Shahi Assar Khaneh Museum

Dating from the Safavid era, this museum showcases the early technology involved in pressing oil from roasted seeds. A large round stone revolved on a circular stone plinth to grind the seed and the resultant oils were collected in storage jars. Castor, sesame, poppy and sunflower were ground down by the millstone housed in the lower basement (or pillar room) of this building and the oil was used in food preparation, soap production and in oil lamps. Ox or camels were used to pull the rigging.