Politic of Memory and Urban Space A Study of Museums in Tehran

This research studies the politics of memory which appears here through construction and invention of the past. In this study we have emphasized on museums of Tehran. Museums are places produced in modern era in order to invent traditions and legitimize the power and authorities which try to display the past integrated and homogenous and also to interpret the past according to their interests. The purpose of the research is to study the dimensions and styles of inventing tradition in museums and theeffectiveness of power on recalling the past. The main questions of the study are that how museums reconstruct and invent the past and how the discourse of power displays itself in these places. We used mainly Habsbwam’s theory and also pierre Nora’s thoughts about realms of memory. We also applied discourse analysis of space as method. We have chosen museums that have appeared after revolution such as Ebrat museum; Golistan and other pahlavi’s palaces that have changed to museums after Islamic revolution; museums of martyrs of war with Iraq and the museum of “palace’s garden”. According to findings, powers use politics of memory in order to make an integrated and dominated narrative from the past. They create museums and archives in modern era and show history as a continuity to hide its contradictions and its breaks.