Tabriz Opera

In the vibrant city of Tabriz—long a cradle of Iranian modernity—the first act of Iran’s operatic history was written nearly a century ago. In 1927, under the directive of Reza Shah, the first monarch of the Pahlavi dynasty, The Red Lion and the Sun Theatre Hall (Tālār-e Shir o Khorsheed-e Sorkh) opened its doors. This venue marked the birth of Iran’s first modern opera house. For decades, it stood not only as a pioneering cultural institution but as a symbol of artistic ambition and cosmopolitan sophistication in a rapidly modernizing nation.

The architectural design of the theatre echoed the grandeur of Stalingrad’s Opera Theatre, combining classical European aesthetics with state-of-the-art stagecraft. Its technological capacities were unrivaled in the region. A railway line was constructed through the performing area, enabling actual locomotives and automobiles to be brought onstage—a remarkable theatrical innovation at the time. The repertoire was rich and diverse: theatre plays, operas, operettas, orchestral concerts, and dance performances filled its schedule. Though it lacked a resident dance company, the Red Lion and the Sun became a vital stage for international touring ensembles and collaborative productions with foreign artists, much like the renowned Abramian Theatre Hall in Tabriz. A similar Western-style performance venue, built by the Russians in Qazvin before the Bolshevik revolution—today known as Emārat-e Shahrdāri—also hosted ballet performances during this early period of cultural flowering.