This remarkable document is the oldest known record related to the arrival of cinema in Iran, dated 11 February 1900 CE (10 Shawwal 1317 AH / 22 Bahman 1278 SH). It lists a selection of items that Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar had requested or received from Europe. On the lower left corner of the page, one entry stands out with historic significance: the acquisition of the “Cinématographe", written by Mozaffar ad-Din Shah as "Si No Fetkraf.”
The Cinématographe, invented by the Lumière brothers, was a groundbreaking three-in-one device that functioned as a motion-picture camera, film processor, and projector. Compact, portable, and revolutionary for its time, it enabled the recording, development, and projection of moving images—effectively introducing the world to the earliest form of cinema. Its arrival in Iran opened the door for the first cinematic experiments at the royal court.
This document marks the moment when cinematic technology officially entered Iran during the reign of Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar (1896–1907). Shortly after the arrival of this device, Mirza Ebrahim Khan Akkasbashi—court photographer—began filming scenes of daily life, laying the foundations of Iranian filmmaking.
More than a simple inventory, this document is a cornerstone of Iran’s cinematic heritage—evidence of the precise moment when the story of Iranian cinema began.