UNDER CONSTRUCTION

PAST HISTORY Since it is an enormous task to present the history of a family with a 1000 years history,we shall therefore feature a brief historical outlook instead.It should be also noted that the Family name has been translated to western characters withvarying orthographies such as; Ghiaee-e-Shamlu, Ghiai-e-Shamlou, Ghiaei-Shamlou, Ghiaie-Shamlu, etc...The Ghiaï de Chamlou family has a recorded history of some 700 years although extrapolationcan be made of over 1000 years of tradition.The names Ghiabey and ChamlouBey derive from one of 7 royal tribes of the Persian Empireduring the Turko-Mongolian invasion of Gengis Khan.It has been said that the Khans and Khanums ( Trans. Lords & Ladies ) of Ghiaï-Chamlou possessed enormous power and large fiefdoms in the Lorestan region of Iran and that theyoften created rivalry with various ruling kings who decided to geographically disburseand divide the Family in order to reduce their concentrated power.That action had the contrary effect of expanding the Family's geographical presenceand power.During the first part of the 20th century and at the ascension of the Pahlavi dynasty, the Khans of the house of Ghiaï de Chamlou decided to support Reza Shah's modernizationprogram and eliminated their Princely titles of Beys or Lords by modernizing their nameto the Ghiaï de Chamlou Family.Various geopolitical events prompted the Exile of Reza Shah and the ascension of his sonMohammed Reza Shah to the throne.It was also during that politically charged time that Mohammad Reza Shah had to temporarily leave his country during an attempted coup d'etat which failed thanks in partto the help of the Governor of Teheran, Manouchehr Ghiaï , member of the Ghiaï-Chamlou family . Heydar Gholi Khan Ghiaï-e-Chamlou was born during those turbulent time on October 23, 1922today known as Heydar Ghiai, he obtained his baccalaureate at the German Gymnasium inTeheran after which he obtained his Doctorate of Architecture at the University of Teheranand a second Doctorate at the prestigious " Ecole des Beaux Arts" in Paris where he received the title of D.P.L.G. and was awarded the famous " Prix de Vienne " never awardedbefore to a non French citizen.Upon his return to Iran in 1952, Heydar Ghiai married Mariette Ghiai, an interior Designerwhom he met in Belgium and who graduated from the Belgian " Academie Royale des Beaux Arts".with high distinction and with the prestigious " Prix d'Honneur".Mariette Ghiai has also been a professor at the " Farah Pahlavi" University in Teheran.Mariette Ghiai is herself a descendent of a prestigious Russian family and whose members includedhigh officers of Tzar Nikolai II, famous musicians, philosophers and political figures such as Trotski. The 50's and early 60's were years of unprecedented fame and success for the young couple.heydar Ghiai came to be known as the Father of Modern Architecture in Iran, a teacherat the University of Teheran, he headed the famed " Atelier Ghiai" which formed severalgenerations of Architects.Until the late 50's, Heydar Ghiai who became the most famous Architect in Iran, was for themost part designing for the private sector, such things as private villas, casinos, movietheater, office buildings, hotels etc... The real adventure would start when, due to his extraordinary reputation, Heydar Ghiaibecame noticed by the King who so admired his Architecture, that he ask the Architectto design the Iranian Senate Building ( today being used as the Congress or Madjles ).An adventure that would forever launch the Family onto high spheres of governmentprojects intertwined with the realm of high level politics as well as geopolitics. The Senate house was inaugurated in 1956 and became a huge success and a symbol ofthe Country's renewal, however, geopolitics intervened and another coup d'etat plannedby the US Kennedy administration of the time, prompted the Shah to leave the country once moreand all his friends and inner circle to be jailed.Heydar Ghiai fell victim to that situation and was also unjustly detained.Upon the change of US policies towards Iran following Kennedy's assassination, the Shah immediately returned and allhis inner circle liberated.Having felt betrayed by his country and unduly victimized, Heydar Ghiai decided to leaveIran. On hearing that news, the Shah immediately summoned his Architect and convinced him to stay and help rebuild his country. Touched by the affections of his King, Heydar Ghiai decided to stay.From 1965 to 1975, Heydar Ghiai spent the entire decade designing a series of ImperialPalaces which were to equal the palaces of Persepolis in scope and stature.He also became the official Architect to the Imperial Court and acquired the titleof " Aide de Camp" to his Imperial Majesty.The late seventies marked another turning point in Iranian politics and the Shah,wishing for more social reforms commissioned his Architect to implement the firstnationwide hospital program.Heydar Ghiai embarked on a most ambitious program to establish hospital programmingfor the whole country and to design 3 major university and 2 major military hospitals.By that time Heydar Ghiai had the largest Architectural firm in Central Asia with someone billion dollars worth of construction at hand. As three of the six hospitals started construction, once more the geopolitical scenechanged and in 1978, while western superpowers decided to force the Shah's departureand install a theocratic regime in Iran, Heydar Ghiai was forced into exile in Paris.Heydar Ghiai passed away in September of 1985 in the Family vacation houseat Cap d'Antibes, France. The year 1979 marked a turning point for the Family.A Family deeply rooted in one of the most ancient civilizations, in the highest spheresof power, fame and fortune, had to suddenly reinvent itself in the western world.This task however did not prove to be as daunting as might be expected.Heydar Ghiai had strong and long standing ties to Europe and was an exceptionallymodern man who's philosophy of life allowed for a great deal of adaptability.Heydar Ghiai was not only a Master Architect but a Master Calligrapher, Painter andMusician who believed in Nietzsche's philosophy of Man as Artist.He detested the bourgeois mentality of conformism and being set in once ways and thereforethought that human beings should constantly reinvent themselves.He saw the revolution of 1979 as a sad chapter of an unfinished book, and as an opportunityto create a new center of power for his family in the western world.
PHOTO ALBUM