The Azadi Tower ( fa, برج آزادی, ; "Freedom Tower"), formerly known as the Shahyad Tower (, ; "Shah's Memorial Tower"), is a monument on
Azadi Square in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the Capital city, capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is th ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...
. It is one of the landmarks of Tehran, marking the west entrance to the city, and is part of the Azadi Cultural Complex, which also includes an underground museum.
The tower is about tall and is completely clad in cut marble.
It was commissioned by
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, title = Shahanshah Aryamehr Bozorg Arteshtaran
, image = File:Shah_fullsize.jpg
, caption = Shah in 1973
, succession = Shah of Iran
, reign = 16 September 1941 – 11 February 1979
, coronation = 26 October ...
, the last
Shah of Iran, to mark the
2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire and completed in 1971. It also serves as the country's
kilometre zero
In many countries, kilometre zero (also written ''km 0'') or similar terms in other languages (also known as zero mile marker, zero milepost, control stations or control points) denote a particular location (usually in the nation's capital cit ...
.
After winning a competition, architect
Hossein Amanat was tasked to design the tower. His ideas were based upon classical and
post-classical Iranian architecture,
popular influences on art in the 1960s following the
White Revolution. Iran's increasing wealth sparked modernization programs and sent the art industry into a renaissance-like period.
History
Name
The first name associated with this monument was ''Darvāze-ye Kuroš'' ("Gate of Cyrus"), and at the time of the Centenary Celebrations,
Asadollah Alam, who chaired the Council of Celebrations, referred to the monument as ''Darvāze-ye Šāhanšāhi'' ("Imperial Gate"). The monument's ultimate official name was decided before the announcement of the competition for the monument's design in September 1966. Bahram Farahvashi, a scholar and professor of ancient Iranian languages who worked with the Council of Celebrations, came up with the officially designated name of the structure, ''Šahyād Āryāmehr''.
Built in 1971 in commemoration of the
2,500th year of the foundation of the Imperial State of Iran, this "gateway into Tehran" was named the ''Šahyād'' ("Shah's Memorial") in honor of the
Shah (
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
, title = Shahanshah Aryamehr Bozorg Arteshtaran
, image = File:Shah_fullsize.jpg
, caption = Shah in 1973
, succession = Shah of Iran
, reign = 16 September 1941 – 11 February 1979
, coronation = 26 October ...
), but was later renamed ''Āzādi'' ("Freedom") following the
1979 Revolution.
Construction
During the 1960s, Iran became a
major oil-exporting country, and using the newly-found wealth, the Shah launched programs to modernize and industrialize the country. This followed a cultural growth that architect
Hossein Amanat describes as "a mini renaissance".
In 1966, Amanat won a competition to design the building.
Due to governmental concerns, Amanat was required to sign underneath contracts "on condition of the approval of the Council of Celebrations", which would serve as the client. Amanat planned to contract the British company of
Arup to assist in the structural design of the tower, as he was impressed by their contributions towards the design and construction of the
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...
. He initially faced opposition from the head of the council, as well as several conservative and nationalistic Iranian engineers, as he was turning to a foreign engineer for assistance. Despite that, the Shah supported Amanat, sending a letter to the council which would leave the decision to the architect.
Shahbanu Farah Pahlavi was also supportive of Amanat's decisions.
Amanat told the
BBC World News in an interview that "overall, the building starts from the base and moves up towards the sky." He states that he was inspired to design the tower in this way because he felt that Iran "should be moving towards a higher level." According to him, the main
vault is a
Sassanian arch representing the classical era, while the broken arch above it is a popular medieval form of arch representing the post-classical era. The "network of
ribs", which connects the arches together, would represent the connection between classical and post-classical Iran.
Built with white
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorpho ...
from
Isfahan Province, the monument includes 8,000 blocks of stone. The stones were all located and supplied by Ghanbar Rahimi, who was well known for his extensive knowledge of quarries, often known as the ''Soltān-e Sang-e Irān'' ("Iran's Sultan of Stone"). Computers were used to "define its complex woven surfaces," which, at the time, was a new technological technique. The main contractor for the construction of the tower was the MAP Company, supervised by Ghaffar Davarpanah Varnosfaderani, a renowned Iranian stonemason. The project was mainly funded by a group of five hundred Iranian industrialists. According to a report by
MEED, the construction cost about six million dollars.
On October 16, 1971, the inauguration of the tower took place. However, it was not until January 14, 1972 that the tower was open to the public.
The iconic
Martyrs' Memorial in
Algiers, which was built in 1982, shows a strong influence by this monument.
Museum
The Azadi Museum is located at the basement level. Inside are austere black walls of dignified proportions. A concrete mesh forms the ceiling. Heavy doors open onto a crypt with subdued lighting from showcases, each containing an object. The museum houses a number of gold and enamel pieces, painted pottery, marble and paintings. Approximately fifty pieces have been selected, each representing a particular period in Iran's history.
Among the earliest items on display are square
flagstones, gold sheeting, and
terracotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta i ...
tablets from
Susa
Susa ( ; Middle elx, 𒀸𒋗𒊺𒂗, translit=Šušen; Middle and Neo- elx, 𒋢𒋢𒌦, translit=Šušun; Neo-Elamite and Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼𒀭, translit=Šušán; Achaemenid elx, 𒀸𒋗𒐼, translit=Šušá; fa, شوش ...
covered with cuneiform characters. Before the 1979 Revolution, the main display was occupied by a copy of the
Cyrus Cylinder, the original being kept at the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docume ...
. A translation of the cylinder's
cuneiform inscription is inscribed in golden letters on the wall of one of the galleries leading to the museum's audio-visual center. A similar plaque facing the cylinder listed the Twelve Points of the
White Revolution. Next, to the Cyrus Cylinder, there was a gold plaque commemorating the original presentation of the museum to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi by the Mayor of Tehran. Potteries, ceramics, varnished
porcelains (such as a seventh-century blue and gold dish from
Gorgan), an illuminated
Quran
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
, and miniatures highlighted milestones in the country's history up to the 19th century, which were represented by two painted panels from Empress and the structure was to represent
Farah Pahlavi as in is stated in some ancient texts.
Events
Audiovisual theatre (1971)
The original show, devised in 1971, was replaced in 1975 by a new one which invited visitors to discover Iran's geographic and natural diversity along with its fundamental historical elements. It exhibited a number of national achievements, technical undertakings, calligraphed poems, and miniature paintings. The project, devised by a
Czechoslovak company, required 12,000 metres of film, 20,000 color slides, 20 movie projectors, and 120 slide projectors. The audiovisual programmes were directed by professor Jaroslav Frič (1928–2000). Five computers operated the entire system.
''Gate of Words'' light show (2015)
German artist Philipp Geist organized a projection mapping installation named ''Gate of Words'' at the Azadi Tower, on the occasion of the
German Unity Day. The show was held from October 3 to 5, 2015.
In this project, the artist visualized the topics of freedom, peace, space and time in a poetical manner. Geist developed a light installation made of colored words and concepts in different languages, and abstract painterly compositions of images. The glowing words were in English, German and Persian, moving in sync with live music on the walls of the tower.
[Philipp Geist was invited by the German Embassy to propose such a project at the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the German Reunification.]
Gallery
File:Shahyad.jpg, Azadi Square in 1971
File:AJM3299.jpg, Azadi Tower during a full moon
File:میدان آزادی، میدان شهیاد، برج آزادی، برج شهیاد، تهران Azadi Tower, Azadi Square, Meydea-e Azadi, Meydan-e Shahyad, Tehran province, Iran Flag colors - panoramio.jpg, The tower in colours of the Iranian flag
File:3rd Day - The Green Protest Rally.jpg, The tower during the 2009 presidential election protests
File:Azadi Tower interior 2016.jpg, The Azadi Tower observation deck
File:Azadi tower 1.jpg, Inside the Azadi museum
File:Azadi tower 7.jpg, Inside the Azadi museum
File:Azadi tower 2.jpg, Inside the Azadi museum
File:Azadi tower 8.jpg, Inside the Azadi museum
File:Banknote of second Pahlavi - 200 rials (rear).jpg, Azadi Tower on the reverse of a 1974 200 Iranian rial banknote
Junctions
*
Saidi Expressway
Saidi Expressway is an expressway in western Tehran. It starts from Azadi Square and passes Fath Square, Qazvin Street, Yaftabad Street and Zam-zam Square. Then it goes to southwest towards Azadegan Expressway
Azadegan Expressway or Tehran ...
*
Karaj Special Road
*
Mohammad Ali Jenah Expressway
*
Azadi Street
External links
*
German artist lights up Tehran's freedom arch – in pictures' (Images)
See also
*
Milad Tower
*
Iranian architecture
Iranian architecture or Persian architecture ( Persian: معمارى ایرانی, ''Memāri e Irāni'') is the architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. Its history dates back to at least 5,000 BC ...
*
Martyrs' Memorial, Algiers
References
{{Authority control
Towers in Iran
Buildings and structures in Tehran
Tourist attractions in Tehran
Architecture in Iran
Cultural infrastructure completed in 1971
National works of Iran
Kilometre-zero markers