The Senate was the upper house legislative chamber in Imperial State of Iran from 1949 to 1979. A bicameral legislature had been established in the 1906 Persian Constitutional Revolution but the Senate was not actually formed until after the 1949 Constituent Assembly election, as an expression of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's desire for better distribution of power (similar to many democratic countries). Half of the sixty seats in the senate were directly appointed by the Shah, and the other half were directly elected, fifteen represented Tehran, and the rest were elected from other regions.
The Senate was disbanded after the Iranian Revolution in 1979, when the new constitution established a unicameral legislature. As of 2023, the former Senate building was used by the Assembly of Experts.
Established as per Chapter 3, Article 45 of the Persian Constitution of 1906,
The Members of this Assembly shall be chosen from amongst the well-informed, discerning, pious and respected persons of the Realm. Thirty of them shall be nominated on the part of His Imperial Majesty (fifteen of the people of Tehran, and fifteen of the people of the Provinces), and thirty by the Nation (fifteen elected by the people of Tehran, and fifteen by the people of the Provinces).
Building
The Senate House of Iran was designed by architect Heydar Ghiaï in 1955. The construction was led by Rahmat Safai, the dome being one of the most technically challenging projects in the entire endeavor.
The building is depicted on the reverse of the Iranian 100 rials banknote.
