Shah Goli (El Goli) Park
The reservoir, pavilion and a practical guide to visiting southeast Tabriz
El Goli Park, also known as Shah Goli, is a public park in southeast Tabriz, about 7 km from the city centre. Its defining view is an octagonal pavilion reflected in a large rectangular pool, with trees and paths around the water.
A walk around the pool takes in the pavilion, its reflections and the surrounding planting. Make this a separate outing from the historic centre: allow travel time from the bazaar and leave room in your plan to sit by the water.
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El-Goli or Shah Goli?
Both El Goli and Shah Goli refer to this park. English spellings include El-Goli, Elgoli and Shahgoli. Iran’s national tourism website uses both names. Save the building’s map pin so that a different spelling does not complicate your journey.
The two features to orient yourself by are the pool and the pavilion in its centre. A connecting walkway leads towards the building. Walk along the edge of the pool first to see how the pavilion, water and surrounding trees fit together.
El-Goli Lake
The pool began as a water reservoir. Visit Iran’s account of El Goli traces the site to the Aq Qoyunlu period and its expansion to the Safavid period. Stored water supplied gardens in eastern Tabriz before the site became a public leisure space.
During the Qajar period, paths and planting developed around the pool, including poplars, weeping willows and flowers. In the Pahlavi period, the site passed to Tabriz municipality for conversion into a public park. This history helps explain the combination of a reservoir, garden paths and a central pavilion.
For photographs, start along the pool’s edge and compare the straight-on view of the pavilion with a view from a corner. The connecting walkway makes the building look like an island from some angles. Leave the water’s edge clear for other walkers, and supervise children beside the pool.
El-Goli Mansion
The pavilion is often called El Goli Mansion or Shah Goli Palace. Its present appearance should not be confused with an intact building from the reservoir’s earliest period. Visit Iran records that an earlier adobe structure was demolished in 1346 in the Iranian calendar, corresponding to 1967–68, and replaced through the municipality and provincial authorities.
The current octagonal pavilion is described by the tourism authority as a reception venue; its Tabriz itinerary also identifies a restaurant in the building. Viewing it from the poolside is a different activity from dining inside. If you want a meal there, establish the restaurant’s service arrangements separately from your park visit.
El-Goli Recreations
The simplest visit is a circuit of the pool, a look along the approach to the pavilion and a pause among the trees. Start with that route before adding food or other activities. A daylight visit is useful for seeing the building’s shape and its relationship to the water.
Food is part of the park’s appeal. In its Tabriz itinerary, Visit Iran describes small places beside the pool serving baked potatoes and boiled eggs with sangak bread and butter. This is a specific local snack to look for, alongside the option of a sit-down meal.
Leave time for the tree-lined areas as well as the pool circuit. The photographs here show different ways people have used the park, including a table-tennis area. For a short sightseeing visit, the water, paths and pavilion provide a clear starting route.
Wear shoes suited to walking outdoors and take a layer if you plan to stay into the evening. In cold weather, favour a shorter walk over a plan that depends on sitting outside. Ice on a pool is not an invitation to walk on it.
Getting there: El Goli is southeast of central Tabriz. Use the building’s map pin below to distinguish the pool and pavilion from hotels or businesses elsewhere in the El Goli district.
For a taxi journey, agree on the park entrance for drop-off and pickup. A pin in the middle of the pool identifies the landmark, not a vehicle access point. Keep the name ائل گلی with your destination details to help identify it on local maps.
Iran Tourist Card
El Goli station is on Line 1 of the Tabriz metro, as shown in Reylo’s station guide. The station and pavilion are separate locations, so include the walking leg in your route. Use the day’s departure information for the return journey rather than assuming trains run whenever the park is accessible.
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Planning your visit
Pair El Goli with a day in Tabriz’s historic centre, but plan the journey between them. A poolside walk gives a different perspective on the city from a bazaar or museum visit. Choose the length of your stay around the walk, the weather and whether you want a meal.
Sources: Visit Iran’s account of El Goli and its Tabriz itinerary, linked above, support the history, pavilion description and local food suggestion. Metro-line information comes from Reylo’s station guide. Sources reviewed on 3 November 2026.
