Haj Ibrahim Khan Kalantar is a famous person in the history of Iran, a man that his betrayal led to the capture, torture and death of Lotf Ali Khan Zand, the successor to Zand Throne, and at the same time ensured his position in the Qajar court or better said in the court of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar. A position that improved in later years when he became the most trusted advisor of Fath Ali Shah. No flatteries, however, saved him from the cruel death that awaited him. His increasing power in the court scared the king of his treason and he ordered the exile of Haj Ibrahim Khan. In Exile he was blinded, his tongue was cut and later he was killed. Yet, the power of Kalantar family among the nobles forced Fath Ali Shah to come to peace with them, he assigned Ali Akbar, Haj Ibrahim’s son, as the governor of Shiraz and gave him the title of Qavam Ol Molk.
The place that is known today as Narenjestan Qavam is a traditional Iranian house belonging to the family of Qavam. It was built years after Haj Ali Akbar’s death, and in the reign of Naser Al Din Shah Qajar. Ali Mohammad Khan Qavam Ol Molk began the construction of this house but his son Mohammad Reza Khan Qavam Ol Molk completed it. The house with its beautiful garden was used as a place of governmental meetings. It became known as the Narenjestan Garden for the many Narenj (Bitter Orange) trees that are located there.
The whole place is about 3085 m2 which around 940 m2 of that was used for the pavilion of the garden. The edifice is a two-story building with a basement the was connected to Zinat Ol Moluk House by an underground tunnel. The house has different sections like bathhouse, Hosseinieh (place of religious rituals), Maktab (School), Harem, Office, and Stable. There was also a small bazaar attached to the house that was destroyed when the Karim Khan Street was built. Around 50 years ago, the last descendant of Qavam Family donated the house to the Shiraz University that was later restored and turned to a tourist attraction, it is now open for visit.
