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Tehran



 
 
Tehran (or Teheran) (; Persian
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
: ?????, UniPers
Romanization of Persian

TransliterationTransliteration attempts to be a complete representation of the original writing, so that an informed reader should be able to reconstruct the original spelling of unknown transliterated words....
: Tehrân) is the capital and largest city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
 of Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, and the administrative center of Tehran Province
Tehran Province

Tehran Province is one of the provinces of Iran of Iran. It covers on area of 18,909 square kilometers and is located to the north of the central plateau of Iran....
. Tehran is a sprawling city at the foot of the Alborz
Alborz

Alborz , also written as Alburz or Elburz, is a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the borders of Armenia in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan....
 mountain range (the highest point in the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
 (1,191 m, 3,900 ft)) with an immense network of highways unparalleled in Western Asia. Tehran is famous for its numerous ski resorts on the Alborz slopes, large museums, art centers, and palace complexes.






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Timeline

1943   World War II: Tehran Conference - US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet Leader Joseph Stalin meet in Tehran to discuss war strategy (on November 30 they established an agreement concerning a planned June 1944 invasion of Europe codenamed Operation Overlord).

1971   Representatives of 23 western oil companies begin negotiations with OPEC in Tehran to stabilize oil prices. February 14 they sign a treaty with six Persian Gulf countries.

1978   The Rex Cinema catches fire in Tehran - 477 dead.

1978   Rioters sack the British Embassy in Tehran.

1979   Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, Iran after nearly 15 years of exile.

1979   Iran hostage crisis begins: 3000 Iranian radicals, mostly students, invade the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and take 90 hostages (53 of whom are American). They demand that the United States send the former Shah back to Iran to stand trial.

1979   Iran hostage crisis: In response to the hostage situation in Tehran, U.S. President Jimmy Carter orders a halt to all oil imports into the United States from Iran.

1979   Iran hostage crisis: Iranian leader Ruhollah Khomeini orders the release of 13 female and black American hostages being held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

1980   Six American diplomats, posing as Canadians, manage to escape from Tehran, Iran as they board a flight to Zurich, Switzerland and thereby end the Canadian caper operation.

1980   The International Court of Justice calls for the release of U.S. Embassy hostages in Tehran.







Encyclopedia


Tehran (or Teheran) (; Persian
Persian language

name=Persian|nativename=|pronunciation=[f??r'si]|image=|caption=Farsi in Perso-Arabic script |states= Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Bahrain....
: ?????, UniPers
Romanization of Persian

TransliterationTransliteration attempts to be a complete representation of the original writing, so that an informed reader should be able to reconstruct the original spelling of unknown transliterated words....
: Tehrân) is the capital and largest city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
 of Iran
Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
, and the administrative center of Tehran Province
Tehran Province

Tehran Province is one of the provinces of Iran of Iran. It covers on area of 18,909 square kilometers and is located to the north of the central plateau of Iran....
. Tehran is a sprawling city at the foot of the Alborz
Alborz

Alborz , also written as Alburz or Elburz, is a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the borders of Armenia in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan....
 mountain range (the highest point in the Middle East
Middle East

File:GreaterMiddleEast1.pngThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, western Asia, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East....
 (1,191 m, 3,900 ft)) with an immense network of highways unparalleled in Western Asia. Tehran is famous for its numerous ski resorts on the Alborz slopes, large museums, art centers, and palace complexes. Tehran is the largest city in the Middle East and is the most populated city in South Western Asia with a population of 7,404,515 and approximately 15 million in Greater Tehran
Greater Tehran

Greater Tehran is the metropolitan urban area in Tehran Province that covers the contiguous cities of Tehran, Ray, Iran, Shemiranat, and other areas....
.

Most Iranian industries are headquartered in Tehran. The industries include the manufacturing of automobiles, electrical equipment, military weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical products. It is also a leading center for the sale of carpets and furniture. There is also an oil refinery located in south of the city.

In the 20th century, Tehran faced a large migration of people from all around Iran. Today, the city contains various religious minorities, and has many historic mosque
Mosque

A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. Muslims often refer to the mosque by its Arabic name, masjid, ? . The word "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship, although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller, privately owned mosque and the larger, "collective" mosque ,...
s, churches, synagogue
Synagogue

A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer.Synagogues usually have a large hall for prayer , smaller rooms for study and sometimes a social hall and offices....
s and Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster, after whom the religion is named. The term Zoroastrianism is in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e., the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority....
 fire temple
Fire temple

A Zoroastrian Fire Temple is a place of worship for Zoroastrianism.Although Zoroastrians revere fire in any form, the temple fire is not literally for the reverence of fire: In the Zoroastrian religion, fire , together with clean water , is an agent of ritual purity....
s.

History

Toopkhooneh Ghadeem
The origin of the name Tehran is unknown. Excavations place the existence of settlements in Tehran as far back as 6000 BCE. Tehran was well known as a village in the 9th century, but was less well-known than the city of Rhages
Ray, Iran

Ray, also spelled Rey, Rayy, Rhages or Rages is the oldest existing city in the Tehran province, Iran....
 (Ray) which was flourishing nearby in the early era. In the 13th century, following the destruction of Ray by Mongols
Mongols

The name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia....
, many of its inhabitants escaped to Tehran. In some sources of the early era, the city is mentioned as "Rhages's Tehran" . The city is later mentioned in Hamdollah Mostowfi
Hamdollah Mostowfi

Hamdollah Mostowfi , was an Iranian historian, geographer and epic poet.Mostowfi is the author of Nozhat ol-Gholub , Zafar-Nameh , and the Tarikh e Gozideh ....
's Nuz'hat al-Qulub (written in 1340) as a famous village.

Don Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo
Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo

Ruy Gonz?lez de Clavijo , Kingdom of Castile traveler and writer.Clavijo was the ambassador of Henry III of Castile to the court of Timur, founder and ruler of the Timurid Empire....
, a Castilian
Crown of Castile

The Crown of Castile, as a historic entity, is usually considered to have begun in 1230 with the third and definitive union of the two kingdoms of Kingdom of Le?n and Kingdom of Castile, or more concretely, with the union of their parliaments a few decades later....
 ambassador, was probably the first European to visit Tehran, stopping in July 1404, while on a journey to Samarkand
Samarkand

Samarkand , is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarqand Province.The city is most noted for its central position on the Silk Road between China and the West, and for being an Islamic centre for scholarly study....
 (now in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan , is a Landlocked_country#Doubly_landlocked_country country in Central Asia, formerly part of the Soviet Union....
) and the Mongol
Mongols

The name Mongol specifies one or several ethnic groups, now mainly located in Mongolia, China, and Russia....
 capital at the time. At this time, the city of Tehran was unwalled.

Tehran became a residence of the Safavid rulers in the 17th century. Tahmasp I
Tahmasp I

Tahmasp I was an influential Shah of Persian Empire of the Safavids Dynasty.Tahmasp was born in Shah Abad and came to power at the age of 10, when he succeeded to the throne of Persia in 1524 after the death of Ismail I....
 built a bazaar
Bazaar

File:Railway Road by Ajaz Anwar.jpgA bazaar , , is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold....
 and a wall around the city, but it somewhat fell out of favor after Abbas I turned sick when he was passing the city to go to a war with the Uzbeks
Uzbeks

The Uzbeks are a Turkic peoples people of Central Asia. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, and large populations can also be found in Afghanistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China....
.

In the early of 18th century, Karim Khan Zand ordered a palace
Palace

A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop....
, a harem, and a government office to be built in Tehran, possibly to declare the city his capital, but later moved his government to Shiraz
Shiraz

Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Shiraz Ali, former Bermudian cricketer...
. Tehran finally became the capital of Iran
Persian Empire

The 'Persian Empire' was a series of successive Iranian or Persianization empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland, and beyond in Southwest Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and the Caucasus....
 in 1795, when the Qajar king Agha Mohammad Khan was crowned in the city. It remains the capital to this day.

During World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and Soviet
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
 troops entered the city. Tehran was the site of the Tehran Conference
Tehran Conference

The Tehran Conference was the meeting of Joseph Stalin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill between November 28 and December 1, 1943 in Tehran, Iran....
 in 1943, attended by U.S. President
President of the United States

The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
 Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , often referred to by his initials FDR, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, Order of the Garter, Order of Merit, Order of the Companions of Honour, Territorial Decoration, Fellow of the Royal Society, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Queen's Privy Council for Canada was a Politics of the United Kingdom known chiefly for his leadership of the United King...
, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953....
.

Following the war, the city's older landmarks suffered under the rule of Mohammad Reza Shah. The Shah believed that ancient buildings such as large parts of the Golestan Palace
Golestan Palace

Golestan Palace is the former royal Qajar complex in Iran's capital city.The oldest of the historic monuments in Tehran, the Golestan Palace belongs to a group of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the mud-thatched walls of Tehran?s Historic Arg ....
, Takieh-ye Dowlat, the Toopkhaneh Square
Toopkhaneh

Toopkhaneh is a major town square and a neighborhood in the south of the central district of the city of Tehran, Iran....
 (pictured to the right), the magnificent city fortifications and the old citadel among others should not be part of a modern city. They were systematically destroyed and modern 1950s and 1960s buildings were built in their place. Tehran bazar was divided in half and many historic buildings were destroyed in order to build wide straight avenues in the capital. Many excellent examples of Persian Gardens also became targets to new construction projects. The decision to carry these out is presently largely seen as a foolish mistake that hurt the visual fabric and the cultural identity of the city beyond repair. Apartment blocks are introduced in this period.

During the 1980–88 Iran–Iraq War, Tehran was the scene of repeated Scud
Scud

Scud is a series of tactical ballistic missiles developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War and exported widely to other countries. The term comes from the NATO reporting name SS-1 Scud which was attached to the missile by Western intelligence agencies....
 missile attacks and air strikes against random residential and industrial targets within the city, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties. Material damage was repaired soon after each strike. Tehran attracted war refugees by the millions.

After the war, cheap Soviet-style apartments multiplied throughout the city without any plan. At present, little is left of Tehran's old quarters. Instead, modern high-rise buildings dominate the city's skyline and new modern apartments have and are replacing the few remaining old houses at a rapid pace. Tehran-style home architecture
Architecture of Tehran

File:Azadi1.jpgTehran is a relatively old city. As such, it has an architectural tradition unique to itself.Despite the occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar period and before, some buildings still remain from Tehran's era of antiquity....
 has almost vanished completely. This is often referred to as "Tehran Identity Disaster".

Tehran is also home to many grand mansions in the north of the city
North Tehran

North Tehran is a wealthy region in Tehran, Iran. North Tehran is known as an area of liberal Iranians who wear more moderate clothing and have more secular ideas....
(Farmanieh, Zaferanieh, Niavaran, etc) and the Shahrak-e Gharb
Shahrak-e Gharb

Shahrak-e Gharb is a planned city built as a massive project of modern apartment buildings and villas in the north-western part of Tehran, Iran....
 District.

Climate


Tochal Tehran
Tehran's climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Alborz Mountains
Alborz

Alborz , also written as Alburz or Elburz, is a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the borders of Armenia in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan....
 to its North and the central desert to the South. It can be generally described as mild in the spring, hot and dry in the summer, cool and rainy in autumn and cold in the winter. As a large city with a significant differences in elevation among various districts, the weather is often cooler in the hilly north as compared to the flat southern part of Tehran. Summer is usually hot and dry with very little rain. The majority of precipitation occurs from mid-autumn to mid-spring. The hottest month is July (mean minimum temperature 23°C, mean maximum temperature 36°C) and the coldest is January (mean minimum temperature -1°C, mean maximum temperature 8°C)
Although compared to other parts of the country, Tehran enjoys a moderate climate, weather conditions can sometimes be unpredictably harsh. The record high temperature is 48°C and the record low is -20°C. On January 5 & 6, 2008, after years of relatively little snow, a wave of heavy snow and low temperatures shocked the city covering it in a thick layer of snow and ice, forcing the Council of Ministers to officially declare an state of emergency and calling the following two days (January 6th and 7th) off for the capital.

Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For 3 Districts of Tehran
District Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual
Mehrabad (Southwest) -0.4
7.9
1.2
10.4
5.4
15.4
11.2
22.1
16.1
27.9
20.9
33.9
23.9
36.6
23.3
35.6
19.3
31.6
13.3
24.4
6.7
16.2
1.7
10
11.9
22.7
Gisha (Center)
Gisha

Gisha At beginning was KEYSHA is a neighbourhood inside Tehran's city limits.The neighborhood is known for its active youth marching the street, for shopping, and dating in the afternoons....
0.8
6.9
2.1
9.2
5.7
13.4
11.6
20.3
15.9
15.9
21.8
21.8
25.0
34.5
24.6
34.1
20.5
29.8
14.4
22.9
7.5
14.6
2.9
8.9
12.7
21
Tajrish (North)
Tajrish

Tajrish is a neighbourhood along the northern edge of Tehran, the capital of Iran.This neighbourhood is one of the oldest parts of Tehran and has lately become popular for the rich because of the low levels of pollution created by the area's favorable location along Tehran's northern hills....
-1.5
6.1
-0.2
8.1
4.0
12.9
9.8
19.8
14.0
25.0
19.6
31.2
22.6
33.9
21.9
33.5
17.5
29.3
11.6
22.4
5.4
14.3
1.0
8.6
10.5
20.4
Temperatures listed using the Celsius
Celsius

Celsius is a temperature scale that is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death....
 scale
Source: ,


Demographics


The city of Tehran had a population of about 8 million people at the time of the last official census in 2006 .

With its cosmopolitan air, Tehran houses diverse ethnic and linguistics groups from all over the country and represents the ethnic/linguistic composition of Iran (though with a different percentage). More than 60 percent of Tehranis were born outside Tehran.

Today the majority of Tehran residents are known as Persians
Persian people

Persian identity, at least in terms of language, is traced to the ancient Indo-Iranians , who arrived in parts of Greater Iran circa 2000-1500 BCE....
 who speak many different dialects of Persian corresponding to their hometown, including Esfahani, Shiraz
Shiraz

Shiraz may refer to:* Shiraz, Iran, a city* Vosketap, Armenia, formerly called ShirazPeople:* Hovhannes Shiraz, Armenian poet* Shiraz Ali, former Bermudian cricketer...
i, Yazd
Yazd

Yazd , is the capital of Yazd province in Iran, "the second most ancient and historic city in the world" and a centre of Zoroastrian culture. The city is located some 175 miles southeast of Isfahan ....
i, Khuzestani
Khuzestani Persian

There are a number of Khuzestani Persian dialects unique to the province of Khuzestan in southwestern Iran.There are two main regional classifications, in addition to less common varieties:...
, Dari
Yazdi

Yazdi is a common name for someone from the city or province of Yazd in central Iran, and for a dialect from Northwestern Iran.*For the Northwestern Iranian dialect spoken by many Zoroastrianism, see Dari ...
, Judeo-Persian, etc. However, the main dialect of Iranians is pure Persian
Persian

Persian is of, from, or related to Iran , a country in the Middle East.* Persian people, an Iranian peoples ethno-linguistic community in Central and Southwest Asia....
. The second largest linguistic group is that of the Azeri-speakers.

Other minority groups include Kurds
Kurdish people

The Kurds are an Iranian peoples ethnolinguistic group mostly inhabiting a region that includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey and which is known as Kurdistan....
, Baluch
Baloch people

The Baloch are inhabiting the region of Balochistan in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Southwest Asia, including parts of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan....
, Qashqa'i, Turkmen
Turkmen people

The Turkmen are a Turkic people found primarily in the Central Asian states of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan and in northeastern Iran. They speak the Turkmen language which is classified as part of the Western Oghuz languages branch of Turkic languages family together with Turkish language, Azerbaijani language, Gagauz language, Salar languag...
, Armenian
Armenians in Iran

Armenian Iranians are ethnic Armenians living in Iran. Their current population is somewhere around 500,000. They mostly live in Tehran and Jolfa district....
, Bakhtiari
Bakhtiari

The Bakhtiari are a group of southwestern Iranian peoples.Their language is Bakhtiari that is the most popular dialect of Lurish language.A small percentage of Bakhtiari are still nomadic pastoralists, migrating between summer quarters and winter quarters ....
, Assyrian
Assyrians in Iran

The once thriving Assyrian people community in Iran was diminished from around 200,000 at the close of the 20th century to a mere 15,000 to 20,000 ....
, Talysh
Talysh people

Talysh are an Iranian people who speak the Talysh language, one of the Northwestern Iranian languages. It is spoken in the northern regions of the Iranian provinces of Gilan Province and Ardabil Province and the southern parts of the Republic of Azerbaijan....
, etc. There are also a number of a few long established linguistic minorities such as Punjabi-speaking
Punjabi language

'Punjabi' , , is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region and their diasporas. Speakers include adherents of the religions of Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism....
 traders from Punjab
Punjab (India)

Punjab is a States and territories of India in northwest India. The Indian state borders the Pakistani province of Punjab to the west, Jammu and Kashmir to the north, Himachal Pradesh to the northeast, Haryana to the south and southeast, Chandigarh to the southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest....
 (India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
) & Domari-speaking Romas as well as a small amount ethnic Georgians
Georgians

The Georgians are a nation and ethnic group originating in the Caucasus, the oldest group of the South Caucasian peoples people mainly centered in Georgia , but also living in Turkey, Russia, the United States, Iran, and other countries....
 who have resided in Northern Iran for centuries. A number of Arabic speakers of Iraqi
Iraqi people

The Iraqi people are a people who originated in Iraq. The population was a non-Arabic language speaking people prior to the arrival of Islam from the Arabian Peninsula, but gradually adopted Arabic due to Arabic being the only language of the Quran ....
 and Lebanese
Lebanese people

The Lebanese people are a Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
 origin also live in Tehran.

Tehran saw a drastic change in its ethno-social composition in early 1980s. Following the political, social and economic consequences of the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979 and onwards, many Iranian citizens, mostly Tehranis left Iran due to mounting political, social and most importantly religious pressure. Many Iranians fled to countries such as Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, U.S, many European countries, Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 and even as far as Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 and Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
. The highest Iranian emigration is to the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
.

With the start of the Iran–Iraq War (1980-1988) following an Iraqi invasion, a second wave of inhabitants fled the city especially under Iraqi air offensive on the capital. With most major powers backing Iraq at that time, economic isolation caused even more reasons for the inhabitants to leave the city (and the country). Having left all they had and having 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.

The unstable situation and the war in neighboring Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
 and Iraq
Iraq

Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
 prompted a rush of refugees into the country who came in millions, with Tehran being a magnet for modest workers who helped the city to recover from war wounds, charging far less than local construction workers. Many of these refugees are being repatriated with the assistance of UNHCR but there are still sizeable Afghan
Afghan

Afghan may refer to:* A term for something or someone of, from, with familial roots in, or pertaining to Afghanistan.* The term by which Pashtun people are designated by Persian-speakers; as such, it may mean something of, from, or pertaining to the Pashtun ethnic community....
 and Iraq
Iraq

Iraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros Mountains, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
i refugees in Tehran who are reluctant to leave, being pessimistic about the situation in their country. Afghan refugees are mostly Persian-speaking Hazara or Tajiks
Tajiks

Tajik is a general designation for a wide range of mostly Persian language peoples of Iranian peoples, with traditional homelands in present-day Afghanistan, Tajikistan, southern Uzbekistan, north west Pakistan and western China....
, speaking a dialect of Persian, and Iraqi refugees, who are mainly Shiite Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia is the area of the Tigris-Euphrates river system, along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, largely corresponding to modern Iraq, as well as some parts of northeastern Syria, some parts of southeastern Turkey, and some parts of the Khuzestan Province of southwestern Iran....
n Arabic-speakers of Iranian origin.

The majority of Tehranis are the followers of Twelver Shia Islam which is also the state religion. Religious minorities include followers of various sects of Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam

Sunni Islam is the Demographics of Islam Divisions of Islam of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa?l-Jama?ah or Ahl as-Sunnah for short....
, Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism

Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster, after whom the religion is named. The term Zoroastrianism is in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, i.e., the worship of Ahura Mazda, exalted by Zoroaster as the supreme divine authority....
, Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith

The 'Bah?'? Faith' is a monotheism religion founded by Bah?'u'll?h in nineteenth-century Persian Empire#Persia and Europe , emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind....
, Judaism
Judaism

Judaism is a set of beliefs and practices originating in the Hebrew Bible , as later further explored and explained in the Talmud and other texts....
, and Christianity
Christianity

Christianity is a Monotheistic religion #Christian view religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as New Testament view on Jesus' life....
 (including the adherents of the Assyrian Church of the East
Assyrian Church of the East

The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East , currently presided over by Mar Dinkha IV, is a Christian particular church and one of the earliest to separate itself from communion with the Catholic Church ....
, Armenian Apostolic Church
Armenian Apostolic Church

The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest national church and one of the most ancient Christianity communities.The official name of the church is the One Holy Universal Apostolic Orthodox Armenian Church ....
, Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, officially known as the Catholic Church is the world's largest Christianity Ecclesia , representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world population....
, Chaldean Catholic Church
Chaldean Catholic Church

The Chaldean Catholic Church or the Chaldean Church of Babylon is an Eastern Catholic Churches Particular_church#Autonomous_particular_Churches_or_Rites of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Bishop of Rome and the rest of the Catholic Church....
, Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Christianity Religious denomination which is distinguished mainly by its observance of Saturday, the original Days of the week of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath and Seventh-day Adventism....
, Iranian Protestant churches, Kelisa-ye Khanegi-ye Iraniyan, Armenian Evangelical Church
Armenian Evangelical Church

The Armenian Evangelical Church was established on July 1, 1846 by thirty-seven men and three women in Constantinople....
, Jama'at-e Rabbani (Assemblies of God), Armenian Brotherhood Church
Armenian Brotherhood Church

The Armenian Brotherhood Church started within the Armenian Evangelical Church in the 19th century.As the Armenian Evangelical Church was born out of the Mother Church , likewise the Armenian Brotherhood Church was born out of the Armenian Evangelical Church....
, Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church

The Russian Orthodox Church ; or The Moscow Patriarchate , also known as the Orthodox Christian Church of Russia, is a body of Christianity who constitute an Autocephaly Eastern Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of the List of Metropolitans and Patriarchs of Moscow, in full communion with the other Eastern Orthodox Churches....
, and the Presbyterian Church). There are also small groups of Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, Mandeans, Spiritualists, Atheists, Azalis, Yazidis, Yarsan, Ismaili
Ismaili

Ismailism is a branch of the Islam, and is the second largest part of the Shia Islam community, after the mainstream Twelvers . The Ismaili get their name from their acceptance of Ismail bin Jafar as the divinely appointed spiritual successor to Jafar al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelvers, who accept Musa al-Kazim, younger bro...
, Secular Muslims and the followers of Mystic Islam
Sufism

Sufi is generally understood to be the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ufi , though some adherents of the tradition reserve this term only for those practitioners who have attained the goals of the Sufi tradition....
.

Despite being the seat of a theological government and the fact that most important religious unions and academies of the country are based in Tehran, the city remains the most secular and liberal in the nation, a fact that attracts many youngsters from elsewhere to study in the capital.

Architecture and landmarks

Khalvat Karimkhani Golestan2
:See also Architecture of Tehran
Architecture of Tehran

File:Azadi1.jpgTehran is a relatively old city. As such, it has an architectural tradition unique to itself.Despite the occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar period and before, some buildings still remain from Tehran's era of antiquity....
Tehran is a relatively old city; as such, it has an architectural tradition unique to itself. Archaeological investigations and excavations in Tehran demonstrate that this area was home to civilizations as far back as 6,000 years BC. Tehran served only as a village to a relatively small population for most of its history, but began to take a more considerable role in Iran after it was made the capital in the late 18th century. Despite the occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar
Qajar dynasty

The Qajar dynasty is a common term to describe Iran under the ruling Qajar royal family that ruled Iran from 1794 to 1925. In 1794 the Qajar family took full control of Iran as they had eliminated all their rivals, including Lotf 'Ali Khan, the last of the Zand dynasty, and had reasserted Persian sovereignty over the former Iranian terr...
 period and before, some buildings still remain from Tehran's era of antiquity. Today Tehran is Iran's primate city
Primate city

A primate city is the leading city in its country or region, disproportionately larger than any others in the urban hierarchy. A 'primate city distribution' has one very large city with many much smaller cities and towns, and no intermediate-sized urban centres, in contrast to the linear 'rank-size distribution'....
, and has the most modernized infastructure in the country; however, the gentrification
Gentrification

Gentrification, or urban gentrification, is the change in an urban area associated with the population mobility of more affluent individuals into a lower-class area....
 of old neighborhoods and the demolition of buildings of cultural significance has caused concerns.

The Azadi Tower
Azadi Tower

The Azadi Tower is the symbol of Tehran, Iran, and marks the entrance to the city.Built in 1971 in commemoration of the 2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy, this "Gateway into Iran" was named the Shahyad Tower but dubbed Azadi after the Iranian Revolution of 1979....
 has been the longstanding symbol of Tehran. It was constructured to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian empire
2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy

The 2,500 year celebration of Iran's monarchy consisted of an elaborate set of festivities that took place October 12-16, 1971 on the occasion of the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Iranian monarchy by Cyrus the Great....
, and was originally named "Shahyad Tower"; after the Iranian revolution
Iranian Revolution

The Iranian Revolution was the revolution that transformed Iran from a Iranian monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic....
, its name changed to "Azadi Tower," meaning "Freedom Tower." The recently constructed Milad Tower may eventually replace the Azadi Tower as Tehran's new symbol. The Milad complex contains the world's fourth tallest tower
List of towers

These are lists of towers that fall under the definition of a tower which is a tall man-made structure, always taller than it is wide. Towers are generally built to take advantage of their height and can stand alone or as part of a larger structure....
, several restaurants, a five star hotel, a convention center, a world trade center, and an IT park. Traditionally a low-lying city due to seismic activity in the region, modern high rise developments in Tehran have been undertaken in order to service its growing population.

The tallest residential building in Iran is a 54-story building located North of Youssef Abad district, the Tehran International Tower
Tehran International Tower

The International Tehran Tower is a 54-story building in Tehran, Iran. It is the tallest residential building in Iran.The Tehran International Tower is architecturally designed similar to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States....
. It is architecturally designed similar to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately 4 mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, Nevada, United States. A small portion of The Strip lies in Las Vegas, Nevada, but most of it is in the unincorporated area areas of Paradise, Nevada and Winchester, Nevada....
 in the Paradise
Paradise, Nevada

Paradise is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, Nevada, United States and a major suburb of Las Vegas, Nevada. The population was 186,070 at the United States Census 2000, and estimated at 211,509 in 2005 ....
 community of Clark County
Clark County, Nevada

Clark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The county had a population of 1,375,765 at the United States Census, 2000, and a 2008 estimated population of 1,996,542, making it the most populous county in Nevada....
, Nevada
Nevada

Nevada is a U.S. state located in the Western United States of the United States of America. The capital is Carson City and the largest city is Las Vegas, Nevada....
, United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. Appealing to the principle of vertical rather than horizontal expansion of the city, the Tehran International Tower is bound to the North by Youssef Abad, to the South By Hakim Highway, to the East by Kordesstan Highway and to the West by Sheikh Bahai Highway, all of which facilitate access to various parts of the city.



Location and subdivisions

Tehran county borders Shemiranat county to the north, Damavand
Damavand

Damavand is a city in Tehran Province in Iran. It has a population of 90,000.Damavand is an ancient and historic city. The name Damavand appears in Sassanid texts , and Parthian remains have been found there....
 county to the east, Eslamshahr
Eslamshahr

Eslamshahr is a city located on the south-west of the provincial capital Tehran, in Iran. It is the center of Eslamshahr County, with a population of 420,000....
, Pakdasht
Pakdasht

Pakdasht is the center of Pakdasht County, a township in Tehran Province. With a population of 164749 , it is located 25 km southwest of the provincial capital of Tehran in Iran....
, and Ray
Ray, Iran

Ray, also spelled Rey, Rayy, Rhages or Rages is the oldest existing city in the Tehran province, Iran....
 counties to the south, and Karaj
Karaj

Karaj is a city in Iran, located in Tehran province. It is situated 20 km west of Tehran, at the foot of the Alborz mountains.Karaj had a population of 1,732,275 in the 2006 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad and Esfahan; however, the city is increasingly becoming an extension of metropolitan Tehran....
 and Shahriar
Shahriar

Shahriar is a Iranian boy's name, it may also refer to:* Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar, Iranian Azeri poet* Shahriar, Iran, a city in Tehran province, Iran...
 counties to the west.

Neighborhoods and districts of Tehran


The city of Tehran is divided into 22 municipal districts, each with its own administrative centers.

Within these 22 districts, Tehran contains the following major neighborhoods:

Abbas Abad
Abbas Abad

Abbas Abad is a large north-central neighborhood of Tehran, Iran, designated as the Seventh Municipal District of the capital....
, Afsariyeh
Afsariyeh

Afsariyeh is a neighborhood in south-east of Tehran in Iran....
, Amir Abad
Amir Abad

Amir Abad is a district in the city of Tehran, Iran.The main street of Amir Abad is called Kargar Avenue and is one of the longest streets of Tehran, extending from Southern Tehran's Rah Ahan Square to Northern Amir Abad....
, Bagh Feiz
Bagh Feiz

Bagh Feiz is a neighbourhood located south of the city of Tehran in Iran....
, Baharestan
Baharestan

Baharestan is the name given to the historic Iranian parliament building, inaugurated in 1906 . It was adopted from the name of Baharestan and a small palace that adorned the place....
, Darakeh
Darakeh

Darakeh is a neighbourhood located north of the provincial capital of Tehran, Iran.It is near Evin and Velenjak, and it has a very beautiful hiking area....
, Darband
Darband (Tehran)

Darband was formerly a village close to Tajrish, Shemiran, and is now a neighbourhood inside Tehran's city limits. It is the beginning of a very popular hiking trail into the Alborz mountain Tochal, which towers over Tehran....
, Dardasht
Dardasht (Tehran)

Dardasht is the name of a neighbourhood in the eastern part of Tehran, Iran.Dardasht is situated near the large Tehranpars quarter.It is also the name of the Tehran Metro station which is the starting point of Tehran Metro's line 2....
, Dar Abad, Darrous
Darrous

Darrous is a neighborhood in Shemiran, northern Tehran, Iran. It is considered one of the more affluent areas in the city, generally known to be home to the more traditional and religious sect of the upper class, though many modern and fashionable families reside there as well....
, Dehkadeh Olampik
Dehkadeh Olampik

Dehkadeh Olampik is a locality west of the city of Tehran in Iran....
, Ekhtiyariyeh, Elahiyeh
Elahiyeh

Elahieh is a 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, and high ranking clergy members....
, Evin
Evin

Evin is a neighbourhood in the north of Tehran.The district consists of an old section, filled with orchards and gardens of old houses, and a new section, with towering high rises and gleaming skyscrapers....
, Farmanieh
Farmanieh

Farmaniye is a district located in Shemiran, Tehran, Iran centered around Farmanieh Street. Farmanieh neighborhood extends south all the way to Sadr Expressway, where it becomes Dibaji, and as far north as Niavaran....
,Gheitariye, Gholhak
Gholhak

Gholhak is a neighbourhood in Northern Tehran,a part of Shemiran, located between Zargandeh/Elahiyeh to the west and Ekhtiarieh/Dolat to the east and is served by Shariati St., which in the old times was known as "Shemiran Road" and later with the construction of highways, "Old Shemiran Road"....
, Gisha
Gisha

Gisha At beginning was KEYSHA is a neighbourhood inside Tehran's city limits.The neighborhood is known for its active youth marching the street, for shopping, and dating in the afternoons....
, Gomrok
Gomrok

Gomrok is a locality located the south-west of the central district of Tehran in Iran....
, Hasan Abad
Hasan Abad

Hasan Abad is an old and traditional business area within the Moniriyeh district of Tehran, Iran.Click here for Hassanabad KashmirThe area was originally developed during the Qajar dynasty, when they were beautifying the capital Tehran....
, Jamaran
Jamaran

For the Naval vessel see: Iranian destroyer JamaranJamaran 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....
, Jannat Abad
Jannat Abad

Jannat Abad is a large neighbourhood in Tehran, Iran.It is an area around the Jannat Abad Street located in West Tehran. Jannat Abad street starts from Ayatollah Kashani Freeway....
, Javadiyeh
Javadiyeh

Javadiyeh is a neighbourhood located south of the city of Tehran in Iran....
, Jomhuri
Jomhuri

Jomhuri is officially known as Jomhuri Islami Avenue which means Islamic republic. Located in the city centre Jomhuri Avenue is one of Tehran's commercial centres for Electronics equipment e.g....
, Jordan
Jordan, Tehran

Jordan is the name of a popular avenue in Tehran, Iran. It is also the name of the district in Northern Tehran through which the avenue runs....
, Lavizan
Lavizan

Lavizan is a northeastern neighborhood of Tehran, the capital of Iran.There is a heavily fortified Army Garrison situated in Lavizan and today also a nuclear site is said to be situated in the area....
, Narmak
Narmak

Narmak is a neighbourhood in north-east Tehran, the capital city of Iran.Narmak is also a mythical character, a Trinity Player and a Maekinest Boy....
, Navab, Nazi Abad
Nazi Abad

Nazi Abad is a neighborhood in south-east of the central district of the city of Tehran in Iran....
, Niavaran
Niavaran

Niavaran is a district in the northeastern Tehran foothills. 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 Greater Tehran....
, Park-e Shahr
Park-e Shahr

Park-e Shahr with its 26 hectare is a major park and also a neighbourhood located in the central part of Tehran in Iran....
, Pasdaran, Punak
Punak

Punak is a neighbourhood in north-west Tehran, the capital city of Iran....
, Ray
Ray, Iran

Ray, also spelled Rey, Rayy, Rhages or Rages is the oldest existing city in the Tehran province, Iran....
, Sa'adat Abad
Sa'adat Abad

Sa'adat Abad is a neighbourhood located North of Shahrak-e Gharb. It is considered as one of the most upscale neighbourhoods of North Tehran....
, Sadeghiyeh
Sadeghiyeh

Sadeghiyeh is a heavily populated district of Tehran.Also called by its pre-revolutionary name Aryashahr, it is one of Tehran's busiest commercial and residential centers....
, Seyed Khandan
Seyed khandan

File:Seyyedkhandan2.jpgFile:Seyyedkhandan.jpgSeyed Khandan is a locality of the city of Tehran in Iran. It is near Resalat district....
, Sohrevardi, Shahrara
Shahrara

Shahrara is a neighbourhood in south-west Tehran, the capital city of Iran....
, Shahr-e ziba
Shahr-e ziba

Shahr-e ziba is a neighbourhood in south-west Tehran, the capital city of Iran....
, Shahrak-e Gharb
Shahrak-e Gharb

Shahrak-e Gharb is a planned city built as a massive project of modern apartment buildings and villas in the north-western part of Tehran, Iran....
, Shemiran
Shemiran

Shemiran is the name of the northern part of the city of Tehran, capital of Iran. It is the northernmost district of the city of Tehran.Shemiran lies in the slopes of Alborz Mountain and enjoys a suitable mild climate....
, Tajrish
Tajrish

Tajrish is a neighbourhood along the northern edge of Tehran, the capital of Iran.This neighbourhood is one of the oldest parts of Tehran and has lately become popular for the rich because of the low levels of pollution created by the area's favorable location along Tehran's northern hills....
, Tehranpars
Tehranpars

Tehranpars or Tehran Pars is a planned city inside the Tehran. It is considered a neighbourhood of Tehran City and lies in Tehran's eastern flank inside the area of the 4rth and 8th municipalities of Tehran....
, Tehransar
Tehransar

Tehransar is a locality west of the city of Tehran, the capital of Iran. Tehransar is a district in Western Tehran, and part of municipality region 21....
, Vanak
Vanak

Vanak is a Maidan and a neighbourhood in the northern part of Tehran, capital of Iran. The word Vanak means "Small Tree" in Persian.The name derives from the original older village of Vanak in the area, and today there is also a square called Vanak nearby....
, Velenjak
Velenjak

Velenjak is a neighbourhood, northwest of Tehran, in Iran....
, Yaft Abad
Yaft Abad

Yaft Abad is a locality in Tehran, located south-west of the central district of Tehran in Iran....
, Yusef Abad
Yusef Abad

Yusef Abad is a locality of Tehran, consisting of an area developed through parallel streets called Yusef Abad, Ebn e Sina , Jahan Ara, Modabber and Mostowfi; the latter being the most beautiful and consequently the most expensive part of it....
, Zafaraniyeh
Zafaraniyeh

File:ZaaferaniyeTehran.JPGZafaraniyeh is a 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 ....
, etc.

For a map of the relative locations of the neighborhoods and the full list, see List of the localities around Tehran
List of the localities around Tehran

Map = A =*Aba Barik*Ab Ali*Pist-e Eski-ye Abali*Ab Anjirak*Abar Dezh*Abasabad*Ab Barik*Ferheng*Abbasabad*Abbasabad-e Alaqeh Band*Abbasabad-e Bozorg...
.

Older neighborhoods
Tehran's old city fabric changed dramatically during the Pahlavi
Pahlavi dynasty

The Pahlavi dynasty ruled Iran from the crowning of Reza Shah in 1925 to the overthrow of Reza Shah Pahlavi's son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the Iranian Revolution of 1979....
 era. Some of the older remaining districts of Tehran are: Oud-lajan, Sangelaj, Bazaar
Tehran's Grand Bazaar

The Grand Bazaar is the world's largest bazaar situated in the capital of Iran, Tehran....
, Chaleh Meydan, Doulat
Doulat

Doulat is a district in northern Tehran, Iran.Doulat is mostly suburban in nature and is located between Shariati street and Pasdaran street....
. Chaleh Meydan is the oldest neighborhood of the aforementioned.

Economy

About 30% of Iran’s public-sector workforce and 45% of large industrial firms are located in Tehran and almost half of these workers work for the government. Most of the remainder of workers are factory workers, shopkeepers, laborers, and transport workers. Few foreign companies operate in Tehran because of the Islamic government
Islamic government

*For the states which call themselves Islamic republics, see Islamic Republic*For the book by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called Islamic Government, or Islamic Government: Guardianship of the Jurist, see ...
 and its poor relations with the west. But before the Islamic revolution
Iranian Revolution

The Iranian Revolution was the revolution that transformed Iran from a Iranian monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic....
 many western companies were active in this region. Today many modern industries of this city include the manufacturing of automobiles, electronics and electrical equipment, weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical products. It is also a leading center for the sale of carpets and furniture. There is an oil refinery near Ray
Ray, Iran

Ray, also spelled Rey, Rayy, Rhages or Rages is the oldest existing city in the Tehran province, Iran....
, south of the city. Tehran has four airports, including Mehrabad International Airport
Mehrabad International Airport

Mehrabad Airport is an airport that serves Tehran, Iran. It was the primary airport of Tehran but has been replaced by Imam Khomeini International Airport in most of its international flights....
, Imam Khomeini International Airport
Imam Khomeini International Airport

Imam Khomeini International Airport is located in Tehran, Iran. The airport is located about south of the city. It was designed to replace Mehrabad International Airport, which is in the west of the city, now inside the city boundaries....
, Ghal'eh Morghi airfield and Doshan Tapeh airbase.

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
Tehran Stock Exchange

The Tehran Stock Exchange is Iran's largest stock exchange, which first opened in April 1968. The TSE is based in Tehran. As of June 2008, 400 companies, with a market capitalization of US$70 billion were listed on TSE....
, which is a full member of the Federation Internationale des Bourses de Valeurs (FIBV) and a founding member of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges
Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges

The Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges is a non-profit international organization comprising the main stock exchanges in Europe and Asia....
, has been one of the world's best performing stock exchanges in recent years.

Transportation

]] The metropolis of Tehran enjoys a huge network of highways (280 km) and of interchanges, ramps, and loops (180km). In 2007 there were 130 kilometers of highways and 120 kilometers of ramps and loops under construction. Tehran has one of the cleanest and most convenient metro systems, in terms of accessibility to different parts of the city, in the region. The feasibility study and conceptual planning of the construction were started in 1970s. In 2001, the first two of its seven envisaged lines of metro were opened to public usage.

Development of the Tehran metro system
Tehran Metro

HistoryTehran metro is one of the Middle East's biggest metros.The initial plans of the Tehran Metro, which was to be Iran's first metro system, were laid out before the Iranian revolution in the 1970s....
 had been interrupted by the Islamic Revolution
Iranian Revolution

The Iranian Revolution was the revolution that transformed Iran from a Iranian monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution and founder of the Islamic Republic....
 and the Iran–Iraq War. Problems arising from the late completion of the metro led to buses taking on the role of the metro lines, serving mainly long distance routes. Taxis filled the void for local journeys. The taxis only drive on main avenues, and only within the local area, so it may be necessary to take several taxis to get to one's final destination. This has all led to extreme congestion and air pollution within the city. Since the completion of the first 3 phases of the Metro, some of these above problems have been mitigated. Tehran is served by Mehrabad Airport, an old airport which doubles as a military base, located in the Western part of the city, and Imam Khomeini International Airport
Imam Khomeini International Airport

Imam Khomeini International Airport is located in Tehran, Iran. The airport is located about south of the city. It was designed to replace Mehrabad International Airport, which is in the west of the city, now inside the city boundaries....
, located 50 kilometers (31 mi) south, which handles international flights.

Tehran also has a central train station with connecting services round the clock to various cities in the country. There are four bus terminals that also provide connections at low fares. These are the South, East, West, and Bei-haghi Park-Drive Terminals.

While the center of the city houses the government ministries and headquarters, the commercial centers are more located toward Valiasr Street (formally known as Pahlavi street), Taleghani Ave
Taleghani Ave

Taleghani Ave in Tehran, prior to the Islamic Revolution Takht-e Jamshid Ave., is located in the center of Tehran and runs West from Ghodss St at the University of Tehran to Shariaty Ave on the East....
, and Beheshti Ave further north. Although administratively separate, Rey
Ray, Iran

Ray, also spelled Rey, Rayy, Rhages or Rages is the oldest existing city in the Tehran province, Iran....
, Shemiran
Shemiran

Shemiran is the name of the northern part of the city of Tehran, capital of Iran. It is the northernmost district of the city of Tehran.Shemiran lies in the slopes of Alborz Mountain and enjoys a suitable mild climate....
, and Karaj
Karaj

Karaj is a city in Iran, located in Tehran province. It is situated 20 km west of Tehran, at the foot of the Alborz mountains.Karaj had a population of 1,732,275 in the 2006 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad and Esfahan; however, the city is increasingly becoming an extension of metropolitan Tehran....
 are often considered part of the larger Tehran metropolitan area.

Pollution

Tehran suffers from severe air pollution and the city is often covered by smog
Smog

Smog is a kind of air pollution; the word "smog" is a portmanteau of smoke and fog. Classic smog results from large amounts of coal burning in an area caused by a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide....
 making breathing difficult and causing widespread pulmonary illnesses. It is estimated that about 27 people die each day from pollution-related diseases. According to local officials, 3,600 people died in a single month due to the hazardous air quality.

The air pollution is due to several different reasons: 1) Economical: most Iranian industries are located on the outskirts of Tehran. The city is also overrun with old and aging cars which do not meet today's emission regulations. Furthermore, Iran's busiest airport, Mehrabad International Airport
Mehrabad International Airport

Mehrabad Airport is an airport that serves Tehran, Iran. It was the primary airport of Tehran but has been replaced by Imam Khomeini International Airport in most of its international flights....
, is located in the west of the city; 2) Infrastructure: Tehran has a poor public transportation network. Buses and metros do not cover every area of the city. Most people are then obliged to either use private cars or hire taxis. This has created severe traffic congestion
Traffic congestion

Traffic congestion is a condition on networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased Queueing theory....
; 3) Geographical: Tehran is bound in the north by the massive Alborz
Alborz

Alborz , also written as Alburz or Elburz, is a mountain range in northern Iran stretching from the borders of Armenia in the northwest to the southern end of the Caspian Sea, and ending in the east at the borders of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan....
 mountain range that is stopping the flow of the humid Caspian wind. As a result, thermal inversion that traps Tehran's polluted air is frequently observed. The lack of humidity and clouds makes Tehran a very sunny city. The UV radiations then combined with the existing pollutants significantly raise the level of the ozone
Ozone

Ozone or trioxygen is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic O2....
.

The government, however, is engaged in a battle to reduce the 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

Compressed Natural Gas is a fossil fuel substitute for gasoline , diesel, or propane fuel. Although its combustion does produce greenhouse gases, it is a more environmentally clean alternative to those fuels, and it is much safer than other fuels in the event of a fuel spill ....
. Furthermore, since 1979 the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has set up a "Traffic Zone" (??? ??????) covering the city center during peak traffic hours. Entering and driving inside this zone is only allowed with a special permit. The government is also trying to raise people's awareness about the hazards of the pollution. One method that is currently been employed is the installation of Pollution Indicator Boards all around the city to monitor the current level of particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide

Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the chemical formula NitrogenOxygen2. One of several nitrogen oxides, NO2 is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of nitric acid, millions of tons of which are produced each year....
 (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula SO2. It is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide....
 (SO2), and carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide, with the chemical formula CO, is a colorless and odorless, tasteless, yet highly toxic gas. Its molecules consist of one carbon atom covalent bond to one oxygen atom....
 (CO). The board also displays the Pollutant Standards Index
Pollutant Standards Index

The Pollutant Standards Index, or PSI, provides a uniform system of measuring pollution levels for the major air pollutants. It is based on a scale devised by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to provide a way for broadcasts and newspapers to report air quality on a daily basis....
 (PSI), which is a general indication of air quality based on the measurements of the above-mentioned five pollutants. The Pollution Indicator Boards classify the level of each pollutants as either safe, hazardous or dangerous. 80% of the city's pollution is due to cars. In 2007 Iran imposed fuel rations and since the use of cars has thereafter declined, streets are less congested and the air quality has improved. The main reason for this rationing was to reduce fuel consumption, so that fuel is not imported eventually.

Education and research


Tehran is the biggest and most important educational center of Iran. Today there are nearly 50 major colleges and universities total in Greater Tehran
Greater Tehran

Greater Tehran is the metropolitan urban area in Tehran Province that covers the contiguous cities of Tehran, Ray, Iran, Shemiranat, and other areas....
.

Since the establishment of Darolfonoon in the mid 1800s, 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
Samuel M. Jordan

Dr. Samuel Martin Jordan was an American presbyterian missionary in Persia .He is sometimes referred to as the "father of modern education in Iran," though Amir Kabir is generally thought to be more deserving of this title, and indeed within Iran, the title refers to Amir Kabir....
, whom Jordan Avenue in Tehran is named after, was also one of the founding pioneers of the American College of Tehran
Alborz High School

Alborz High School , is a high school located in the heart of Tehran, Iran. It is named after the Alborz mountain range north of Tehran....
. Among major educational institutions located in Tehran, Sharif University of Technology
Sharif University of Technology

Sharif University of Technology , formerly named Aryamehr University of Technology is a public university of technology, engineering and science in Iran....
, is the most prestigious technological university of Iran and University of Tehran is the largest and oldest state university in Iran and one of the oldest in Central Asia and Middle East.

Amirkabir University of Technology
Amirkabir University of Technology

Amirkabir University of Technology , formerly named Tehran Polytechnic is a public, coeducational research university located in Tehran, Iran....
 (Tehran Polytechnic), K.N.Toosi University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology
Iran University of Science and Technology

The Iran University of Science and Technology is a research institution and university of engineering and science in Iran, offering both undergraduate and postgraduate studies....
, Shahid Beheshti University
Shahid Beheshti University

Shahid Beheshti University , is located in north of Tehran, Iran.As of 2006, the university offers 57 Masters and 29 PhD degrees. Its main campus is located in Evin, a suburb of northern Tehran....
 (Melli University), Iran University of Medical Science, and Tarbiat Modarres University are other highly ranked universities of Iran located in Tehran.

Tehran is also home to Iran's largest military academy, and several religious schools and seminaries.

Sport

Tehran was the first city in the Middle East to host the Asian Games
Asian Games

The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among Sportsperson from all over Asia. The games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee ....
. The 7th Asian Summer Games in 1974
1974 Asian Games

The Asian Games were held from September 1, 1974 to September 16, 1974 in Tehran, Iran. The Azadi sports complex was made for the Games. The Asian Games were hosted in the Middle East for the first time....
, was held with the participation of 2,363 athletes and officials from 25 countries.

Tehran is also the site of Iran's national football stadium on Azadi Sport Complex with 100,000 seating capacity
Seating capacity

Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, either in terms of the space available, or in terms of limitations set by law....
. Many of the top matches of Iran's Premier League are held here. In 2005, FIFA
FIFA

The F?d?ration Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by its acronym, FIFA , is the international sport governing body of association football....
 ordered Iran to limit spectators allowed into Azadi stadium because of a fatal crush and inadequate safety procedures. Other stadiums in Tehran are Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium
Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium

The Shahid Dastgerdi Stadium is a Football stadium located in the Ekbatan area of Tehran, Iran. It was named after a casualty of the Iran?Iraq War....
, Takhti Stadium
Takhti Stadium (Tehran)

Takhti Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Tehran, Iran. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium is able to hold 30,000 people and was opened in 1974....
, and Shahid Shirudi Stadium, among others.

Within 10 minutes driving distance from Tehran lies a ski resort. Tochal
Tochal

Mount Tochal is a mountain in the Alborz range and adjacent to metropolitan Tehran, Iran. The mountain has a 12 km long ridgeline. The highest peak, also called Mount Tochal, is at an elevation of 3,964 m and at coordinates ....
 is the world's fifth highest ski resort, at over 3,730 metres (12,240 ft) at its highest 7th station. The resort was completed in 1976 shortly before the overthrow of the Shah.

Here, one must first ride the eight kilometre (five mile) long gondola lift which covers a huge vertical. The 7th station has three slopes. The resort's longest slope is the south side U shaped slope which goes from the 7th station to 5th station. The other two slopes are located on the north side of the 7th station. Here, there are two parallel chair ski lifts that go up to 3,900 metres (12,795 ft) near Tochal's peak (at 4,000 m/13,125 ft), rising higher than the gondola 7th station. This altitude is higher than any of the European resorts.

From the Tochal peak, one has a spectacular view of the Alborz range, including the 5,671 metre (18,606 ft) high Mount Damavand
Mount Damavand

Mount Damavand also known as Donbavand, is a dormant volcano and the highest peak in Iran with a special place in the Persian mythology and folklore....
, a dormant volcano.

At the bottom of the lifts in a valley behind the Tochal peak is Tochal hotel, located at 3,500 metres (11,483 ft) altitude. From there a T lift takes skiers up the 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) of Shahneshin peak, where the third slope of Tochal is.

Tochal 7th station has skiing eight months of the year. But there are also some glaciers and year-round snow fields near Tehran where skiing began in 1938, thanks to the efforts of two German railway engineers. Today, 12 ski resorts operate in Iran, but the most famous are Tochal
Tochal

Mount Tochal is a mountain in the Alborz range and adjacent to metropolitan Tehran, Iran. The mountain has a 12 km long ridgeline. The highest peak, also called Mount Tochal, is at an elevation of 3,964 m and at coordinates ....
, Dizin
Dizin

Dizin is a ski resort situated to the north of Tehran in the Alborz mountain range & also the most important ski resort in Iran & The Middle East....
, and Shemshak
Shemshak

file:Shemshak.jpgShemshak is a ski resort situated to the north-east of Tehran in the Alborz mountain range.Shemshak is the second largest ski area in Iran after Dizin and came into operation in 1958....
, all within one to three hours of Tehran.

Football


In Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
, Tehran is host to six football clubs in Iran's Premier Football League
Iran's Premier Football League

The Iran Pro League The league Iranian football league system resembles the system being used in England currently. The Premier League is the top tier of an extensive pyramid-like structure, above the Azadegan League , the Iran Football's 2nd Division, the Iran Football's 3rd Division and the lower local leagues....
, namely:

ClubSportFoundedLeagueHead CoachMore Info
Esteghlal F.C.Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
1945Iran Pro League (IPL)Amir Ghalenoei
Amir Ghalenoei

Amir Ghalenoei is an Iranian Football coach and former player, he is currently Head Coach of Esteghlal F.C. in the Iran Pro League....
Persepolis F.C.Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
1963Iran Pro League (IPL)Afshin Peyrovani
Afshin Peyrovani

Afshin Peyrovani born as Mohammad Ali Peyravani is a retired Iranian football er and a football coach. He is the younger brother of Gholam Peyrovani and elder brother of Amir Hossein Peyrovani....
Rah Ahan F.C.Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
1964Iran Pro League (IPL)Davoud Mahabadi
Davoud Mahabadi

Davoud Mahabadi is an Iranian Football manager and former player, currently managering Rah Ahan F.C. in the Iran Pro League....
Moved to Ray City since July 2008
Paykan F.C.Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
1967Iran Pro League (IPL)Asghar ModiroustaBelongs to Qazvin Province
Qazvin Province

Qazvin is one of the 30 provinces of Iran of Iran. It is in the north-west of the country, and its center is Qazvin . The province was created in 1996 out of part of Zanjan Province and includes 20 cities: Qazvin, Takestan, Abyek, Bou'in-Zahra, Eqhbalieh, Mohammadieh, Alvand, Esfarvarin, Mahmood Abad Nemooneh, Khoram Dasht, Zi? Ab...
 since July 2008
Saba Battery F.C.Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
2002Iran Pro League (IPL)Firouz Karimi
Firouz Karimi

Firouz Karimi is an Iranian football coach . He is famous inside Iran for his strong sense of humor, often revealed in interviews with the media....
Belongs to Qom Province
Qom Province

Qom is one of the 30 provinces of Iran of Iran with 11,237 km?, covering 0.89% of the total area in Iran. It is in the north of the country, and its provincial capital is the city of Qom....
 since July 2008
Saipa F.C.Football (soccer)
Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world....
1989Iran Pro League (IPL)Mohammad Mayeli Kohan


These clubs have on numerous occasions won Asian titles, and some of their players are known internationally. The prominent matches are usually held at Azadi Stadium
Azadi Stadium

The Azadi Stadium is Iran's National stadium and largest stadium. The Azadi stadium officially has a capacity of 100,000 people and was built to host the 1974 Asian Games....
.

Tourism and attractions

Tehran, as Iran's showcase and historical capital city, has a wealth of cultural attractions. The Peacock Throne
Peacock Throne

The Peacock Throne, called Takht-e-T?vus in Persian language, is the name originally of a Mughal Empire throne of India, later used to describe the thrones of the Persian emperors from Nader Shah Afshari to Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi....
 of the Persian Kings (Shah
Shah

Shah is a Persian language term for a monarch that has been adopted in many other languages.Shah used as a last name by Jains and Hindus is unrelated....
s) can be found in Tehran's Golestan Palace
Golestan Palace

Golestan Palace is the former royal Qajar complex in Iran's capital city.The oldest of the historic monuments in Tehran, the Golestan Palace belongs to a group of royal buildings that were once enclosed within the mud-thatched walls of Tehran?s Historic Arg ....
. Some of the well-known museums are National Museum of Iran
National Museum of Iran

The National Museum of Iran is an archeology and history museum located in Tehran. It preserves ancient Persian Empire antiquities including pottery vessels, metal objects, books, coins etc....
, Sa'dabad Palaces Complex, Glassware and Ceramics Museum of Iran, The Carpet Museum of Iran
The 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 18th century to present....
, Tehran's Underglass painting Museum, and Niavaran Palace Complex
Niavaran Palace Complex

Niavaran Palace Complex is situated in the northern part of Tehran, Iran. It consists of several buildings and a museum. The Sahebqraniyeh Palace from the time of Nasir al-Din Shah of Qajar dynasty is also inside this complex....
. The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art
Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art

Tehran's Museum of Contemporary Art is one of Iran's finest museums, located in Tehran.Inaugurated in 1977, and built adjacent to Tehran's Laleh Park, the museum was designed by Iranian architect Kamran Diba, who employed elements from traditional Persian architecture....
 features the works of great artists such as Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso

Pablo Diego Jos? Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Mar?a de los Remedios Cipriano de la Sant?sima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso was a Spanish people Painting, drawing, and Sculpture....
 and Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol

Andrew Warhola , more commonly known as Andy Warhol, was an United Statesn Painting, Printmaking, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the Art movement known as pop art....
. The collection of these paintings was selected by the former Empress Farrah Diba.

Tehran is also home to the Iranian Imperial Crown Jewels
Iranian Crown Jewels

The Imperial Crown Jewels of Iran includes several elaborate crown and decorative Thrones, 30 tiaras and numerous aigrette, a dozen jewel laden swords and shields, a vast amount of precious unset gemstones, numerous plates and other dining services cast in precious metals and encrusted with gems and several other more unique items collec...
, also called the Imperial Crown Jewels of Persia, its is claimed to be the largest, most dazzling and valuable jewel collection in the world. The collection comprises a set of crowns and thrones, some 30 tiaras, numerous aigrettes, jewel-studded swords and shields, a vast amount of precious loose gems, including the largest collections of emeralds, rubies and diamonds in the world. It also includes other items collected by the Shahs of Iran during the 2,500 year existence of the Iranian Kingdom. The Imperial Crown Jewels are still on display in the Iranian Central Bank in Tehran.

The following table shows some places for outdoors activities in Tehran:
Tochal Ski resort Darband
Darband

Darband may refer to:* Darband, NWFP, A Union Council of Mansehra District, Pakistan* Darband district, a town or district in Tajikistan's Region of Republican Subordination...
 hiking trail
Chitgar Park
Chitgar Park

Chitgar Forest Park is situated in Tehran province, Iran. It is an artificial forest and covers an area of 14.5 square kilometers west of Tehran....
Niavaran Park
Niavaran Park

Niavaran Park is a public park in Tehran. It is located within the Niavaran district and is situated immediately south of the Niavaran Palace Complex....
Sa'ei Park Daneshju Park Goft-o-gu Park
Mellat Park
Mellat Park

Mellat Park is a park in Tehran, the capital city of Iran.Known as the Shahanshahi Park prior to the Iranian Revolution, it is one of the largest recreation areas in Tehran....
Laleh Park
Laleh Park

Laleh Park , is a large recreation area of the Iranian capital Tehran.It is well-kept and has beautiful green areas adjacent to The Ministry of Agriculture in the east, The Carpet Museum of Iran to the northwest, and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in the west....
Jamshidieh Park
Jamshidieh Park

Jamshidieh Park , established in memorial of Jamshid Davallu Qajar, a Qajar Prince that dedicated this garden to Farah Diba, Empress of Iran....
Shatranj Park Darabad
Darabad

Darabad is a quarter in north-eastern Tehran, the capital city of Iran.Darabad is a former village on the slopes of the Alborz mountain range to the northeast of Tehran, which has become part of the Greater Tehran area as a result of rapid expansion of the Tehran Metropolis....
 hiking trail
Darakeh
Darakeh

Darakeh is a neighbourhood located north of the provincial capital of Tehran, Iran.It is near Evin and Velenjak, and it has a very beautiful hiking area....
 hiking trail
Jahan-e Kudak Park
Azadi sports complex Enghelab Sports Complex and Golf course Latyan Lake Lavizan
Lavizan

Lavizan is a northeastern neighborhood of Tehran, the capital of Iran.There is a heavily fortified Army Garrison situated in Lavizan and today also a nuclear site is said to be situated in the area....
 Forest Park
Vardavard Forest Park Khajeer National Park Kavir National Park
Kavir National Park

Kavir National Park is a protected ecological zone in northern Iran. It has an area of 4,000 square kilometers . The park is located 120 kilometers south of Tehran and 100 kilometers east of Qom, and it sits on the western end of one of Iran's two major deserts, the Dasht-e Kavir ....
Tar Lake Amir Kabir Lake Lar
LAR

Lar may refer to:*Lar, India - a city in India*Lar, Iran - a city in Iran*Lares - Roman deitiesLAR may be an abbreviation of:*Laramie Regional Airport - an airport in Wyoming, United States...
 Protected Natural Habitat
Varjeen Protected Natural Habitat Pardisan
Pardisan

Pardisun park This complex is primarily an educational, research and culturalcenter with the objective of creating suitable facilities for the...
Tangeh Savashi
Tangeh Savashi

Tangeh Savashi is a popular tourist attraction in Iran.Located 15 kilometers west of Firouzkouh, 9 kilometers north of the Firouzkouh-Damavand road in Tehran Province, it is a mountain pass narrow of the Alborz range....
Farahzad
Farahzad

Farahzad is a neighbourhood in west Tehran, the capital city of Iran.it located in north west of old Tehran , is one of oldest village of Tehran the age of village is over 250 years ....


Religious centers

  • Hosseiniye Ershad
    Hosseiniye Ershad

    The Hosseinieh Ershad or Hosseiniyeh Ershad is a religious institute in Tehran, Iran. It was closed for a time by the Mohammad Reza Shah government in 1972....
  • Soltani Mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah
  • Atiq Mosque, built in 1663.
  • Mo'ezz o-dowleh mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah
  • Haj Seyd Azizollah mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah
  • Al-javad mosque, Iran's first modernist design mosque.
  • The Old Sepahsalar mosque, another prominent Qajar era mosque.
  • The new Sepahsalar mosque (Madreseh e Motahari)
  • Filsuf o-dowleh Mosque, Qajar era
  • Moshir ol-Saltaneh Mosque, Qajar era
  • Mo'ayyer ol-Mamalik Mosque, Qajar era
  • Shahr Banu Mausoleum
  • Javan-mard Qassab Mausoleum, a pre-Islamic semi-mythical hero
  • Dozens of Imam-zadeh shrines, hundreds of years old, including that of Imam Zadeh Saleh
    Imam Zadeh Saleh

    Imam Zadeh Saleh or Emam Zadeh Saleh is a Shi'a Imamzadeh, whose shrine is located at Tajrish Square in Tehran's northern Shemiran district, in Iran....
    .
  • Dozens of Saqa Khanehs: traditional places of prayer
  • Several Tekyeh
    Tekyeh

    A Tekyeh is a place where Shias gather to mourn the killing of Husayn bin Ali.Such places are particularly found in Iran. They are usually traditionally designed with observable elements of Persian architecture....
    s: traditional places for mourning Muharram ceremonies for Husayn ibn Ali
    Husayn ibn Ali

    ?usayn ibn ?Ali ibn Abi ?alib ? was the grandson of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, and the son of Ali and Fatimah . Husayn is an important figure in Islam as he is a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and Ahl al-Kisa, as well as being a Imamah , and one of The Fourteen Infallibles of Twelvers....
    .
  • Ebn-e Babooyeh
    Ebn-e Babooyeh

    Ebn-e Babooyeh cemetery, Ibn-e Baabevey, or Ibn Babviyeh is located in Iran in the town of Shahr-e Ray .Many Iranian giants of sports, literature, arts, culture, religion, and politics such as Gholamreza Takhti, Ali Akbar Dehkhoda,Hossein Fatemi, Mir Ghotbeddin Mohammad Angha, and Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl Angha are buried the...
     cemetery, where many Iranian giants such as Takhti and Ali Akbar Dehkhoda
    Ali Akbar Dehkhoda

    Allameh Ali Akbar Dehkhoda was a prominent Iranian linguist, and author of the most extensive dictionary of the Persian language ever published....
     are buried.
  • Zahir o-dowleh cemetery, where many Iranian giants of art and culture such as Iraj Mirza
    Iraj Mirza

    Iraj Mirza , son of Gholam Hossein Mirza, was a famous Iranian poet....
    , Mohammad Taghi Bahar
    Mohammad Taghi Bahar

    Mohammad-Taq? Bahar , widely known as Malek o-Sho'ara and Malek o-Sho'ara Bahar, is considered as Iran's greatest Twentieth Century poet and scholar, who was in addition a politician, journalist, historian and Professor of Literature....
    , Forough Farrokhzad
    Forough Farrokhzad

    Forugh Farrokhzad was an Iranian poet and film director.Forugh Farrokhzad is arguably Iran's most significant female poet of the twentieth century....
    , Abolhasan Saba
    Abolhasan Saba

    Abolhasan Saba , was a renowned Iranian musician, composer, violinist, and setar player....
    , Ruhollah Khaleghi
    Ruhollah Khaleghi

    Ruhollah Khaleghi was a prominent Iranian musician, composer, conductor and author....
    , and Darvish-khan
    Darvish-khan

    Darvish Khan was a Persian classical musician and a tar player....
     are buried.
  • Kordan Tomb, Seljuqi era, Karaj
    Karaj

    Karaj is a city in Iran, located in Tehran province. It is situated 20 km west of Tehran, at the foot of the Alborz mountains.Karaj had a population of 1,732,275 in the 2006 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iran after Tehran, Mashhad and Esfahan; however, the city is increasingly becoming an extension of metropolitan Tehran....
    .
  • Maydanak Tomb, 13th century, Karaj
  • The Polish Cemetery 1-north of Tehran in British Gholhak Garden, where numerous World War II
    World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
     western Allied soldiers are buried. 2- Polish cemetery (Catholic cemetery) Dulab south of Tehran
  • Orthodox Cemetery, Dulab/The Russian Unknown Soldier's Tomb (Cenotaph) is located here with a red star over it
  • Tower of silence (Dakhme gabrha). Located on Moshiryh Road behind 7th unit of Tehran cement factory. It is circular in shape.
  • Naghare Khane Tower. Located on a mountain with same name (Nagharekhane) in Haftdastagh District, beside Amin Abad Road. Its age is not clear but it is related to the Seljuk Era. This tower is the tomb of a Seljuk king. Under the tower you can see other historical ruins (Einanj Dome). This place is a royal cemetery and was used in the early years of the Islamic Era in Persia.

Churches
  • Sarkis Cathedral, 1970
  • Saint George Church, 1790
  • Thaddeus
    Saint Jude

    Saint Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is generally identified with Thaddeus, and is also variously called Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus , Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus....
     Bartoqimus Church, 1808
  • Tatavus Church, from the Qajar era
  • Enjili Church, 1867
  • Assyrian Church


The Mayor of Tehran


  • See also: List of mayors of Tehran
  • See also: City Council of Tehran
    City Council of Tehran

    The Islamic City Council of Tehran is the elected City council that presides over the city of Tehran, elects the Mayor of Tehran, and budgets the Municipality of Tehran....


Sister cities

  • Beijing
    Beijing

    is a metropolis in northern China and the Capital of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the four municipality of China, which are equivalent to province in China's Political divisions of China....
    , People's Republic of China
    People's Republic of China

    The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
     (2006)
  • Flag of Venezuela
    Caracas
    Caracas

    Caracas is the Capital and largest city of Venezuela. It is located in the north of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Coastal Range, Venezuela....
    , Venezuela
    Venezuela

    Venezuela , officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a country on the northern coast of South America.The country comprises a continental mainland and numerous islands located off the Venezuelan coastline in the Caribbean Sea....
     (2005)
  • Flag of Cuba
    Havana
    Havana

    Havana is the capital city, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city is one of the 14 Provinces of Cuba. The city/province has 2.1 million inhabitants, and the urban area over 3.5 million, making Havana the largest city in both Cuba and the Caribbean....
    , Cuba
    Cuba

    The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
     (2001)
  • Flag of the United Kingdom
    London
    London

    London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
    , United Kingdom
    United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
     (19 March 1993)
  • Flag of the United States
    Los Angeles
    Los Ángeles

    Los ?ngeles is the Capital of the Biob?o Province, in the municipality of the same name, in Regions of Chile VIII , in the center-south of Chile....
    , USA (26 May 1972)
  • Flag of South Africa
    Pretoria
    Pretoria

    Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three Capital , serving as the Executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislature capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital....
    , South Africa
    South Africa

    The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
     (2002)
  • Flag of Russia
    Moscow
    Moscow

    Moscow is the capital and the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia of the Russian Federation. It is also the largest European cities and metropolitan areas, with the Moscow metropolitan area ranking among the largest urban areas in the world....
    , Russia
    Russia

    Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
     (2004)
  • Flag of Belarus
    Minsk
    Minsk

    Minsk is the Capital and largest city in Belarus, situated on the Svislach River and Nemiga rivers. Minsk is also a headquarters of the Commonwealth of Independent States ....
    , Belarus
    Belarus

    Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the north....
     (2006)


Events

  • 1974 Asian Games: The 7th Asian Games
    Asian Games

    The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among Sportsperson from all over Asia. The games are regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia under the supervision of the International Olympic Committee ....
     were held from September 1, 1974 to September 16, 1974 in Tehran, Iran
    Iran

    Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
    . The Azadi sports complex was made for the Games. The Asian Games were hosted in the Middle East for the first time. Tehran, the capital of Iran, played host to 3,010 athletes coming from 25 countries/NOCs, the highest number of participants since the inception of the Games.
  • 1976 AFC Asian Cup: The 1976 AFC Asian Cup
    1976 AFC Asian Cup

    The 1976 AFC Asian Cup was the sixth edition of the Asian Cup, the football championship of Asia . It was hosted by Iran. The field of six teams was split into two groups of three....
     was the sixth edition of the Asian Nations Cup, the football (soccer) championship of Asia (AFC). It was hosted by Iran
    Iran

    Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran and formerly known internationally as Persian Empire until 1935, is a country in Central Eurasia, located on the northeastern shore of the Persian Gulf and the southern shore of the Caspian Sea....
    . The field of six teams was split into two groups of three. Iran won their third title in a row, beating Kuwait
    Kuwait

    The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed by Saudi Arabia to the south and Iraq to the north and west....
     in the final 1-0.
  • 1997 1st West Asian Games: The 1st West Asian Games
    West Asian Games

    The West Asian Games were first organised in Tehran, Iran and were considered the first of their kind. The success of the Games led to the creation of the West Asian Games Federation and the intention of hosting the Games every 4 years....
     was first organized in Tehran from 19 to 28 November 1997. It was considered the first of their kind. 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 year.


Pictures





Panoramic view


See also

  • Dr. Sapir Hospital and Charity Center
    Dr. Sapir Hospital and Charity Center

    The Dr. Sapir Hospital and Charity Center, a Jewish charity hospital in Tehran, is presently the largest charity among the Religious minorities in Iran....
  • Tehran Stock Exchange
    Tehran Stock Exchange

    The Tehran Stock Exchange is Iran's largest stock exchange, which first opened in April 1968. The TSE is based in Tehran. As of June 2008, 400 companies, with a market capitalization of US$70 billion were listed on TSE....
  • Architecture of Tehran
    Architecture of Tehran

    File:Azadi1.jpgTehran is a relatively old city. As such, it has an architectural tradition unique to itself.Despite the occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar period and before, some buildings still remain from Tehran's era of antiquity....
  • List of colleges and universities in Tehran
    List of colleges and universities in Tehran

    Tehran's major colleges and universities are:...
  • Tehran International Fairgrounds
    Iran International Exhibitions Company

    The Iran International Exhibitions Company oversees and operates all international and specialized exhibitions held in Iran. Site features exhibitions calendar and provides trade laws and regulations....
    *City Council of Tehran
    City Council of Tehran

    The Islamic City Council of Tehran is the elected City council that presides over the city of Tehran, elects the Mayor of Tehran, and budgets the Municipality of Tehran....
  • Economy of Iran
    Economy of Iran

    The economy of Iran is dominated by oil and gas exports which constituted 70% of government revenue and 80% of export earnings as of 2008. It has a large public sector, with an estimated 60% of the economy directly controlled and centrally planned economy by the state....
  • Bagh-e Ferdows
    Bagh-e Ferdows

    Bagh-e Ferdows , also known as Emarat-e Bagh-e Ferdows and The Mohammadieh Palace, is part of a historical complex of garden palaces in Tajrish, Shemiran, North Tehran, between Zafaraniyeh and Jafar Abad....


External links

  • (with pictures)
  • Shapour Bahrami, Tehran, Iran, Photo Set, .
  • Shapour Bahrami, The Sepahsalar Mosque, Tehran, Photo Set (the photo stream is to be followed to the right direction), .
  • Scott Peterson, Iran's Peace Museum: The reality vs. the glories of war, The Christian Science Monitor, December 24, 2007.
  • Khatereh Razavi, Tehran, (5 min 12 sec).


Official

  • (in Persian)
  • (in Persian)


Underground