Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in
Tehran Province and the
capital
Capital may refer to:
Common uses
* Capital city, a municipality of primary status
** List of national capital cities
* Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences
* Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used f ...
of
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 Turkmeni ...
. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of
Greater Tehran
Greater Tehran is the urban agglomeration around Tehran that covers the central part of the Tehran Province and eastern part of the Alborz Province, that covers the contiguous cities of Tehran, Ray, Shemirānāt, and other areas.
As of 2012 ...
, Tehran is the
most populous city
The United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the city proper, cities proper, the extent of their urban area, or th ...
in Iran and
Western Asia
Western Asia, West Asia, or Southwest Asia, is the westernmost subregion of the larger geographical region of Asia, as defined by some academics, UN bodies and other institutions. It is almost entirely a part of the Middle East, and includes Ana ...
, and has the
second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East, after
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
. It is ranked 24th in the world by metropolitan area population.
In the
Classical era
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ...
, part of the territory of present-day Tehran was occupied by
Rhages
Shahr-e Ray ( fa, شهر ری, ) or simply Ray (Shar e Ray; ) is the capital of Ray County in Tehran Province, Iran. Formerly a distinct city, it has now been absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran as the 20th district of munici ...
, a prominent
Median
In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...
city destroyed in the medieval
Arab
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...
,
Turkic, and
Mongol
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member of ...
invasions. Modern Ray is an urban area absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran.
Tehran was first chosen as the capital of Iran by
Agha Mohammad Khan
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar ( fa, آقا محمد خان قاجار, translit=Âqâ Mohammad Xân-e Qâjâr; 14 March 1742 – 17 June 1797), also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah (, ), was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, rul ...
of the
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic peoples ...
in 1786, because of its proximity to Iran's territories in the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
, then separated from Iran in the
Russo-Iranian Wars, to avoid the vying factions of the previously ruling Iranian dynasties. The capital has been moved several times throughout history, and Tehran is the
32nd national capital of Persia. Large-scale demolition and rebuilding began in the 1920s, and Tehran has been a destination for mass migrations from all over Iran since the 20th century.
Tehran is home to many historical locations, including the royal complexes of
Golestan,
Sa'dabad, and
Niavaran
Niavaran ( fa, نياوران) is an affluent and upperclass district in the north of Tehran. Bordering leafy, uphill-winding Darband Street, it can be reached from Tajrish Square, and is close to Darabad at the far north-eastern corner of Gr ...
, where the two last dynasties of the former Imperial State of Iran were seated. Tehran's most famous landmarks include the
Azadi Tower
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, Iran. It is one of the landmarks of Tehran, marking the west entrance to the ...
, a memorial built under the reign of
Mohammad Reza Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ( fa, محمدرضا پهلوی, ; 26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980), also known as Mohammad Reza Shah (), was the last ''Shah'' (King) of the Imperial State of Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow in the Irani ...
of the
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...
in 1971 to mark the
2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Imperial State of Iran, and the
Milad Tower
The Milad Tower ( fa, برج میلاد ) (lit. Birth Tower), also known as the Tehran Tower ( ), is a multi-purpose tower in Tehran, Iran. It is the sixth-tallest tower and the 24th-tallest freestanding structure in the world.
It is located b ...
, the world's
sixth-tallest self-supporting tower, completed in 2007, and the Tabiat Bridge, completed in 2014.
Most of the population are
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
,
and roughly 99% of them understand and speak the
Persian language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and ...
, but large populations of
other ethnolinguistic groups live in Tehran and speak Persian, as majority of the minorities are Persianized and assimilated.
Tehran has an international airport (
Imam Khomeini Airport
Imam Khomeini International Airport is the primary international airport of Tehran, the capital city of Iran, located southwest of Tehran, near the localities of Robat Karim and Eslamshahr and spread over an area of of land. Along with Mehraba ...
), a domestic airport (
Mehrabad Airport
Mehrabad International Airport ( fa, فرودگاه بین المللی مهرآباد, ''Foroudgâh-e Beyn Almelali-ye Mehrâbâd'') , is an international airport serving Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Prior to the construction of the larger ...
),
a central railway station, a
rapid transit
Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...
system,
Tehran Metro
The Tehran Metro ( fa, مترو تهران, translit=Metro-ye Tehrān) is a rapid transit system serving Tehran, the capital of Iran. It is the largest metro system in the Middle East. The system is owned and operated by Tehran Urban and Subur ...
, a
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
system,
trolleybuses
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
, and
a large network of highways.
Plans to relocate Iran's capital from Tehran to another area, due to
air pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
and earthquakes, have so far not yet received approval. A 2016 survey of 230 cities across the globe by consultant
Mercer
Mercer may refer to:
Business
* Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925)
* Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City
* Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...
ranked Tehran 203rd for
quality of life
Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...
. According to the
Global Destinations Cities Index in 2016, Tehran is among the top ten fastest
growing destinations.
The City Council declared October 6 Tehran Day in 2016, celebrating the day in 1907 when the city officially became the capital of Iran.
Etymology
Various theories on the origin of the name Tehran have been put forward.
Iranian linguist
Ahmad Kasravi
Ahmad Hokmabadi Tabrizi ( fa, سید احمد حکمآبادی تبریزی, Ahmad-e Hokmabadi-ye Tabrizi; 29 September 1890 – 11 March 1946), later known as Ahmad Kasravi ( fa, احمد کسروی, Ahmad-e Kasravi), was a pre-eminent Irani ...
, in an article "Shemiran-Tehran", suggested that Tehran and Kehran mean "the warm place", and "Shemiran" means "the cool place". He listed cities with the same base and suffix and studied the components of the word in ancient
Iranian languages
The Iranian languages or Iranic languages are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau.
The Iranian languages are grouped ...
, and came to the conclusion that Tehran and Kehran meant the same thing in different Iranian language families, as the constant "t" and "k" are close to each other in such languages. He also provided evidence that cities named "Shemiran" were colder than those named "Tehran" or "Kehran". He considered other theories not considering the ancient history of Iranian languages such as "Tirgan" theory and "Tahran" theory
folk etymology
Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
.
Another theory is that "Tehran" derives from Tiran/Tirgan, "the abode of
Tir", the
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheistic on ...
equivalent of
Hermes
Hermes (; grc-gre, Ἑρμῆς) is an Olympian deity in ancient Greek religion and mythology. Hermes is considered the herald of the gods. He is also considered the protector of human heralds, travellers, thieves, merchants, and orato ...
). The ancient
Parthian Parthian may be:
Historical
* A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran
* Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD)
* Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language
* Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
town of Tiran had a neighbour,
Mehran ("abode of Mehr/Mithra", the Zoroastrian sun/justice angel). Both of these were mere villages in the suburbs of the great city of Ray/Rhages. Mehran still exists as a residential district in Greater Tehran, as well as Ray, which forms the southern suburbs of Tehran.
The official City of Tehran website says that "Tehran" comes from the Persian words "Tah" meaning "end", or "bottom", and "Ran" meaning "
ountainslope"—literally, the bottom of the mountain (ته کوه). Given Tehran's position at the foot of the
Alborz
The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs nort ...
mountains, this seems plausible.
In English, it was formerly spelt "Teheran".
History
Archaeological remains from the ancient city of Ray suggest that settlement in Tehran dates back over 8,000 years.
Classical era
Tehran is in the historical
Media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
region of ( peo, 𐎶𐎠𐎭 ) in northwestern Iran. By the time of the
Median Empire
The Medes (Old Persian: ; Akkadian: , ; Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were an ancient Iranian people who spoke the Median language and who inhabited an area known as Media between western and northern Iran. Around the 11th century BC, the ...
, part of present-day Tehran was a suburb of the prominent Median city of Rhages ( peo, 𐎼𐎥𐎠 ). In the
Avesta
The Avesta () is the primary collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language.
The Avesta texts fall into several different categories, arranged either by dialect, or by usage. The principal text in the litu ...
's ''
Videvdat'' (i, 15), Rhages is mentioned as the 12th sacred place created by
Ohrmazd
Ahura Mazda (; ae, , translit=Ahura Mazdā; ), also known as Oromasdes, Ohrmazd, Ahuramazda, Hoormazd, Hormazd, Hormaz and Hurmuz, is the creator deity in Zoroastrianism. He is the first and most frequently invoked spirit in the ''Yasna''. ...
.
In
Old Persian
Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native ...
inscriptions, Rhages appears as a province (
Bistun 2, 10–18). From Rhages,
Darius I
Darius I ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his ...
sent reinforcements to his father
Hystaspes Vishtaspa ( ae, wiktionary:𐬬𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬁𐬯𐬞𐬀, 𐬬𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬁𐬯𐬞𐬀 ; peo, wikt:𐎻𐏁𐎫𐎠𐎿𐎱, 𐎻𐏁𐎫𐎠𐎿𐎱, ), Hellenization, hellenized as Hystáspes (, ), may refer to:
* Vishtaspa (floruit, fl. ...
, who was putting down a rebellion in
Parthia
Parthia ( peo, 𐎱𐎼𐎰𐎺 ''Parθava''; xpr, 𐭐𐭓𐭕𐭅 ''Parθaw''; pal, 𐭯𐭫𐭮𐭥𐭡𐭥 ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Med ...
(Bistun 3, 1–10).
Some
Middle Persian
Middle Persian or Pahlavi, also known by its endonym Pārsīk or Pārsīg () in its later form, is a Western Middle Iranian language which became the literary language of the Sasanian Empire. For some time after the Sasanian collapse, Middle Per ...
texts give Rhages as the birthplace of
Zoroaster
Zoroaster,; fa, زرتشت, Zartosht, label=New Persian, Modern Persian; ku, زەردەشت, Zerdeşt also known as Zarathustra,, . Also known as Zarathushtra Spitama, or Ashu Zarathushtra is regarded as the spiritual founder of Zoroastria ...
, although modern historians generally place the birth of Zoroaster in
Khorasan Province.
Mount Damavand
Mount Damavand ( fa, دماوند ) is a dormant stratovolcano, the highest peak in Iran and Western Asia and the highest volcano in Asia and the 2nd highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere (after Mount Kilimanjaro), at an elevation of ...
, the highest peak of Iran, which is located near Tehran, is an important location in
Ferdowsi
Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi ( fa, ; 940 – 1019/1025 CE), also Firdawsi or Ferdowsi (), was a Persians, Persian poet and the author of ''Shahnameh'' ("Book of Kings"), which is one of the world's longest epic poetry, epic poems created by a sin ...
's ''
Šāhnāme'',
[A. Tafazolli, "In Iranian Mythology" in Encyclopædia Iranica] an Iranian
epic poem
An epic poem, or simply an epic, is a lengthy narrative poem typically about the extraordinary deeds of extraordinary characters who, in dealings with gods or other superhuman forces, gave shape to the mortal universe for their descendants.
...
based on the
ancient legends of Iran. It appears in the epics as the homeland of the
protoplast
Protoplast (), is a biological term coined by Hanstein in 1880 to refer to the entire cell, excluding the cell wall. Protoplasts can be generated by stripping the cell wall from plant, bacterial, or fungal cells by mechanical, chemical or enzy ...
Keyumars
Keyumars or Kiomars ( fa, کیومرث) was the name of the first king (shah) of the Pishdadian dynasty of Iran according to the ''Shahnameh''.
The name appears in Avestan in the form of ''𐬔𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬊 𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬙𐬀𐬥 Gai ...
, the birthplace of King
Manuchehr
Manūchehr Help:IPA/English">mænuː'tʃer.html" ;"title="Help:IPA/English.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Help:IPA/English">mænuː'tʃer">Help:IPA/English.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Help:IPA/English">mænuː'tʃer (, older Persian Manōčihr, Avestan ...
, the place where King
Fereydun
use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
, death_place =
, death_cause =
, resting_place =
, resting_place_coordinates =
, burial_place ...
bound the dragon fiend
Aždahāk (Bivarasp), and the place where
Arash
Arash the Archer ( fa, آرش کمانگیر ''Āraš-e Kamāngīr'') is a heroic archer-figure of Iranian mythology.
According to Iranian folklore, the boundary between Iran and Turan was set by an arrow launched by Arash, after he put his own ...
shot his arrow.
Medieval period
In 641, during the reign of the
Sasanian Empire
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
,
Yazdgerd III
Yazdegerd III (also spelled Yazdgerd III and Yazdgird III; pal, 𐭩𐭦𐭣𐭪𐭥𐭲𐭩) was the last Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 632 to 651. His father was Shahriyar and his grandfather was Khosrow II.
Ascending the throne at the ...
issued his last appeal to the nation from Rhages, before fleeing to Khorasan.
Rhages was dominated by the
Parthian Parthian may be:
Historical
* A demonym "of Parthia", a region of north-eastern of Greater Iran
* Parthian Empire (247 BC – 224 AD)
* Parthian language, a now-extinct Middle Iranian language
* Parthian shot, an archery skill famously employed by ...
House of Mihran
The House of Mihrān or House of Mehrān (Middle Persian: 𐭬𐭨𐭥𐭠𐭭; new Persian: مهران), was a leading Iranian noble family (''šahrdārān''), one of the Seven Great Houses of the Sassanid Persian Empire which claimed descent f ...
, and
Siyavakhsh Siyavakhsh (also spelled Siyavash) was an Iranian aristocrat from the House of Mihran who was descended from Bahram Chobin, the famous ''spahbed'' of the Sasanian Empire.
Biography
Siyavakhsh was the son Mihran Bahram-i Chubin, whose father was ...
—the son of
Mehran, the son of
Bahram Chobin
Bahrām Chōbīn ( fa, بهرام چوبین) or Wahrām Chōbēn (Middle Persian: ), also known by his epithet Mehrbandak ("servant of Mithra"), was a nobleman, general, and political leader of the late Sasanian Empire and briefly its ruler as Ba ...
—who resisted the seventh-century
Muslim invasion of Iran.
Because of this resistance, when the Arabs captured Rhages, they ordered the town destroyed and rebuilt anew by traitor aristocrat
Farrukhzad
Farrukhzad ( pal, script=Latn, Farrūkhzādag; New Persian: ), was an Iranian aristocrat from the House of Ispahbudhan and the founder of the Bavand dynasty, ruling from 651 to 665. Originally a powerful servant of the Sasanian king Khosrow II (r. ...
.
In the ninth century, Tehran was a well-known village, but less so than the city of Rhages, flourishing nearby. Rhages was described in detail by tenth-century Muslim geographers.
Despite the interest that Arabian
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
displayed in Rhages, the number of Arabs in the city remained insignificant and the population mainly consisted of Iranians of all classes.
The
Oghuz Turks
The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz languages, Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages, Turkic language family. In th ...
invaded Rhages in 1035 and again in 1042, but the city was recovered under the
Seljuks
The Seljuk dynasty, or Seljukids ( ; fa, سلجوقیان ''Saljuqian'', alternatively spelled as Seljuqs or Saljuqs), also known as Seljuk Turks, Seljuk Turkomans "The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
and the
Khwarezmians.
Medieval writer
Najm od Din Razi declared the population of Rhages about 500,000 before the
Mongol invasion
The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire ( 1206- 1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...
. In the 13th century, the
Mongols
The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...
invaded Rhages, laid the city to ruins, and massacred many of its inhabitants.
Others escaped to Tehran.
In July 1404,
Castilian ambassador
Ruy González de Clavijo
Ruy González de Clavijo (died 2 April 1412) was a Castilian traveler and writer. In 1403-05 Clavijo was the ambassador of Henry III of Castile to the court of Timur, founder and ruler of the Timurid Empire. A diary of the journey, perhaps based ...
visited Tehran on a journey to
Samarkand
fa, سمرقند
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = City
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from the top:Registan square, Shah-i-Zinda necropolis, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, view inside Shah-i-Zinda, ...
, the capital of Turco-Mongol conqueror
Timur
Timur ; chg, ''Aqsaq Temür'', 'Timur the Lame') or as ''Sahib-i-Qiran'' ( 'Lord of the Auspicious Conjunction'), his epithet. ( chg, ''Temür'', 'Iron'; 9 April 133617–19 February 1405), later Timūr Gurkānī ( chg, ''Temür Kür ...
, the ruler of Iran at the time. He described it in his diary as an unwalled region.
Early modern era
Italian traveler
Pietro della Valle
Pietro Della Valle ( la, Petrus a Valle; 2 April 1586 – 21 April 1652), also written Pietro della Valle, was an Italian composer, musicologist, and author who travelled throughout Asia during the Renaissance period. His travels took him to the ...
passed through Tehran overnight in 1618, and in his memoirs called the city ''Taheran''. English traveler
Thomas Herbert entered Tehran in 1627, and mentioned it as ''Tyroan''. Herbert stated that the city had about 3,000 houses.
![Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, painting, ca](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Agha_Mohammad_Khan_Qajar%2C_painting%2C_ca._1840.jpg)
In the early 18th century,
Karim Khan
Mohammad Karim Khan Zand ( fa, محمدکریم خان زند, Mohammad Karīm Khân-e Zand; ) was the founder of the Zand Dynasty, ruling from 1751 to 1779. He ruled all of Iran (Name of Iran, Persia) except for Khorasan Province, Khorasan. He ...
of the
Zand dynasty
The Zand dynasty ( fa, سلسله زندیه, ') was an Iranian dynasty, founded by Karim Khan Zand (1751–1779) that initially ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century. It later quickly came to expand to include much of the rest of ...
ordered a palace and a government office built in Tehran, possibly to declare the city his capital; but he later moved his government to
Shiraz
Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...
. Eventually, Qajar king
Agha Mohammad Khan
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar ( fa, آقا محمد خان قاجار, translit=Âqâ Mohammad Xân-e Qâjâr; 14 March 1742 – 17 June 1797), also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah (, ), was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Iran, rul ...
chose Tehran as the capital of Iran in 1786.
Agha Mohammad Khan's choice of his capital was based on a similar concern for the control of both northern and southern Iran.
He was aware of the loyalties of the inhabitants of former capitals
Isfahan
Isfahan ( fa, اصفهان, Esfahân ), from its Achaemenid empire, ancient designation ''Aspadana'' and, later, ''Spahan'' in Sassanian Empire, middle Persian, rendered in English as ''Ispahan'', is a major city in the Greater Isfahan Regio ...
and Shiraz to the
Safavid
Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia (), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, '. was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, which was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often conside ...
and Zand dynasties respectively, and was wary of the power of the local notables in these cities.
Thus, he probably viewed Tehran's lack of a substantial urban structure as a blessing, because it minimized the chances of resistance to his rule by the notables and by the general public.
Moreover, he had to remain within close reach of
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
and Iran's integral
northern
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ra ...
and
southern
Southern may refer to:
Businesses
* China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China
* Southern Airways, defunct US airline
* Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US
* Southern Airways Express, M ...
Caucasian territories—at that time not yet irrevocably lost per the treaties of
Golestan and
Turkmenchay to the neighboring
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
—which would follow in the course of the 19th century.
![Tehran1857](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Tehran1857.jpg)
After 50 years of Qajar rule, the city still barely had more than 80,000 inhabitants.
Up until the 1870s, Tehran consisted of a walled citadel, a roofed
bazaar
A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...
, and the three main neighborhoods of
Udlajan, Chale-Meydan, and Sangelaj, where the majority resided.
The first development plan of Tehran in 1855 emphasized traditional spatial structure. The second, under the supervision of
Dar ol Fonun in 1878, included new city walls, in the form of a perfect octagon with an area of 19 square kilometers, mimicking the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
cities of Europe.
Tehran was 19.79 square kilometers, and had expanded more than fourfold.
Late modern era
![Poster of Conquest of Tehran in July 1909 by Bakhtiaris](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Poster_of_Conquest_of_Tehran_in_July_1909_by_Bakhtiaris.jpg)
Growing awareness of civil rights resulted in the
Constitutional Revolution
The Persian Constitutional Revolution ( fa, مشروطیت, Mashrūtiyyat, or ''Enghelāb-e Mashrūteh''), also known as the Constitutional Revolution of Iran, took place between 1905 and 1911. The revolution led to the establishment of a par ...
and the
first constitution of Iran in 1906. On June 2, 1907, the parliament passed a law on local governance known as the ''Baladie'' (
municipal law
Municipal law is the national, domestic, or internal law of a sovereign state and is defined in opposition to international law. Municipal law includes many levels of law: not only national law but also state, provincial, territorial, regional, ...
), providing a detailed outline of issues such as the role of councils within the city, the members' qualifications, the election process, and the requirements to be entitled to vote. The then-Qajar monarch
Mohammad Ali Shah
Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar ( fa, محمدعلی شاه قاجار; 21 June 1872 – 5 April 1925, San Remo, Italy), Shah of Iran from 8 January 1907 to 16 July 1909. He was the sixth shah of the Qajar dynasty.
Biography
Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar ...
abolished the constitution and
bombarded the parliament with the help of the Russian-controlled
Cossack Brigade on June 23, 1908. That was followed by the capture of the city by the revolutionary forces of
Ali-Qoli Khan (Sardar Asad II) and
Mohammad Vali Khan (Sepahsalar e Tonekaboni) on July 13, 1909. As a result, the monarch was exiled and replaced with his son
Ahmad
Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet.
Etymology
The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the ve ...
, and the parliament was re-established.
After
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the
constituent assembly
A constituent assembly (also known as a constitutional convention, constitutional congress, or constitutional assembly) is a body assembled for the purpose of drafting or revising a constitution. Members of a constituent assembly may be elected b ...
elected
Reza Shah
Reza Shah Pahlavi ( fa, رضا شاه پهلوی; ; originally Reza Khan (); 15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was an Iranian Officer (armed forces), military officer, politician (who served as Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran), ...
of the
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...
as the new monarch, who immediately suspended the Baladie law of 1907, replacing the decentralized and autonomous city councils with centralist approaches to
governance
Governance is the process of interactions through the laws, social norm, norms, power (social and political), power or language of an organized society over a social system (family, tribe, formal organization, formal or informal organization, a ...
and planning.
From the 1920s to the 1930s, under the rule of Reza Shah, the city was essentially rebuilt from scratch. Several old buildings, including parts of the
Golestan Palace
The Golestan Palace ( fa, کاخ گلستان, ''Kākh-e Golestān''), also transliterated as the Gulistan Palace and sometimes translated as the Rose Garden Palace from Persian language, was built in the 16th century, renovated in the 18th cent ...
,
Tekye Dowlat, and
Tupkhane Square, were replaced with modern buildings influenced by classical Iranian architecture, particularly the buildings of the
National Bank
In banking, the term national bank carries several meanings:
* a bank owned by the state
* an ordinary private bank which operates nationally (as opposed to regionally or locally or even internationally)
* in the United States, an ordinary p ...
, the police headquarters, the telegraph office, and the military academy.
Changes to the urban fabric began with the street-widening act of 1933, which served as a framework for changes in all other cities. The
Grand Bazaar was divided in half and many historic buildings were demolished and replaced by wide straight avenues, and the traditional texture of the city was replaced with intersecting cruciform streets that created large roundabouts in major public spaces such as the bazaar.
As an attempt to create a network for easy transportation within the city, the old citadel and city walls were demolished in 1937, replaced by wide streets cutting through the urban fabric. The new city map of Tehran in 1937 was heavily influenced by modernist planning patterns of zoning and gridiron networks.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Soviet and British troops entered the city. In 1943, Tehran was the site of the
Tehran Conference
The Tehran Conference (codenamed Eureka) was a strategy meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill from 28 November to 1 December 1943, after the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. It was held in the Soviet Union's embassy i ...
, attended by U.S. President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, Soviet Premier
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
, and British Prime Minister
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 Winston Churchill in the Second World War, dur ...
.
File:Toopkhooneh ghadeem.jpg, Tupkhane Square in 1911.
File:Tehran1930.jpg, Jalili Square (Khaiyam) street in Tehran in 1930.
File:University of Tehran Faculty of Law 1318.jpg, University of Tehran
The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...
's Faculty of Law in 1939.
File:Bank Melli Sabze Meydan.JPG, National Bank of Iran, Sabze-Meydan, in the 1940s.
File:Teheran conference-1943.jpg, The Tehran Conference in 1943.
File:MajIes1956.JPG, The former Parliament Building in 1956.
File:Ferdowsi-Ave-1960.jpg, Ferdowsi Avenue in 1960.
File:Elizabeth (Keshavarz) Blvd-Tehran-1970s.jpg, Keshavarz Boulevard
Keshavarz Boulevard (Blvd.) ( fa, بلوار کشاورز ''Bolvār e Keshāvarz'') or simply ''Bolvār'' (the Boulevard) is a central Boulevard in Tehran, Iran. It is a 2.2 km long, East-West boulevard which connects Valiasr Street and Val ...
in 1970.
File:Karimkhan Vila 1977jpg.jpg, Karimkhan Street in 1977.
The establishment of the planning organization of Iran in 1948 resulted in the first socioeconomic development plan to cover from 1949 to 1955. These plans not only failed to slow the unbalanced growth of Tehran but with the 1962 land reforms that Reza Shah's son and successor
Mohammad Reza Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ( fa, محمدرضا پهلوی, ; 26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980), also known as Mohammad Reza Shah (), was the last ''Shah'' (King) of the Imperial State of Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow in the Irani ...
named the ''
White Revolution
The White Revolution ( fa, انقلاب سفید ''Enqelāb-e Sefid'') or the Shah and People Revolution ( fa, انقلاب شاه و مردم ''Enqelāb-e Shāh o Mardom'') was a far-reaching series of reforms resulting in aggressive moderniz ...
'', Tehran's chaotic growth was further accentuated.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Tehran developed rapidly under Mohammad Reza Shah. Modern buildings altered the face of Tehran and ambitious projects were planned for the following decades. To resolve the problem of
social exclusion
Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...
, the first comprehensive plan was approved in 1968. The consortium of Iranian architect
Abd-ol-Aziz Farmanfarmaian and the American firm of
Victor Gruen Associates
Victor David Gruen, born Viktor David Grünbaum
retrieved 25 February 2012 (July 18, 1903 – February 1 ...
identified the main problems blighting the city as high-density suburbs, air and water pollution, inefficient infrastructure, unemployment, and rural-urban migration. Eventually, the whole plan was marginalized by the
1979 Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
and the subsequent
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...
.
![Tehran_IMG_20191219_122637099_(49550671088)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Tehran_IMG_20191219_122637099_%2849550671088%29.jpg)
Tehran's most famous landmark, the Azadi Tower, was built by the order of the Shah in 1971. It was designed by
Hossein Amanat
Hossein Amanat ( fa, حسین امانت, born 1942) is an Iranian-Canadian architect. He is best known for being the architect of the Shahyad Tower (renamed as Azadi Tower after the 1979 revolution) in Tehran, Iran, the Baháʼí Arc building ...
, an architect whose design won a competition, combining elements of classical
Sassanian architecture
Sasanian architecture refers to the Persian architecture, Persian architectural style that reached a peak in its development during the Sasanian era. In many ways the Sasanian Empire period (224–651 CE) witnessed the highest achievement of Histo ...
with post-classical Iranian architecture. Formerly known as the ''Shahyad Tower'', it was built to commemorate the
2,500th anniversary of the Imperial State of Iran.
During the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...
in 1980 to 1988, Tehran was repeatedly targeted by airstrikes and
Scud
A Scud missile is one of a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. It was exported widely to both Second World, Second and Third World, Third World countries. The term comes from the NATO reporti ...
missile attacks.
The 435-meter-high Milad Tower, one of the proposed development projects of pre-revolutionary Iran,
was completed in 2007, and has become a famous landmark of Tehran. Tabiat Bridge a 270-meter
pedestrian overpass
A footbridge (also a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed solely for pedestrians.''Oxford English Dictionary'' While the primary meaning for a bridge is a structure which links "two points at a ...
,
designed by award-winning architect
Leila Araghian
Leila Araghian ( fa, لیلا عراقیان; born 1983), is an Iranian architect. She has a Master degree of Architecture from the University of British Columbia, where she won the UBC Architecture Alumni Henry Elder Prize. She previously studied ...
, was completed in 2014.
Geography
Location and subdivisions
![Tehran district map (blank)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Tehran_district_map_%28blank%29.svg)
The metropolis of Tehran is divided into 22 municipal districts, each with its own administrative center. Of the 22 municipal districts, 20 are located in
Tehran County
Tehran County ( fa, شهرستان تهران) is located in Tehran province, Iran. The capital of the county is Tehran. At the 2006 census, the county's population (including those portions of the county later split off to form Pardis County) ...
's
Central District, while districts
1 and
20 are respectively located in the counties of
Shemiranat and
Ray
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
. Although administratively separate, the cities of Ray and
Shemiran
Shemirān ( fa, شمیران, , also Romanized as Shemīrān or Šemirân), also known as Shemirānāt ( fa, شمیرانات ) is the capital of Shemiranat County, Tehran Province, Iran, but is actually located just north of the borders of Teh ...
are often considered part of Greater Tehran.
File:Tochal-Tehran.jpg, Tehran and Mount Tochal in the winter of 2006.
File:View of Tehran at Night (25821934418).jpg, View of Tehran at Night from Tajrish.
File:Elahiyeh.jpg, Elahieh
Elahieh (also spelt Elahiyeh; fa, الهیه) is an affluent and upper-class district in northern Tehran. The area is a residential and commercial locale and is filled with the homes and businesses of many politicians, diplomats, expatriates, ...
, an upper-class residential and commercial district in northern Tehran.
File:Ekhtiarieh, Tehran, Tehran, Iran - panoramio.jpg, Ekhtiarieh
Ekhtiyariyeh ( fa, اختیاریه; also Romanized as ''Ekhtiyāriyeh'' or ''Extiyāriye(h)'') is a neighborhood in the district of Shemiran in northern Tehran, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called ...
, an old residential area in northern Tehran.
File:Tehran from Qeytariyeh.jpg, Tehran from Gheytarieh
Qeytarieh (also spelled Gheytarieh) is an affluent neighbourhood in northern Tehran, located within the larger Shemiran district. Gheytarieh has about 150,000 residents.
Qeytarieh is famous for a large park with the same name. Qeytarieh Park wa ...
.
File:Boukhares Ave., Tehran - panoramio.jpg, Bucharest Street in Abbas Abad, north-central Tehran.
File:Resalat Tunnel in Tehran.jpg, Resalat Tunnel in Tehran.
File:Sattarkhan, Tehran, Tehran Province, Iran - panoramio.jpg, Sattarkhan street in Tehran.
File:Sabet Pasal Palace-01.jpg, Jordan view.
File:Tehran - Kamranieh 2.jpg, Kamranieh alley
File:2008-11-26 Teheran Velenjak 02 (cropped).jpg, Velenjak northwestern Tehran.
File:Pasdaran Street Tehran.jpg, Pasdaran Street.
Northern Tehran is the wealthiest part of the city, consisting of various districts such as
Zafaraniyeh
Zafaraniyeh (main street: Shahid Sarlashkar Fallahi) is an affluent neighbourhood in the north of Tehran, Iran. The name's origin lies in the fact that it was the residence of many saffron traders long ago, thus the name Zafaraniyeh (the Persia ...
,
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
,
Elahiyeh
Elahieh (also spelt Elahiyeh; fa, الهیه) is an affluent and upper-class district in northern Tehran. The area is a residential and commercial locale and is filled with the homes and businesses of many politicians, diplomats, expatriates, ...
,
Pasdaran
, meaning "Guards") can refer to:
* Pasdaran (district) in Tehran
* Informal name for the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC; fa, سپاه پاسدا ...
,
Kamranieh
Kamranieh (also spelled Kamraniyeh) ( fa, كامرانيه, also Romanized as ''kāmrānīyeh'') is an affluent and luxury neighbourhood located in one of the northernmost parts of Greater Tehran in the area called Shemiran, on the slopes of Albor ...
,
Ajodanieh,
Farmanieh
Farmanieh (also spelled Farmaniyeh) ( fa, فرمانیه) is a wealthy district located in northern Greater Tehran in the area named Shemiran. It lies within Shemiranat County and also district one of Tehran Municipality. Farmanieh has one of, ...
,
Darrous
Darrous is a neighborhood in Shemiran, northern Tehran, Iran. It is considered one of the most affluent areas in the city, as many modern and fashionable families reside there. Darrous is bounded by Pasdaran, Gholhak, Doulat, and Ekhtiyarieh.
...
,
Niavaran
Niavaran ( fa, نياوران) is an affluent and upperclass district in the north of Tehran. Bordering leafy, uphill-winding Darband Street, it can be reached from Tajrish Square, and is close to Darabad at the far north-eastern corner of Gr ...
,
Jamaran
Jamaran( fa, جماران) is a neighbourhood located north of the city of Tehran in Iran.
Jamaran was once an independent village; it is now a part of the North Tehran region. It is best known for being the home of Ayatollah Khomeini. Khomeini' ...
,
Aghdasieh
Aghdasieh ( fa, اقدسیه, also spelled Aghdassieh) is a neighborhood in the north of Tehran, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by ...
,
Mahmoodieh
Mahmoudyeh, Mahmoodieh or Mahmoodiyeh is an affluent residential area in Tehran, located south of Zaferaniyeh, bordering Valiasr Avenue on the east side, Velenjak on the west, and Chamran expressway to the south. The area is in close proximity to ...
,
Velenjak
Velenjak ( fa, ولنجک) is an affluent neighbourhood in the northwest of Tehran, Iran. Velenjak (Also Called Roof of Tehran) is located in the Shemiran area in the northernmost part of Tehran, on the slopes of the Alborz mountain range. It is k ...
,
Qeytarieh, Ozgol and
Ekhtiarieh
Ekhtiyariyeh ( fa, اختیاریه; also Romanized as ''Ekhtiyāriyeh'' or ''Extiyāriye(h)'') is a neighborhood in the district of Shemiran in northern Tehran, Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called ...
.
[Buzbee, Sally]
"Tehran: Split Between Liberal, Hard-Line"
. Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
via ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''. Thursday 4 October 2007.[Hundley, Tom]
"Pro-reform Khatami appears victorious after 30 million Iranians cast votes"
''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
''. 8 June 2001. While the center of the city houses government ministries and headquarters, commercial centers are located further north.
Climate
![Tehran Profile, Level 1, 2012](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Tehran_Profile%2C_Level_1%2C_2012.jpg)
The northern area of Tehran has a
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
:
''Csa''), with a
cold semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-ar ...
(''BSk'') elsewhere, with hot dry summers and cool rainy winters. Tehran's climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering
Alborz
The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs nort ...
mountains to its north and the country's central desert to the south. It can be generally described as mild in spring and autumn, hot and dry in summer, and cold and wet in winter.
As the city has a large area, with significant differences in elevation among various districts, the weather is often cooler in the hilly north than in the flat southern part of Tehran. For instance, the
Valiasr Street
Valiasr Street ( fa, خیابان ولیعصر) is a tree-lined street in Tehran, Iran, dividing the metropolis into western and eastern parts built in 1922 to 1927, considering the end of asphalt plan it ended in 1933. It is considered one of ...
runs from Tehran's railway station at elevation above sea level in the south of the city to
Tajrish Square
Tajrish ( fa, تجريش, , also romanized as Tajrīš) is a neighbourhood of Tehran, capital of Iran. Administratively it is in Shemiranat County, Tehran Province. It used to be a village and later was absorbed into the city of Tehran.
The Tajri ...
at 1712.6 m (5612.3 ft) elevation above sea level in the north. However, the elevation can even rise up to at the end of
Velenjak
Velenjak ( fa, ولنجک) is an affluent neighbourhood in the northwest of Tehran, Iran. Velenjak (Also Called Roof of Tehran) is located in the Shemiran area in the northernmost part of Tehran, on the slopes of the Alborz mountain range. It is k ...
in northern Tehran. The sparse texture, the existence of old gardens, orchards, green spaces along the highways and the lack of industrial activities in the north of the city have helped the air in the northern areas to be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius cooler than the southern areas of the city.
The main direction of the prevailing wind in Tehran is northwest to southeast.
[lake (in Persian)](_blank)
. hamshahrionline.ir Other air currents that blow in the area of Tehran are:
# Tochal breeze: With the rapid cooling of the Alborz mountain range at night, a local high-pressure center is formed on Mount Tochal, and this cold current flows down the mountain due to its weight and high pressure; Thus, a gentle breeze blows into the city from the north at night.
# Southern and southeastern regional winds: these winds blow from the desert plains in the hot months of the year.
# Western winds: These winds are among the planetary winds that affect the city of Tehran more or less throughout the year and can be called the prevailing wind.
Air currents have a great effect on Tehran's weather. The prevailing wind blowing from the west causes the west of the city to always be exposed to fresh air; Although this wind brings smoke and pollution from the western industrial areas, its strong wind can take the polluted air out of the city of Tehran.
In most years, winter provides half of Tehran's total annual rainfall. March is the rainiest month of the year and about one-fifth of the annual rainfall occurs in it. Summer is also the least rainy season and September is the driest month of the year in Tehran. The average annual rainfall of the city is sometimes very different in the north and south regions.
There are between 205 and 213 days of clear to partly cloudy weather in Tehran.
[Climate and air pollution of Tehran (in Persian)](_blank)
atlas.tehran.ir
One of the most intense rains in Tehran happened on April 21, 1962 and this rain lasted for 10 hours. Meteorology also announced that the amount of rainfall on that one day in Tehran was equivalent to six years.
Summer is hot and dry with little rain, but
relative humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity depe ...
is generally low, making the heat tolerable. Average high temperatures are between and during
summer months, and it can sometimes rise up to during
heat waves
A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
. Average low temperatures in summer are between and , and it can occasionally drop to below in the mountainous north of the city at night.
Winter is cold and occasionally snowy, with an average of 12.3 snow days annually in central Tehran and more than 23.7 snow days annually in northern Tehran. During the
winter months, average high temperatures are between and and average low temperatures are between and , and it can occasionally drop to below during
cold waves
A cold wave (known in some regions as a cold snap, cold spell or Arctic Snap) is a weather phenomenon that is distinguished by a cooling of the air. Specifically, as used by the U.S. National Weather Service, a cold wave is a rapid fall in tem ...
.
Most of the annual
precipitation
In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
occurs from late autumn to mid-spring. March is the wettest month with an average precipitation of . The hottest month is July, with a mean minimum temperature of and a mean maximum temperature of , and the coldest is January, with a mean minimum temperature of and a mean maximum temperature of .
The highest recorded temperature was on 3 July 1958 and the lowest recorded temperature was on 8 January 1969.
In February 2005, heavy snow covered all parts of the city. Snow depth was recorded as in the southern part of the city and in the northern part of city. One newspaper reported that it had been the worst weather in 34 years. Ten thousand bulldozers and 13,000 municipal workers were deployed to keep the main roads open.
On January 5 and 6, 2008, a
wave of heavy snow and low temperatures covered the city in a thick layer of snow and ice, forcing the Council of Ministers to officially declare a
state of emergency
A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
and close down the capital from January 6 through January 7.
[Heavy Snowfall in Tehran (in Persian)](_blank)
irna.com
On February 3, 2014, Tehran received heavy snowfall, specifically in the northern parts of the city, with a depth of . In one week of successive snowfalls, roads were made impassable in some areas, with the temperature ranging from to .
On June 3, 2014, a severe thunderstorm with powerful
microbursts
In meteorology, a downburst is a strong downward and outward gushing wind system that emanates from a point source above and blows Rotational symmetry, radially, that is, in straight lines in all directions from the area of impact at surface l ...
created a
haboob
A haboob ( ar, هَبوب, lit=blasting/drifting, translit=habūb) is a type of intense dust storm carried on an atmospheric gravity current, also known as a weather front. Haboobs occur regularly in dry land area regions throughout the world.
...
, engulfing the city in sand and dust and causing five deaths, with more than 57 injured. This event also knocked down numerous trees and power lines. It struck between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., dropping temperatures from to within an hour. The dramatic temperature drop was accompanied by wind gusts reaching nearly .
Environmental issues
![Air pollution of Tehran - 5 January 2013 06](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Air_pollution_of_Tehran_-_5_January_2013_06.jpg)
A plan to move the capital has been discussed many times in prior years, due mainly to the environmental issues of the region. Tehran is one of the world's most polluted cities and is also located near two major
fault lines
In geology, a fault is a planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of rock-mass movements. Large faults within Earth's crust result from the action of plate tectonic ...
.
The city suffers from severe air pollution, 80% of it due to cars. The remaining 20% is due to
industrial pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...
. Other estimates suggest that motorcycles alone account for 30% of air and 50% of
noise pollution
Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of them are harmful to a degree. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is main ...
in Tehran. Tehran is also considered one of the strongest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the Middle East. Enhanced concentration of carbon dioxide over the city (that are likely originated from the anthropogenic urban sources in the city) is easily detectable from satellite observations throughout the year.
In 2010, the government announced that "for security and administrative reasons, the plan to move the capital from Tehran has been finalized."
There are plans to relocate 163 state firms and several
universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
from Tehran to avoid damages from a potential
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...
.
The officials are engaged in a battle to reduce air pollution. It has, for instance, encouraged taxis and buses to convert from petrol engines to engines that run on
compressed natural gas
Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a fuel gas mainly composed of methane (CH4), compressed to less than 1% of the volume it occupies at standard atmospheric pressure. It is stored and distributed in hard containers at a pressure of , usually in cy ...
. Furthermore, the government has set up a "Traffic Zone" covering the city centre during peak traffic hours. Entering and driving inside this zone is only allowed with a special permit.
There have also been plans to raise people's awareness of the hazards of pollution. One method that is being employed is the installation of Pollution Indicator Boards all around the city to monitor the level of
particulate matter
Particulates – also known as atmospheric aerosol particles, atmospheric particulate matter, particulate matter (PM) or suspended particulate matter (SPM) – are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. The ter ...
(PM10),
nitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is one of several nitrogen oxides. is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year for use primarily in the producti ...
(NO
2), ozone (O
3),
sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a toxic gas responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activ ...
(SO
2), and
carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a colorless, poisonous, odorless, tasteless, flammable gas that is slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simple ...
(CO).
Demographics
![Tehran Urbanization](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Tehran_Urbanization.gif)
The city of Tehran has a population of approximately 10 million in 2016. With its cosmopolitan atmosphere, Tehran is home to diverse ethnic and linguistic groups from all over the country. The present-day dominant language of Tehran is the
Tehrani variety of the
Persian language
Persian (), also known by its endonym Farsi (, ', ), is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. Persian is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and ...
, and the majority of people in Tehran identify themselves as
Persians
The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian.
...
.
However, before, the native language of the Tehran–Ray region was not Persian, which is linguistically Southwest Iranian and originates in
Fars, but a now extinct
Northwestern Iranian language
The Western Iranic languages are a branch of the Iranic languages, attested from the time of Old Persian (6th century BC) and Median.
Languages
The traditional Northwestern branch is a convention for non-Southwestern languages, rather than a ge ...
.
Iranian Azeris
Iranian Azerbaijanis (; az, ایران آذربایجانلیلاری, italics=no ), also known as Iranian Azeris, Iranian Turks, Persian Turks or Persian Azerbaijanis, are Iranians of Azerbaijani ethnicity who may speak the Azerbaijani lang ...
form the second-largest ethnic group of the city, comprising about 10-15%
of the total population, while ethnic
Mazanderanis
The Mazanderani people ( mzn, مازرونیون or mzn, تبریون) or Tabari people ( mzn, تپورون, links=no) are an Iranian peopleAcademic American Encyclopedia By Grolier Incorporated, page 294 who are indigenous to the Caspian sea ...
are the third-largest, comprising about 5% of the total population. Tehran's other ethnic communities include
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
,
Armenians
Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
,
Georgians
The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
,
Bakhtyaris,
Talysh Talysh may refer to:
*Talysh people
* History of Talysh
*Talysh language
*Talysh Khanate, in existence from 1747 to 1828
*Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic, a self-declared autonomy, which existed briefly in the south of Azerbaijan in 1993
*Talysh ...
,
Baloch,
Assyrians,
Arabs
The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Wester ...
,
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
, and
Circassians
The Circassians (also referred to as Cherkess or Adyghe; Adyghe and Kabardian: Адыгэхэр, romanized: ''Adıgəxər'') are an indigenous Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation native to the historical country-region of Circassia in ...
.
According to a 2010 census conducted by the Sociology Department of the
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...
, in many districts of Tehran across various socio-economic classes in proportion to population sizes of each district and socio-economic class, 63% of the people were born in Tehran, 98% knew Persian, 75% identified themselves as ethnic Persian, and 13% had some degree of proficiency in a European language.
Tehran saw a drastic change in its ethnic-social composition in the early 1980s. After the political, social, and economic consequences of the
1979 Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
and the years that followed, a number of Iranian citizens, mostly Tehranis, left Iran. The majority of
Iranian emigrations have left for the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
With the start of the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Council ...
(1980–1988), the second wave of inhabitants fled the city, especially during the Iraqi air offensives on the capital. With most major powers backing Iraq at the time, economic isolation gave yet more reason for many inhabitants to leave the city (and the country). Having left all they had and have struggled to adapt to a new country and build a life, most of them never came back when the war was over. During the war, Tehran also received a great number of migrants from the west and the southwest of the country bordering
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
.
The unstable situation and the war in neighbouring
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
and Iraq prompted a rush of refugees into the country who arrived in their millions, with Tehran being a magnet for much seeking work, who subsequently helped the city to recover from war wounds, working for far less pay than local construction workers. Many of these refugees are being repatriated with the assistance of the
UNHCR
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integrati ...
, but there are still sizable groups of Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Tehran who are reluctant to leave, being pessimistic about the situation in their own countries. Afghan refugees are mostly
Dari
Dari (, , ), also known as Dari Persian (, ), is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the term officially recognised and promoted since 1964 by the Afghan government for the Persian language,Lazard, G.Darī ...
-speaking
Tajik
Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Tajikistan
* Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan
* Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan
* Tajik (surname)
* Tajik cu ...
and
Hazara, speaking a variety of Persian, and Iraqi refugees are mainly
Mesopotamian Arabic
Mesopotamian Arabic, ( ar, لهجة بلاد ما بين النهرين) also known as Iraqi Arabic ( ar, اللهجة العراقية), or Gilit Mesopotamian Arabic (as opposed to Qeltu Mesopotamian Arabic) is a continuum of mutually intelligib ...
-speakers who are often of Iranian and Persian ethnic heritage.
Religion
The majority of Tehranis are officially
Twelver Shia
Twelver Shīʿīsm ( ar, ٱثْنَا عَشَرِيَّة; '), also known as Imāmīyyah ( ar, إِمَامِيَّة), is the largest branch of Shīʿa Islam, comprising about 85 percent of all Shīʿa Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers t ...
Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
, which has also been the state religion since the 16th-century
Safavid conversion. Other religious communities in the city include followers of the
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
and
Mystic branches of Islam, various
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
denominations,
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
,
Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion and one of the world's History of religion, oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian peoples, Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a Dualism in cosmology, du ...
, and the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
.
There are many religious centres scattered around the city, from old to newly built centres, including
mosques
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, i ...
,
churches,
synagogues
A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
, and
Zoroastrian fire temples. The city also has a very small third-generation Indian
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
community with a local
gurdwara
A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...
that was visited by the Indian Prime Minister in 2012.
File:Mezquita Shah, Teherán, Irán, 2016-09-17, DD 49-51 HDR.jpg, Tehran's Shah Mosque
File:Greek church of Virgin Mary Tehran.JPG, Tehran's Greek Orthodox Church of Virgin Mary
File:Church of holy mary کلیسای حضرت مریم 1.jpg, Saint Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, Tehran
File:St. Joseph Assyrian Catholic Church, Tehran.jpg, St. Joseph Assyrian Catholic (Chaldean Catholic) Church, Tehran
File:26600-کلیسای آشوری مارگیورگیز.jpg, Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East,, ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية sometimes called Church of the East, officially the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East,; ar, كنيسة المشرق الآشورية الرسول ...
of Mar Sarkis, Tehran
File:Yusefabad -5.jpg, Tehran's Yusef Abad Synagogue
The Yusef Abad Synagogue ( fa, کنیسه یوسف آباد ''Kanise-ye Yusef Ābād'', he, בית הכנסת יוסף-אבד) is the main synagogue of Tehran, Iran. It is also one of the largest synagogues of the city. The official name of the Y ...
File:Adriaan2.jpg, Adrian Fire Temple, Tehran
Economy
![Tehran Stock Exchange 3513534](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Tehran_Stock_Exchange_3513534.jpg)
Tehran is the economic centre of Iran. About 30% of Iran's public-sector workforce and 45% of its large industrial firms are located in the city, and almost half of these workers are employed by the government. Most of the remainder of workers are factory workers, shopkeepers, laborers, and transport workers.
Few foreign companies operate in Tehran, due to the government's complex international relations. But prior to the
1979 Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynas ...
, many foreign companies were active in Iran. Tehran's present-day modern industries include the manufacturing of automobiles, electronics and electrical equipment, weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical products. It is also a leading centre for the sale of carpets and furniture. The oil refining companies of
Pars Oil
Pars Oil Company is an oil refining company with headquarters in Tehran.
History and development
Pars Oil Company was founded in 1959 as a joint-stock company by Abdol-Ali Mirza Farmanfarmaian and some of his relatives, later adding more stock h ...
,
Speedy
Speedy refers to something or someone moving at high speed.
Speedy may refer to:
Ships
* HMS ''Speedy'', nine ships of the Royal Navy
* ''Speedy''-class brig, a class of naval ship
* ''Speedy'' (1779), a whaler and convict ship despatched i ...
, and
Behran are based in Tehran.
Tehran relies heavily on private cars, buses, motorcycles, and taxis, and is one of the most car-dependent cities in the world. The
Tehran Stock Exchange
The Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE) ( fa, بورس اوراق بهادار تهران, romanized: ''Burs-e Owraq-e Bahadar-e Tehran'') is Iran's largest stock exchange, which first opened in 1967. The TSE is based in Tehran. , 339 companies with a com ...
, which is a full member of the
World Federation of Exchanges
The World Federation of Exchanges (WFE), formerly the ''Federation Internationale des Bourses de Valeurs'' (FIBV), or International Federation of Stock Exchanges, is the trade association of publicly regulated stock, futures, and options exchang ...
(WFE) and a founding member of the
Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges
The Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEAS) is a non-profit international organization comprising the main stock exchanges in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The purpose of the Federation is to contribute to the coopera ...
, has been one of the world's best-performing stock exchanges in recent years.
Shopping
Tehran has a wide range of shopping centers, and is home to over 60 modern shopping malls.
The city has a number of
commercial district
A commercial district or commercial zone is any part of a city or town in which the primary land use is Commerce, commercial activities (Retailing, shops, offices, Theater (structure), theaters, restaurants and so on), as opposed to a residential ...
s, including those located at
Valiasr
Valiasr Street ( fa, خیابان ولیعصر) is a tree-lined street in Tehran, Iran, dividing the metropolis into western and eastern parts built in 1922 to 1927, considering the end of asphalt plan it ended in 1933. It is considered one of ...
,
Davudie, and
Zaferanie. The largest old
bazaar
A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...
s of Tehran are the
Grand Bazaar and the
Bazaar of Tajrish.
Iran Mall
The Iran Mall ( fa, ایران مال) is the biggest shopping mall in the world in terms of area, and one of the largest commercial, cultural and social projects in the world, located in northwest Tehran, Iran, by Chitgar Lake.
The multi-purpose ...
is the largest mall in the world in area.
Most of the international branded stores and upper-class shops are in the northern and western parts of the city. Tehran's retail business is growing with several newly built malls and shopping centres.
File:Iranmall Overview.jpg, Iran Mall
The Iran Mall ( fa, ایران مال) is the biggest shopping mall in the world in terms of area, and one of the largest commercial, cultural and social projects in the world, located in northwest Tehran, Iran, by Chitgar Lake.
The multi-purpose ...
File:Tiraje Mall, Tehran City.JPG, Tiraje Mall in western Tehran
File:فروشگاه زنجیره ای افق کوروش.jpg, Kourosh Mall in Shahid Sattari Expressway
File:Tehran Old Bazaar.jpg, Tehran's Old Grand Bazaar
File:OPAL Shopping Center, Sa'adat Abad, Tehran (7).jpg, OPAL Shopping Cente
File:Hyper.star.jpg, Hyperstar, Tehran's subsidiary of Carrefour
Carrefour () is a French multinational retail and wholesaling corporation headquartered in Massy, France. The eighth-largest retailer in the world by revenue, it operates a chain of hypermarkets, groceries stores and convenience stores, which ...
List of modern and most-visited Shopping Malls in Tehran Province:
* Mega Mall
* Bamland Shopping Center
* Palladium Shopping Center
* Sam Center
* Iran Mall
* Kourosh Mall
* Tirajeh Shopping Center
* Modern Elahiyeh Shopping Center
* Donyaye Noor Shopping Centre
* Tandis Shopping Center
* Ava Centre
* Atlas Mall
* Goldis Mall
* OPAL Shopping Center
* Rosha Department Store
* Sivan Center
* Arg Shopping Center
* Nasr Shopping Center
* Galleria Shopping Center
* Charso Mall
* Mirdamad Shopping Center
* Royal Address Complex
* Platin Shopping Center
* Sana Shopping Center
* Sepid Shopping Center Tehran
* Najm Khavar Mianeh
* Parsian Shopping Center
* Artemis Shopping Center
* Heravi Center Shopping Mall
* Tuba shopping center
* Lale Shopping Center
* Andisheh Shopping Center
* Sky Center
* Lotus Mall
* Saba Shopping Mall
* Seven Center Shopping Mall
* Kasa Shopping
* Platin Shopping Center
Tourism
Tehran, as one of the main tourist destinations in Iran, has a wealth of cultural attractions. It is home to royal complexes of
Golestan,
Saadabad and
Niavaran
Niavaran ( fa, نياوران) is an affluent and upperclass district in the north of Tehran. Bordering leafy, uphill-winding Darband Street, it can be reached from Tajrish Square, and is close to Darabad at the far north-eastern corner of Gr ...
, which were built under the reign of the country's last two monarchies.
There are several historic, artistic, and scientific museums in Tehran, including the
*
National Museum
A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
*
Malek Museum
*Cinema Museum at
Ferdows Garden
Ferdows Garden ( fa, باغ فردوس ) is a historical complex located in the district of Tajrish in Shemiran (northern Tehran), Iran.
The complex dates back to the reign of the Qajar dynasty, and includes a mansion which houses the Cinema Museu ...
*
Abgineh Museum
*
Museum of the Qasr Prison
The Museum of the Qasr Prison ( fa, موزه زندان قصر ''muze-ye zendān-e qasr'') is a historical complex in Tehran, Iran.
Formerly referred to as the Qasr Prison ( ''zendān-e qasr'', "Mansion prison"), it was one of the oldest poli ...
*
Carpet Museum
*Reverse Glass Painting Museum (vitray art)
*
Safir Office Machines Museum
The Safir Office Machines Museum is a private museum located in Tehran, Iran. It was founded in 2008 by Frashad Kamalkhani, the museum owner. It includes a collection of early office machines.
Collection
There are more than 80 unique and early ...
Also the
Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art (often abbreviated to MCA, MoCA or MOCA) may refer to:
Africa
* Museum of Contemporary Art (Tangier), Morocco, officially le Galerie d'Art Contemporain Mohamed Drissi
Asia East Asia
* Museum of Contemporary Art Shangha ...
, which hosts works of famous artists such as
Van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2,100 artworks, inclu ...
,
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...
, and
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
. The
Iranian Imperial Crown Jewels, one of the largest jewel collections in the world, are also on display at Tehran's National Jewelry Museum.
A number of cultural and trade exhibitions take place in Tehran, which are mainly operated by the country's
International Exhibitions Company. Tehran's annual
International Book Fair is known to the international publishing world as one of the most important publishing events in Asia.
File:(86-113-8)Seafood_(3).jpg, Tabiat Bridge
The Tabi'at Bridge ( fa, پل طبیعت, lit=The bridge of nature) is the largest pedestrian overpass in Tehran, Iran. The bridge connects two public parks — Taleghani Park and Abo-Atash Park — by spanning Modarres Expressway, one ...
File:كاخ گلستان.jpg, Golestan Palace
The Golestan Palace ( fa, کاخ گلستان, ''Kākh-e Golestān''), also transliterated as the Gulistan Palace and sometimes translated as the Rose Garden Palace from Persian language, was built in the 16th century, renovated in the 18th cent ...
File:Niavaran palace.jpg, Niavaran Complex
The Niavaran Palace Complex ( fa, مجموعه کاخ نیاوران – ''Majmue ye Niāvarān'') is a historical palace complex situated in Shemiran (northern Tehran), Iran. It consists of several palace buildings and monuments dating back to ...
File:Mellat Palace Museum 02.jpg, Sa'dabad Complex
The Sa'dabad Complex ( fa, مجموعه سعدآباد – ''Majmue ye Sa’dābād'') is a 110 hectare complex built by the Qajar and Pahlavi monarchs, located in Shemiran, Greater Tehran, Iran. Today, the official residence of the President of Ir ...
File:Masoodieh.jpg, Masoudie, Baharestan
Baharestan ( fa, بَهارِستان ) is the name given to the historic Iranian parliament building, inaugurated in 1906 (see Persian Constitutional Revolution). It was adopted from the name of the neighborhood and a small palace that ador ...
.
File:Národní muzeum Íránu.jpg, National Museum of Iran
The National Museum of Iran ( fa, موزهٔ ملی ایران ) is located in Tehran, Iran. It is an institution formed of two complexes; the Museum of Ancient Iran and the Museum of Islamic Archaeology and Art of Iran, which were opened in 1937 ...
File:Visitors at Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (25839577818).jpg, Museum of Contemporary Art Museum of Contemporary Art (often abbreviated to MCA, MoCA or MOCA) may refer to:
Africa
* Museum of Contemporary Art (Tangier), Morocco, officially le Galerie d'Art Contemporain Mohamed Drissi
Asia East Asia
* Museum of Contemporary Art Shangha ...
File:Carpet Museum, Tehran.jpg, Carpet Museum of Iran
Located in Tehran, beside Laleh Park, and founded in 1976, the Carpet Museum of Iran exhibits a variety of Persian carpets from all over Iran, dating from the 16th century to the present.
The museum's exhibition hall occupies and its library c ...
File:باغ موزه قصر1392.JPG, Museum of the Qasr Prison
The Museum of the Qasr Prison ( fa, موزه زندان قصر ''muze-ye zendān-e qasr'') is a historical complex in Tehran, Iran.
Formerly referred to as the Qasr Prison ( ''zendān-e qasr'', "Mansion prison"), it was one of the oldest poli ...
File:موزه آبگینه16.jpg, Abgineh Museum
Hotel
* Espinas Palace Hotel
*
Parsian Azadi Hotel
The Parsian Azadi Hotel ( fa, هتل پارسیان آزادی) is one of the largest and tallest hotels in Tehran, situated in the northern Evin neighborhood, overlooking the city. The hotel has 475 guest rooms & suites.
History
On May 24, 1976, ...
*
Fereshteh Pasargad Hotel
The Fereshteh Pasargad Hotel is a mixed-use complex currently under construction in the Elahieh neighbourhood of Tehran, Iran, designed by the late architect Zaha Hadid
Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid ( ar, زها حديد ''Zahā Ḥadīd''; 31 ...
*
Laleh International Hotel
The Laleh International Hotel is a hotel in Tehran, Iran, next to Laleh Park, with views of the Alborz and Damavand Mountain.
History
The Inter-Continental Tehran opened in October 1971. The 13-story, 400-room hotel was built to house foreig ...
*
Parsian Enghelab Hotel
The Parsian Enghelab Hotel is a 250-room hotel in Tehran, Iran.
History
The Royal Gardens Hotel opened in 1977. It was constructed by the prominent Persian Jews, Iranian Jewish Berookhim family. The hotel's design was intended to reflect a Pe ...
*
Parsian Esteghlal International Hotel
The Parsian Esteghlal International Hotel is a hotel in Tehran, Iran. Opened in 1962 as the Royal Tehran Hilton, the hotel was designed by local Iranian architect Heydar Ghiai.
Overview
The hotel's design consultants also included noted British ...
* Parsian Evin Hotel
* Ibis Hotel
* Espinas International Hotel
* Persian Plaza Hotel
* Hanna Boutique Hotel
* Homa Hotel
* Rexan Hotel
* Tehran Heritage Hostel
* Tehran Grand 1 Hotel
* Iran Cozy Hotel
* Pamchal Hotel
* Amatis Hotel
* Hotel Markazi Iran
* Marlik Hotel
* Ferdowsi Grand Hotel
* Atana Hotel
* Valiasr Hotel
* Taj Mahal Hotel
* Morvarid Hotel
* Hally Hotel
* Howeyzeh hotel
* Atlas Hotel
* Amir Hotel
File:Espinas Palace Hotel 8316.jpg, Espinas Palace Hotel
File:Royal Hilton Hotel, Tehran (1970s).jpg, Parsian Esteghlal International Hotel
File:Ferdowsi International Grand Hotel.jpg, Ferdowsi Grand Hotel
File:Tehranhomahotel.jpg, Homa Hotel
File:Tehran InterContinental Hotel.jpg, Laleh International Hotel
File:Parsian Evin Hotel, Chamran Highway, Tehrān, Teheran, Iran - panoramio (1).jpg, Parsian Azadi Hotel
Infrastructure
Highways and streets
Following the
Islamic Revolution
The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...
in 1979, the political system changed from
constitutional monarchy
A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
to
Islamic republic
The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...
. Then the construction of political power in the country needed to change so that new spectrums of political power decision-making centers emerged in Iran. Motives, desires and actions of these new political power decision-making centers in Iran, made them rename streets and public places throughout the country, especially Tehran. For example Shahyad square changed to
Azadi square
The Azadi Square ( fa, میدان آزادی, translit=Meydāne Āzādī, lit=Freedom Square), formerly known as Shahyad Square (Persian: میدان شهیاد ''Meydāne Ŝahyād'' literally means "''Remembrance of heShah Square''"), is a main ...
and Pahlavi street changed to
Valiasr street
Valiasr Street ( fa, خیابان ولیعصر) is a tree-lined street in Tehran, Iran, dividing the metropolis into western and eastern parts built in 1922 to 1927, considering the end of asphalt plan it ended in 1933. It is considered one of ...
.
The metropolis of Tehran is equipped with a large network of highways and interchanges.
File:Fresh green ^ Red - panoramio.jpg, Valiasr Street
Valiasr Street ( fa, خیابان ولیعصر) is a tree-lined street in Tehran, Iran, dividing the metropolis into western and eastern parts built in 1922 to 1927, considering the end of asphalt plan it ended in 1933. It is considered one of ...
File:Fajr Bridge Tehran2.jpg, Hemmat Expressway
Hemmat Expressway is a route in Tehran, Iran. It starts from Pasdaran Avenue junction and goes west. It passes Haghani Expressway, Kordestan Expressway, Milad Tower, Ashrafi Esfahani Expressway and Ziba Shahr in Western Tehran and ends into ...
File:Tehran111.jpg, Modarres Expressway
Modarres Expressway ( fa, بزرگراه مدرس), prior to 1979 Iranian Revolution known as the ''Shahanshahi Expressway'' ( fa, بزرگراه شاهنشاهی; en, Imperial Expressway) is an expressway in Tehran. It starts from north of Tehra ...
File:Kordestan-Resalat-Hakim.jpg, Kordestan Expressway
Kurdistan Expressway (Highway) is a North-South Expressway in Tehran, Iran. It starts from Niayesh Expressway and passes Hemmat Expressway and Resalat Expressway
Lieutenant General Qasem Soleimani Expressway, formerly called Resalat Expressway ...
interchange with Resalat and Hakim expressways
![Tehran in a holiday and work day 04](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Tehran_in_a_holiday_and_work_day_04.jpg)
A number of streets in Tehran are named after international figures, including:
*
Henri Corbin
Henry Corbin (14 April 1903 – 7 October 1978)Shayegan, DaryushHenry Corbin in Encyclopaedia Iranica. was a French philosopher, theologian, and Iranologist, professor of Islamic studies at the École pratique des hautes études. He was influe ...
Street, central Tehran
*
Simon Bolivar Boulevard, northwestern Tehran
*
Edward Browne Street, near the University of Tehran
*
Gandhi Street, northern Tehran
*
Mohammad Ali Jenah Expressway
Jinnah Expressway () is an expressway in Tehran that connects Second Sadeghiye Square to Azadi Square. The expressway is named after the founder and first Governor General of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Maho ...
, western Tehran
*
Iqbal Lahori Street, eastern Tehran
*
Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Émery Lumumba (; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June u ...
Street, western Tehran
*
Nelson Mandela Boulevard, northern Tehran
*
Bobby Sands Street
Robert Gerard Sands ( ga, Roibeárd Gearóid Ó Seachnasaigh; 9 March 1954 – 5 May 1981) was a member (and leader in the Maze prison) of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died on hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze ...
, western side of the
British Embassy
This is a list of diplomatic missions of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding honorary consulates. The UK has one of the largest global networks of diplomatic missions. UK diplomatic missions to capitals of other Com ...
Cars
![02 Tehran Metro Line 3 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/02_Tehran_Metro_Line_3_1.jpg)
According to the head of Tehran Municipality's Environment and Sustainable Development Office, Tehran was designed to have a capacity of about 300,000 cars, but more than five million cars are on the roads. The automotive industry has recently developed, but international sanctions influence the production processes periodically.
According to local media, Tehran has more than 200,000 taxis plying the roads daily, with several types of taxi available in the city. Airport taxis have a higher cost per kilometer as opposed to regular green and yellow taxis in the city.
Buses
![BRT in Tehran, Iran (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/BRT_in_Tehran%2C_Iran_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Buses have served the city since the 1920s. Tehran's transport system includes conventional buses,
trolleybus
A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
es, and
bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...
(BRT). The city's four major bus stations include the South Terminal, the East Terminal, the West Terminal, and the northcentral Beyhaghi Terminal.
The trolleybus system was opened in 1992, using a fleet of 65
articulated
An articulated vehicle is a vehicle which has a permanent or semi-permanent pivot joint in its construction, allowing it to turn more sharply. There are many kinds, from heavy equipment to buses, trams and trains. Steam locomotives were someti ...
trolleybuses built by
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
's
Škoda
Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to:
Czech brands and enterprises
* Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav
** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...
.
[Murray, Alan (2000). ''World Trolleybus Encyclopaedia'', pp. 57 and 99. Yateley, Hampshire, UK: Trolleybooks. .] This was the first trolleybus system in Iran.
In 2005, trolleybuses were operating on five routes, all starting at
Imam Hossein Square
Imam Hossein Square, or Meydan-e-Emam-Hoseyn, is a square in eastern central Tehran, Iran. Transportation
* Enqelab Street
* Damavand Street
* 17 Shahrivar Street
* Mazandaran Street
* Tehran BRT Line
Tehran Bus Rapid Transit was offi ...
.
[''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 265 (January–February 2006), pp. 16–17. National Trolleybus Association (UK). .] Two routes running northeastwards operate almost entirely in a segregated
busway located in the middle of the wide
carriageway
A carriageway (British English) or roadway (North American English) consists of a width of road on which a vehicle is not restricted by any physical barriers or separation to move laterally. A carriageway generally consists of a number of tra ...
along
Damavand Street
Damavand Street is a street in central and eastern Tehran, Iran.
{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="600px"
! text-align="center" colspan="3" , From East to West
, -
, , , Yasini Expressway Tehran-Damavand Expressway Tel ...
, stopping only at purpose-built stops located about every 500 metres along the routes, effectively making these routes trolleybus-BRT (but they are not called such). The other three trolley bus routes run south and operate in mixed traffic. Both route sections are served by
limited-stop
In public transit, particularly bus, tram, or train transportation, a limited-stop (or sometimes referred to as semi-fast) service is a trip pattern that stops less frequently than a local service. Many limited-stop or semi-fast services are a com ...
services and local (making all stops) services.
A 3.2-kilometer extension from Shoosh Square to Rah Ahan Square was opened in March 2010.
[''Trolleybus Magazine'' No. 298 (July–August 2011), pp. 89–90. National Trolleybus Association (UK).]
Tehran's bus rapid transit (BRT) was officially inaugurated in 2008. It has 10 lines with some 215 stations in different areas of the city. , the BRT system had a network of , transporting 1.8 million passengers on a daily basis.
Bicycle
![Bdood-Parking-lot](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Bdood-Parking-lot.jpg)
Bdood is a dockless
bike-sharing
A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost.
The programmes themselves include b ...
company in
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 Turkmeni ...
. Founded in 2017, it is available in the central and northwest regions of the capital city of Tehran. The company has plans to expand across the city in the future.
In the first phase, the application covers the flat areas of Tehran and they would be out of use in poor weather conditions.
Riders can use 29 parking lots for the bikes across
Enqelab Avenue,
Keshavarz Boulevard
Keshavarz Boulevard (Blvd.) ( fa, بلوار کشاورز ''Bolvār e Keshāvarz'') or simply ''Bolvār'' (the Boulevard) is a central Boulevard in Tehran, Iran. It is a 2.2 km long, East-West boulevard which connects Valiasr Street and Val ...
, Beheshti Street and Motahhari Avenue in which the bikes are available 24/7 for riders.
Railway and subway
![2 Tehran Metro 2019](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/2_Tehran_Metro_2019.jpg)
Tehran has a
central railway station that connects services round the clock to various cities in the country, along with a Tehran–Europe train line also running.
The feasibility study and conceptual planning of the construction of Tehran's subway system were started in the 1970s. The first two of the eight projected metro lines were opened in 2001.
Airport
![Tehran IKIA at Night](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Tehran_IKIA_at_Night.jpg)
Tehran is served by the international airports of
Mehrabad and
Imam Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Khomeini, Imam Khomeini ( , ; ; 17 May 1900 – 3 June 1989) was an Iranian political and religious leader who served as the first supreme leader of Iran from 1979 until his death in 1989. He was the founder of ...
. Mehrabad Airport, an old airport in western Tehran that doubles as a military base, is mainly used for domestic and charter flights. Imam Khomeini Airport, located south of the city, handles the main international flights.
Parks and green spaces
![Park Shahr Tehran](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Park_Shahr_Tehran.jpg)
There are over 2,100 parks within the metropolis of Tehran,
with one of the oldest being
Jamshidie Park, which was first established as a private garden for Qajar prince Jamshid Davallu, and was then dedicated to the last empress of Iran,
Farah Pahlavi
Farah Pahlavi ( fa, فرح پهلوی, née Farah Diba ( fa, فرح دیبا, label=none); born 14 October 1938) is the widow of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and was successively Queen and Empress (''Shahbanu'') of Iran from ...
. The total green space within Tehran stretches over 12,600 hectares, covering over 20 percent of the city's area. The Parks and Green Spaces Organization of Tehran was established in 1960, and is responsible for the protection of the urban nature present in the city.
Tehran's Birds Garden is the largest bird park in Iran. There is also
a zoo located on the Tehran–Karaj Expressway, housing over 290 species within an area of about five hectares.
In 2009, the
Ab-o-Atash Park
Ab-o-Atash Park ( fa, پارکِ آب و آتش, ''Pārk-e Āb-o-Ātaš''), literally the "Water-and-Fire Park", also known as the Ebrahim Park ( fa, پارکِ ابراهیم, ''Pārk-e Ebrāhim''), is a park in northern Tehran, Iran. With an ...
("Water and Fire park") was founded. Its main features are an open
water fountain
A drinking fountain, also called a water fountain or water bubbler, is a fountain designed to provide drinking water. It consists of a basin with either continuously running water or a tap. The drinker bends down to the stream of water and s ...
area for cooling in the hot climate,
fire tower
A fire lookout tower, fire tower or lookout tower, provides housing and protection for a person known as a "fire lookout" whose duty it is to search for wildfires in the wilderness. It is a small building, usually on the summit of a mountain or ...
s, and an
amphitheatre
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
.
Energy
Water
Greater Tehran
Greater Tehran is the urban agglomeration around Tehran that covers the central part of the Tehran Province and eastern part of the Alborz Province, that covers the contiguous cities of Tehran, Ray, Shemirānāt, and other areas.
As of 2012 ...
with its population of more than 13 million is supplied by surface water from the
Lar dam Lar or LAR may refer to:
Places
;India
* Lar, Uttar Pradesh, a town in Deoria District
* Lar (Jammu and Kashmir), a town
* Lata (region), also known as Lar, former region of southern Gujarat
;Iran
* Lar, Iran, a city in Fars Province
* Lar, Ea ...
on the
Lar River
Lar River is a river of northern Iran, in the province of Mazandaran. It flows through the Alborz
The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the borde ...
in the Northeast of the city, the
Latyan dam
Latyan Dam ( fa, سد لتيان, also Romanized as ''Sadd-e Latyān'') is a buttress dam on the Jajrood River, located less than 25 km from Tehran in the south of city of Lavasan. It is one of the main sources of water for Tehran metropolitan ...
on the
Jajrood River
The Jajrud (Jājrūd), also spelled as Jajrood, Djadjéroud or Djaderoud, is a river in northern Iran that passes through the provinces of Mazandaran and Tehran. It flows south through the central Alborz mountain range. It is a tributary of the Ka ...
in the North, the
Karaj River
The Karaj River is a river on the central plateau of Iran. It is the second largest river after Zayandarud in the central plateau region.
About
The Karaj River runs roughly 152 miles (245 km) in length. Its headwaters are in the Central Alborz ...
in the Northwest, as well as by groundwater in the vicinity of the city.
Solar Energy
Solar panels have been installed in Tehran's
Pardisan Park
Pardisan Park ( fa, پارک پردیسان – Pārk e Pardisān) is a complex covering more than 270 hectares, located in the northwest of Tehran. It is connected to Hemmat Expressway in the north, and to Sheikh Fazl-allah Nouri Expressway, She ...
for green electricity production, said
Masoumeh Ebtekar
Masoumeh Ebtekar ( fa, معصومه ابتکار; born 21 September 1960) was the former Vice President of Iran for Women and Family Affairs, from August 9, 2017, to September 1, 2021. She previously headed Department of Environment from 1997 t ...
, head of the Department of Environment.
According to the national energy roadmap, the government plans to promote green technology to increase the nominal capacity of power plants from 74 gigawatts to over 120 gigawatts by the end of 2025.
Education
![University of Tehran at night 2021 (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/University_of_Tehran_at_night_2021_%281%29.jpg)
Tehran is the largest and most important educational center in Iran. There are a total of nearly 50 major colleges and universities in Greater Tehran.
Since the establishment of
Dar ol Fonun by the order of
Amir Kabir
Mirza Taghi Khan-e Farahani ( fa, میرزا تقیخان فراهانی), better known as Amir Kabir (Persian: , 9 January 1807 – 10 January 1852), also known by the title of ''Amir-e Nezam'' or ''Amir Nezam'' (), was chief minister t ...
in the mid-19th century, Tehran has amassed a large number of institutions of higher education. Some of these institutions have played crucial roles in the unfolding of Iranian political events.
Samuel M. Jordan, whom Jordan Avenue in Tehran was named after, was one of the founding pioneers of the
American College of Tehran
Mandegar Alborz High School ( fa, دبیرستان ماندگار البرز) is a college-preparatory high school located in the heart of Tehran, Iran. It is one of the first modern high schools in Asia and the Middle East, named after the Alborz ...
, which was one of the first modern high schools in the Middle East.
Among major educational institutions located in Tehran,
Amirkabir University of Technology
Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT) ( fa, دانشگاه صنعتی امیرکبیر), also called the Tehran Polytechnic, is a public technological university located in Tehran, Iran. Founded in 1928, AUT is the second oldest technical univ ...
(Tehran Polytechnic),
University of Tehran
The University of Tehran (Tehran University or UT, fa, دانشگاه تهران) is the most prominent university located in Tehran, Iran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as its research and teaching pro ...
,
Sharif University of Technology
Sharif University of Technology (SUT; fa, دانشگاه صنعتی شریف) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is widely considered as the nation's most prestigious and leading institution for science, technology, engineering, ...
, and
Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) ( fa, دانشگاه علوم پزشکی تهران, ''Danushgah-e 'lum Pezeshki-ye Tehran'') is the largest and most highly ranked medical university of Iran. In September 2008, Iran's Mini ...
are the most prestigious. Other major universities located in Tehran include
Tehran University of Art
University of Art ( fa, دانشگاه هنر, ''Danushgah-e Henr-e Tehran'') is the largest art university in Iran, consisting of seven faculties and an international campus in Tehran and its suburb Karaj
Karaj ( fa, کرج, ) is the capital o ...
,
Allameh Tabatabaei University
Allameh Tabataba'i University (ATU; ælɒːˈme tæbɒːtæbɒːˈʔiː fa, دانشگاه علامه طباطبائی, ''Danushgah-e 'lâmh-e Tâbatâbai'') is one of the largest and the leading specialized public university in humanities and ...
,
K. N. Toosi University of Technology
Khajeh Nasir al-Din Toosi University of Technology (KNTU) ( fa, دانشگاه صنعتی خواجه نصيرالدين طوسی), also known as K. N. Toosi University of Technology, is a public university, public research university in Tehran, I ...
,
Shahid Beheshti University
Shahid Behesti University ( fa, دانشگاه شهید بهشتی , Dāneshgāh-e Shahid Beheshti) (formerly known as the National University of Iran) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. The university offers many programs at Bache ...
(Melli University),
Kharazmi University
Kharazmi University ( fa, دانشگاه خوارزمی, ''Daneshgah-e Xuarazmi'') is a major public research university in Iran, named after Khwarizmi (c. 780–850), Persian mathematician, astronomer and geographer, offering a wide range of un ...
,
Iran University of Science and Technology
Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) ( fa, دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران, ''Danushgah-e 'lâm vâ Sân't-e Iran'') is a research institution and university of engineering and science in Iran. The university is home to ...
,
Iran University of Medical Sciences
Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) ( fa, دانشگاه علوم پزشکی و خدمات بهداشتی درمانی ایران, ''Danushgah-e 'lum-e Pezeshki-ye vâ Xedâmat-e Behedashti-ye Dârmani-ye Iran'') is a high ranked medical u ...
,
Islamic Azad University
The Islamic Azad University (IAU; fa, دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی, ''Dāneshgāh-e Āzād-e Eslāmi'') is a private university system headquartered in Tehran, Iran. It is one of the largest comprehensive systems of universities, colleg ...
,
, Iran's Polymer and Petrochemical Institute,
Shahed University
Shahed University (Persian: دانشگاه شاهد) is a public university in Tehran, Iran. The campus is located in the southern part of Tehran along the Persian Gulf Freeway. Founded in 1990, the university started its activities by accepting ...
, and
Tarbiat Modarres University
Tarbiat Modares University ( fa, دانشگاه تربیت مدرس: ''Dāneshgāh-e Tarbiyat Modares'', lit. "Professor Training University") is an exclusively graduate university with its main campus in Tehran, Iran. It was founded in 1982 a ...
.
Sharif University of Technology
Sharif University of Technology (SUT; fa, دانشگاه صنعتی شریف) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is widely considered as the nation's most prestigious and leading institution for science, technology, engineering, ...
,
Amirkabir University of Technology
Amirkabir University of Technology (AUT) ( fa, دانشگاه صنعتی امیرکبیر), also called the Tehran Polytechnic, is a public technological university located in Tehran, Iran. Founded in 1928, AUT is the second oldest technical univ ...
, and
Iran University of Science and Technology
Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) ( fa, دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران, ''Danushgah-e 'lâm vâ Sân't-e Iran'') is a research institution and university of engineering and science in Iran. The university is home to ...
also located in Tehran are nationally well known for taking in the top undergraduate Engineering and Science students; and internationally recognized for training competent under graduate students. It has probably the highest percentage of graduates who seek higher education abroad.
Tehran is also home to Iran's largest military academy, and several religious schools and seminaries.
Culture
Architecture
The oldest surviving architectural monuments of Tehran are from the
Qajar
Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
and
Pahlavi
Pahlavi may refer to:
Iranian royalty
*Seven Parthian clans, ruling Parthian families during the Sasanian Empire
*Pahlavi dynasty, the ruling house of Imperial State of Persia/Iran from 1925 until 1979
**Reza Shah, Reza Shah Pahlavi (1878–1944 ...
eras. In Greater Tehran, monuments dating back to the
Seljuk Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to:
* Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia
* Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities
* Seljuk (warlord) (di ...
era remain as well; notably the
Toqrol Tower in Ray.
Rashkan Castle, dating back to the ancient
Parthian Empire
The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe in conque ...
, of which some artifacts are housed at the
National Museum
A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...
; and the
Bahram fire temple
Tappe Mil ( fa, تپه میل or the Fire Temple of Rey fa, آتشکده ری, Fire Temple of Bahram fa, آتشکده بهرام) is one of the historical religious places in Rey, Iran which has stood since the Sasanian Empire. It is named after ...
, which remains since the
Sassanian Empire
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the History of Iran, last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th cen ...
.
Tehran only had a small population until the late 18th century but began to take a more considerable role in Iranian society after it was chosen as the capital city. Despite the regular occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar period and after, some historic buildings remain from that era.
Tehran is Iran's
primate city
A primate city is a city that is the largest in its country, province, Federated state, state, or region, and disproportionately larger than any others in the urban hierarchy. A ''primate city distribution'' is a rank-size distribution that has on ...
, and is considered to have the most modernized infrastructure in the country. However, the
gentrification
Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...
of old neighbourhoods and the demolition of buildings of cultural significance have caused concerns.
File:02 hasan abad Sq..jpg, Hasanabad Square
File:Tehran City Theater 1.jpg, A view of the building of the City Theater of Tehran
File:Ministerstv spravedlnosti 1.jpg, The Courthouse of Tehran
Courthouse of Tehran ({{lang, fa, کاخِ دادگستریِ تهران – Kāx e Dādgostari ye Tehrān), also known as the Palace of Justice, is a historical courthouse in Tehran, Iran. The building was designed by Czechoslovak architect Sta ...
File:Iranian Foreign Affaire Ministry.jpg, Police House,
the National Garden
File:Meydan Mashgh Tehran.jpg, Cossack House,
the National Garden
![Tehran from Qeytariyeh](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Tehran_from_Qeytariyeh.jpg)
Previously a low-rise city due to seismic activity in the region, modern high-rise developments in Tehran have been built in recent decades in order to service its growing population. There have been no major quakes in Tehran since 1830.
Tehran International Tower
Tehran International Tower ( fa, برج بینالمللی تهران) is a 56-story residential tower in Tehran, Iran. It is the tallest residential building in Iran, and the only one to meet the definition of a skyscraper.https://www.researchg ...
is the tallest skyscraper in Iran. It is 54-stories tall and located in the northern district of
Yusef Abad
Yusef Abad (also transliterated as Yousef Abad, Yusuf Abad, Yusof Abad, Yousuf Abad, Persian: یوسف آباد , Hebrew: יוסף אבאד) is an old neighborhood of Tehran, consisting of an area developed through nearly parallel streets includin ...
.
The
Azadi Tower
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, Iran. It is one of the landmarks of Tehran, marking the west entrance to the ...
, a memorial built under the reign of the
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...
, has long been the most famous symbol of Tehran. Originally constructed in commemoration of the
2,500th year of the foundation of the Imperial State of Iran, it combines elements of the architecture of the
Achaemenid
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...
and
Sassanid
The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...
eras with post-classical
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 w ...
. The
Milad Tower
The Milad Tower ( fa, برج میلاد ) (lit. Birth Tower), also known as the Tehran Tower ( ), is a multi-purpose tower in Tehran, Iran. It is the sixth-tallest tower and the 24th-tallest freestanding structure in the world.
It is located b ...
, which is the
sixth tallest tower and the
24th-tallest freestanding structure in the world, is the city's other famous landmark tower.
Leila Araghian
Leila Araghian ( fa, لیلا عراقیان; born 1983), is an Iranian architect. She has a Master degree of Architecture from the University of British Columbia, where she won the UBC Architecture Alumni Henry Elder Prize. She previously studied ...
's
Tabiat Bridge
The Tabi'at Bridge ( fa, پل طبیعت, lit=The bridge of nature) is the largest pedestrian overpass in Tehran, Iran. The bridge connects two public parks — Taleghani Park and Abo-Atash Park — by spanning Modarres Expressway, one ...
, the largest pedestrian overpass in Tehran, was completed in 2014 and is also considered a landmark.
Theater
![RudakiHall](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/RudakiHall.jpg)
Under the reign of the
Qajar
Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
s, Tehran was home to the royal theatre of
Tekye Dowlat, located to the southeast of the
Golestan Palace
The Golestan Palace ( fa, کاخ گلستان, ''Kākh-e Golestān''), also transliterated as the Gulistan Palace and sometimes translated as the Rose Garden Palace from Persian language, was built in the 16th century, renovated in the 18th cent ...
, in which traditional and religious performances were observed. It was eventually demolished and replaced with a bank building in 1947, following the reforms during the reign of
Reza Shah
Reza Shah Pahlavi ( fa, رضا شاه پهلوی; ; originally Reza Khan (); 15 March 1878 – 26 July 1944) was an Iranian Officer (armed forces), military officer, politician (who served as Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces Logistics (Iran), ...
.
Before the 1979 Revolution, the Iranian national stage had become the most famous performing scene for known international artists and troupes in the Middle East, with the
Roudaki Hall
The Vahdat Hall ( fa, تالار وحدت – ''Tālār e Vahdat'' means "Unity Hall"), formerly the Roudaki Hall ( fa, تالار رودکی – ''Tālār-e Rudaki''), is a performing arts complex in Tehran, Iran.
History
Around the 1950s and ...
of Tehran constructed to function as the national stage for opera and ballet. The hall was inaugurated in October 1967 and named after prominent Persian poet
Rudaki
Rudaki (also spelled Rodaki; fa, رودکی; 858 – 940/41) was a Persian poet, singer and musician, who served as a court poet under the Samanids. He is regarded as the first major poet to write in New Persian. Said to have composed more than ...
. It is home to the
Tehran Symphony Orchestra
The Tehran Symphony Orchestra (TSO, fa, ارکستر سمفونیک تهران), founded in 1933, is Iran's oldest and largest symphony orchestra. It was founded as the ''Municipality Symphony Orchestra'' by Gholamhossein Minbashian, before enteri ...
, the Tehran Opera Orchestra, and the
Iranian National Ballet Company
The Iranian National Ballet Company ( fa, سازمان باله ملی ایران) was Iran's only state ballet institution until the Islamic revolution of 1979 and also the most known and recognized of all dance companies in the Middle East. It w ...
.
The
City Theater of Tehran, one of Iran's biggest theatre complexes, which contains several performance halls, was opened in 1972. It was built at the initiative and presidency of empress
Farah Pahlavi
Farah Pahlavi ( fa, فرح پهلوی, née Farah Diba ( fa, فرح دیبا, label=none); born 14 October 1938) is the widow of the last Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and was successively Queen and Empress (''Shahbanu'') of Iran from ...
, and was designed by architect Ali Sardar Afkhami, constructed within five years.
The annual events of
Fajr Theater Festival
Fajr International Theater Festival (est. 1983) occurs annually in Iran, featuring local and international theatrical works and performers. Among the participants: el-Warsha (Egypt) and Teatro Potlatch (Italy). Some of the events take place in the ...
and
Tehran Puppet Theater Festival take place in Tehran.
Cinema
![Bagh-e Ferdows Tajrish](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Bagh-e_Ferdows_Tajrish.jpg)
The first movie theater in Tehran was established by
Mirza Ebrahim Khan in 1904. Until the early 1930s, there were 15 theaters in Tehran Province and 11 in other provinces.
In present-day Tehran, most of the movie theatres are located downtown. The complexes of
Kourosh Cinema,
Mellat Gallery and Cineplex,
Azadi Cinema
Azadi Cinema Complex is a cineplex building located at Beheshti Street in Tehran. It is used for movie premieres
A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition.
A ...
, and
Cinema Farhang
Cinema Farhang is the most famous movie theater in Tehran and also in 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, ...
are among the most popular cinema complexes in Tehran.
Several film festivals are held in Tehran, including
Fajr Film Festival
Iran's annual Fajr International Film Festival ( fa, جشنواره بینالمللی فیلم فجر), or Fajr Film Festival (little: FIFF; fa, جشنواره فیلم فجر), has been held every February and April in Tehran since 1982. T ...
,
Children and Youth Film Festival, House of Cinema Festival, Mobile Film and Photo Festival, Nahal Festival,
Roshd Film Festival, Tehran Animation Festival, Tehran Short Film Festival, and Urban Film Festival.
Concerts
There are a variety of concert halls in Tehran. An organization like the Roudaki Culture and Art Foundation has five different venues where more than 500 concerts take place this year. Vahdat Hall, Roudaki Hall, Ferdowsi Hall, Hafez Hall and Azadi Theater are the top five venues in Tehran, where classical, pop, traditional, rock or solo concerts take place.
Sports
![Dizin, Iran](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Dizin%2C_Iran.jpeg)
Football and volleyball are the city's most popular sports, while wrestling, basketball, and futsal are also major parts of the city's sporting culture.
12 ski resorts operate in Iran, the most famous being
Tochal
Tochal ( fa, توچال ), is a mountain and ski resort located on the Alborz mountain range, adjacent to the metropolitan area of Tehran in northern Iran. It includes a ridge. Its highest peak, also called ''Tochal'', is at an elevation of .
A ...
,
Dizin
Dizin ( fa, دیزین) is the largest Iranian ski resort. It is located in the Alborz mountain range, about 70km North from Tehran. It was established during the 1960s under the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Dizin is the first ski and winter ...
, and
Shemshak
Shemshak darbandsar ( fa, شمشک دربندسر) is a city in Rudbar-e Qasran District, Shemiranat County, Tehran Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 2,383, in 702 families.
A suburb of Tehran, the city of Shemshak darbands ...
, all within one to three hours from the city of Tehran.
Tochal
Tochal ( fa, توچال ), is a mountain and ski resort located on the Alborz mountain range, adjacent to the metropolitan area of Tehran in northern Iran. It includes a ridge. Its highest peak, also called ''Tochal'', is at an elevation of .
A ...
's resort is the world's fifth-highest ski resort at over above sea level at its highest point. It is also the world's nearest ski resort to a capital city. The resort was opened in 1976, shortly before the 1979 Revolution. It is equipped with an gondola lift that covers a huge vertical distance. There are two parallel chair ski lifts in Tochal that reach high near Tochal's peak (at ), rising higher than the gondola's seventh station, which is higher than any of the European ski resorts. From the Tochal peak, there are views of the
Alborz
The Alborz ( fa, البرز) range, also spelled as Alburz, Elburz or Elborz, is a mountain range in northern Iran that stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the western and entire southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs nort ...
range, including the
Mount Damavand
Mount Damavand ( fa, دماوند ) is a dormant stratovolcano, the highest peak in Iran and Western Asia and the highest volcano in Asia and the 2nd highest volcano in the Eastern Hemisphere (after Mount Kilimanjaro), at an elevation of ...
, a dormant volcano.
Tehran is the site of the
national stadium of Azadi, the
biggest stadium by capacity in West Asia, where many of the top matches of Iran's Premier League are held. The stadium is a part of the
Azadi Sport Complex
The Āzādi Sport Complex ( fa, مجموعه ورزشی آزادی) formerly known as Āryāmehr Sports Complex ( fa, مجموعه ورزشی آریامهر) is the national sports complex of Iran based in Tehran. It is the biggest sports comple ...
, which was originally built to host the
7th Asian Games in September 1974. This was the first time the Asian Games were hosted in West Asia. Tehran played host to 3,010 athletes from 25 countries/NOCs, which was at the time the highest number of participants since the inception of the Games. That followed hosting the
6th AFC Asian Cup in June 1976, and then the first
West Asian Games
The West Asian Games (also known as the WAG) was a multi-sport event held every four years among the athletes from West Asia.
The West Asian Games was first organised in Tehran, Iran and was considered as the first of its kind. The success of th ...
in November 1997. The success of the games led to the creation of the
West Asian Games Federation (WAGF), and the intention of hosting the games every two years. The city had also hosted the final of the
1968 AFC Asian Cup
The 1968 AFC Asian Cup was the 4th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The finals were held in Iran between 10 and 19 May 1968. It was organized ...
. Several
FIVB Volleyball World League
The FIVB Volleyball World League was an annual international men's volleyball competition. Created in 1990, it was the longest and richest of all the international events organized by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The wome ...
courses have also been hosted in Tehran.
Football clubs
The first football club of Tehran, ''
Iran Club
Iran Club ( fa, کلوپ ایران) was an Iranian football club based in Tehran, 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 Turk ...
'', was founded in 1920 and dissolved within two years in 1923. Today, Tehran's oldest existing football club is
Rah Ahan
Rah Ahan Sports Club ( fa, باشگاه ورزشی راهآهن, ''Bashgah-e Vârzeshi-ye Rahâhen''), commonly known as Rah Ahan Football Club, is an Iranian professional football club based in Tehran. They currently play in the Azadegan Leagu ...
, which was founded in 1937.
Persepolis
, native_name_lang =
, alternate_name =
, image = Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.jpg
, image_size =
, alt =
, caption = Ruins of the Gate of All Nations, Persepolis.
, map =
, map_type ...
and
Esteghlal, which are the city's biggest clubs and two of the biggest clubs in Asia, compete in the
Tehran derby. Tehran is also home to the
F.C. Ararat Tehran
FC Ararat ( fa, آرارات تهران, ''Ârarat Tehran'') is an Armenian diaspora football team based in Tehran, Iran who play in the Tehran Province League. Ararat football club is the football club of the multisport Ararat Club in Iran.
...
, a popular
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
football team based at the
Ararat Stadium
Ararat Stadium ( hy, Արարատ մարզադաշտ; fa, ورزشگاه آرارات) is a football stadium with 10,000 seats built in 1971 and located in the Ararat Sports Complex in the Vanak neighbourhood of Tehran, Iran. It is named after ...
.
The following table lists Tehran's six major football clubs.
Smaller clubs based in Tehran are listed below.
Food
There are many restaurants and cafes in Tehran, both modern and classic, serving both Iranian and cosmopolitan cuisine. Pizzerias,
sandwich bar
A sandwich bar is a restaurant or take-away food shop that primarily sells sandwiches. Some sandwich bars also offer other types of fare, such as soups, grilled foods. and meals. Notable sandwich bars include Subway and Arby's.
The term can also ...
s, and
kebab shop
A kebab shop is a quick service food establishment specialising in various fast food and street food dishes, primarily doner kebab and related sandwiches, including falafel.
Kebab shops were born in Europe, specifically Berlin with doner kebab ...
s make up the majority of food shops in Tehran.
File:Darband, Teherán, Irán, 2016-09-18, DD 16.jpg, A restaurant in Darband
File:Pizza Capri, Tehran.jpg, A pizzeria in Kamyab Street, Tehran
File:Seryna Jappanese Restaurant 瀬里奈 - panoramio.jpg, A Japanese restaurant in Tehran
File:2008 museum garden cafe Tehran 2789830499.jpg, Shemroon Cafe, in Tehran's Iranian Art Museum
File:139601061250177510379894 خیابان ۳۰ تیر.jpg, 30 Tir food street
Graffiti
![Writing on the City picture Scenes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Writing_on_the_City_picture_Scenes.jpg)
Many styles of graffiti are seen in Tehran. Some are political and revolutionary slogans painted by governmental organizations,
and some are works of art by ordinary citizens, representing their views on both social and political issues. However, unsanctioned street art is forbidden in Iran,
and such works are usually short-lived.
During the
2009 Iranian presidential election protests
After incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared victory in the 2009 Iranian presidential election, protests broke out in major cities across Iran in support of opposition candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. The protests co ...
, many graffiti works were created by people supporting the
Green Movement
Green politics, or ecopolitics, is a political ideology that aims to foster an ecologically sustainable society often, but not always, rooted in environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice and grassroots democracy. Wall 2010. p. 12-13. It be ...
. They were removed from the walls by the paramilitary
Basij
The Basij ( fa, بسيج, lit. "The Mobilization"), Niru-ye Moghāvemat-e Basij ( fa, نیروی مقاومت بسیج, "Resistance Mobilization Force"), full name Sâzmân-e Basij-e Mostaz'afin ( fa, سازمان بسیج مستضعفین, "The ...
forces.
In recent years, Tehran Municipality has been using graffiti in order to beautify the city. Several graffiti festivals have also taken place in Tehran, including the one organized by the
Tehran University of Art
University of Art ( fa, دانشگاه هنر, ''Danushgah-e Henr-e Tehran'') is the largest art university in Iran, consisting of seven faculties and an international campus in Tehran and its suburb Karaj
Karaj ( fa, کرج, ) is the capital o ...
in October 2014.
Twin towns – sister cities
Tehran is
twinned with:
*
Ankara
Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...
, Turkey
*
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
, Iraq
*
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, China
*
Bishkek
Bishkek ( ky, Бишкек), ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of ...
, Kyrgyzstan
*
Brasília
Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
, Brazil
*
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, Hungary
*
Caracas
Caracas (, ), officially Santiago de León de Caracas, abbreviated as CCS, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela, and the center of the Metropolitan Region of Caracas (or Greater Caracas). Caracas is located along the Guaire River in the ...
, Venezuela
*
Dushanbe
Dushanbe ( tg, Душанбе, ; ; russian: Душанбе) is the capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 863,400 and that population was largely Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe (r ...
, Tajikistan
*
East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the sector of Jerusalem that was held by Jordan during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to the western sector of the city, West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel.
Jerusalem was envisaged as a separat ...
, Palestine
*
Havana
Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. , Cuba
*
Kabul
Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...
, Afghanistan
*
Khartoum
Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...
, Sudan
*
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England, United Kingdom
*
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, United States
*
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, United States
*
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
, Philippines
*
Minsk
Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...
, Belarus
*
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Russia
*
Pretoria
Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...
, South Africa
*
Sanaa
Sanaa ( ar, صَنْعَاء, ' , Yemeni Arabic: ; Old South Arabian: 𐩮𐩬𐩲𐩥 ''Ṣnʿw''), also spelled Sana'a or Sana, is the capital and largest city in Yemen and the centre of Sanaa Governorate. The city is not part of the Governo ...
, Yemen
*
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
*
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...
, Georgia
Cooperation agreements
Tehran cooperates with:
*
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, Turkey
[
* ]Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, France[
* ]Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, South Korea
Panoramic views
See also
* Iran International Exhibitions Company
The Iran International Exhibitions Company (IIEC) oversees and operates all international and specialized exhibitions held in Iran. Site features exhibitions calendar and provides trade laws and regulations. IIEC is affiliated with the Iranian Mi ...
* Islamic City Council of Tehran
The Islamic City Council of Tehran ( fa, شورای اسلامی شهر تهران) is the directly elected council that presides over the city of Tehran, elects the mayor of Tehran in a mayor–council government system, and budgets of the M ...
* List of people from Tehran
The following notable people were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with the city of Tehran, Iran. Tehran natives are also referred to as Tehranis.
Born in Tehran
1801–1900
* Bahá'u'lláh (1817–18 ...
* Tehran City Council (1968–1979)
Tehran City Council ( fa, انجمن شهر تهران, anjoman-e šahr-e teḥrān) was the directly-elected city council of Tehran and the first such institution to convene in Iran, serving as a model for other city councils in the country. It fo ...
References
Bibliography
* Emerson, Charles. ''1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War'' (2013) compares Tehran to 20 major world cities; pp 309–24.
External links
Google Map: Tehran
Tehran Municipality website
Tehran Geographic Information Center
Tehranimages.
A photographic project focusing on neglected pieces of architecture in downtown Tehran, Iran.
* https://www.letsvisitpersia.com/must-see-in-tehran/
{{Authority control
Capitals in Asia
Cities in Tehran Province
Iranian provincial capitals
Populated places along the Silk Road
Populated places in Tehran County
Articles containing video clips
Populated places with period of establishment missing