the kind where you sit with your own thoughts without running away.

3. Our future becomes clearer when we stop pretending.

Just like the palace, we don’t need to hide our cracks. We can let light in through them.

As I walked out into the bright courtyard, I realized Mofakham’s House of Mirrors isn’t just an old building—it’s a gentle reminder that honesty, even with ourselves, is part of growing into who we are meant to be.