Tehran

This article is about the Iranian capital city. For other uses, see Tehran (disambiguation).

Tehran تهران Tehrān
Metropolis
File:Tehran-Montage.png
Country	Iran
Province	Tehran
County	Tehran County Rey County Shemiranat County
Government
• Mayor	Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
Area
• Metropolis	730 km2 (282 sq mi)
• Metro	18,814 km2 (7,264 sq mi)
Elevation	1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Density	10,327.6/km2 (26,748.3/sq mi)
• Urban	8,429,807
• Metro	13,413,348
• Population Rank in Iran	1st
	Population Data from 2006 Census and Tehran Municipality. Metro area figure refers to Tehran Province.
Time zone	UTC+3:30 (IRST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+4:30 (IRDT)
Area code	021
Website	www.tehran.ir

Tehran (Persian: تهران Tehrān pronounced [tʰehˈɾɒn]), is the capital and largest city of Iran, and the administrative center of Tehran Province. Tehran is a sprawling city at the foot of the Tochal mountain range with an immense network of highways unparalleled in Western Asia. The city is famous for its numerous resorts on the Alborz slopes, large museums, art centers, and palace complexes.

Tehran is the largest city in the Middle East and is the 16th most populated city in the world with a population of 8,429,807. Tehran is one of Iran's largest urban areas. Most Iranian industries are headquartered in Tehran, including the manufacturing of automobiles, electrical equipment, military weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical products. Tehran is also a leading center for the sale of carpets and furniture. There is an oil refinery located 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 mosques, churches, synagogues and Zoroastrian fire temples. Contemporary Tehran is a modern city featuring many tall structures, of which the Azadi Tower and the Milad Tower have come to be symbols of Tehran itself. Internationally Tehran is the least expensive capital in the world and only the second least expensive city globally after Karachi. Furthermore globally it stands 14th by city population, 56th by the size of its GDP and 29th by the population of its metropolitan area. Due to long history of Iran, there have been many instances of capital city relocations over the ages and Tehran, currently is the 31st national capital of Iran.

History

The original Parliament Building built in the 1920s.

Shams ol-Emāreh was Tehran's first tallest building, built between 1865 and 1867.

Green Palace at the Sadabad Palace complex.

Tehran in 1985 and 2009.

The origin of the name Tehran is unknown. Excavations place the existence of settlements in Tehran as far back as 6000 BC. Tarran was well known as a village in the 9th century, but was less well-known than the city of Rhages (Ray) which was flourishing nearby in the early era. In the 13th century, following the destruction of Ray by Mongols, 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's Nuz'hat al-Qulub (written in 1340) as a famous village.

Don Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo, a Castilian ambassador, was probably the first European to visit Tehran, stopping in July 1404, while on a journey to Samarkand (now in Uzbekistan) and the Mongol 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 built a bazaar 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.

In the early of 18th century, Karim Khan Zand ordered a palace, and a government office to be built in Tehran, possibly to declare the city his capital, but later moved his government to Shiraz. Tehran finally became the capital of Iran 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, British and Soviet troops entered the city. Tehran was the site of the Tehran Conference in 1943, attended by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin.

Following the war, the city's older landmarks were started from scratch under the rule of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The Shah believed that ancient buildings such as large parts of the Golestan Palace, Takieh-ye Dowlat, the Toopkhaneh Square, the 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. The Tehran Bazaar 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.

During the 1980–88 Iran–Iraq War, Tehran was the scene of repeated Scud 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 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.(Farmanieh, Zaferanieh, Niavaran, etc)

Tehran in 2008

Climate

View of Mount Damavand as seen from the Dizin ski resort.

Under Köppen's climate classification, Tehran features a semiarid climate. Tehran's climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Alborz Mountains 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, pleasant in the 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, but relative humidity is generally low and the nights are cool. The majority of the light annual precipitation occurs from late-autumn to mid-spring, but no one month is particularly wet. The hottest month is July (mean minimum temperature 23°C, mean maximum temperature 36°C) and the coldest is January (mean minimum temperature -4°C, mean maximum temperature 6°C)
Although compared with 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 6 and 7) off for the capital.

Climate

View of Mount Damavand as seen from the Dizin ski resort.

Under Köppen's climate classification, Tehran features a semiarid climate. Tehran's climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Alborz Mountains 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, pleasant in the 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, but relative humidity is generally low and the nights are cool. The majority of the light annual precipitation occurs from late-autumn to mid-spring, but no one month is particularly wet. The hottest month is July (mean minimum temperature 23°C, mean maximum temperature 36°C) and the coldest is January (mean minimum temperature -4°C, mean maximum temperature 6°C)
Although compared with 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 6 and 7) off for the capital.

Climate data for Tehran
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Source: [1]

Demographics

See also: Demographics of Iran

Population of Tehran

The city of Tehran had a population of approximately 8 million 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). Today the majority of Tehran residents are known as Persians who speak various dialects of Persian corresponding to their places of origin, including Esfahani, Shirazi, Yazdi, Khuzestani, Dari, Judeo-Persian, etc. However, the main dialect of Iranians is pure Persian.

Other minority groups of Iran include Azeri, Kurds, Baluch, Qashqa'i, Armenian, Bakhtiari, Assyrian, Talysh, etc. There are also a number of a few long established linguistic minorities such as Punjabi-speaking traders from Punjab (India) and Romas as well as a small number of ethnic Georgians, who have resided in Northern Iran for centuries. A number of Arabic speakers of Iraqi and Lebanese 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, the United States, Japan, Australia, Sweden and other European countries. The highest Iranian emigration has been to the United States and Canada.

With the start of the Iran–Iraq War (1980-1988) following an Iraqi invasion, a second wave of inhabitants fled the city, especially during 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 and Iraq 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 sizable groups of Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Tehran who are reluctant to leave, being pessimistic about the situation in their respective country of origin. Afghan refugees are mostly Persian-speaking Hazara or Tajiks, speaking a dialect of Persian, and Iraqi refugees, who are mainly Shia Islam Mesopotamian 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, Zoroastrianism, Bahá'í Faith, Judaism, and Christianity (including the adherents of the Assyrian Church of the East, Armenian Apostolic Church, Roman Catholic Church, Chaldean Catholic Church, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Iranian Protestant churches, Kelisa-ye Khanegi-ye Iraniyan, Armenian Evangelical Church, Jama'at-e Rabbani (Assemblies of God), Armenian Brotherhood Church, Russian Orthodox Church, and the Presbyterian Church). There are also smaller groups of Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists, Mandeans, Spiritualists, Atheists, Azalis, Yazidis, Yarsan, Ismaili, Secular Muslims and followers of Mystic Islam.

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.

Location and subdivisions

Tehran county borders Shemiranat county to the north, Damavand county to the east, Eslamshahr, Pakdasht, and Ray counties to the south, and Karaj and Shahriar counties to the west.

Neighborhoods and districts of Tehran

Municipal 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, Afsariyeh, Amaniyeh, Amir Abad, Bagh Feiz, Baharestan, Darakeh, Darband, Dardasht, Dar Abad, Darrous, Dehkadeh Olampik, Ekhtiyariyeh, Elahiyeh, Evin, Farmanieh,Gheitariye, Gholhak, Gisha, Gomrok, Hasan Abad, Jamaran, Jannat Abad, Javadiyeh, Jomhuri, Jordan, Lavizan, Mehran, Narmak, Navab, Nazi Abad, Niavaran, Park-e Shahr, Pasdaran, Piroozi, Punak, Ray, Sa'adat Abad, Sadeghiyeh, Seyed Khandan, Sohrevardi, Shahrara, Shahr-e ziba, Shahrak-e Gharb, Shemiran, Tajrish, Tehranpars, Tehransar, Vanak, Velenjak, Yaft Abad, Yusef Abad, Zafaraniyeh, etc.

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

Older neighborhoods

Tehran's old city fabric changed dramatically during the Pahlavi era. Some of the older remaining (Qajar era) districts of Tehran are: Oud-lajan, Sangelaj, Bazaar, Chaleh Meydan, Doulat. Chaleh Meydan is the oldest neighborhood of the aforementioned. Districs during pahlavi era are: Sepah str.(imam khomeini , toup-khaneh sqr., Laleh-Zaar str. (the architecture of this street was European style) & Eslambol str. (shopping center of northern tehran) other old districs are : doushan-tappeh, doulab, sabzeh-meydan, seyed khandan, zarab-khaneh, galou-bandaak

Food and Restaurants

See also: Cuisine of Iran

Tehran has many modern and chic restaurants, serving both traditional Iranian and cosmopolitan cuisine. The most popular dish of the city is the chelow kabab (kabob/kebab is originally a Persian word meaning grill). However, Western-style fast food is becoming popular, especially with the younger generation. Pizza, sandwich and kebab shops make up the majority of other food outlets in the city.

Economy

See also: Economy of Iran

File:Teh Ir.jpg

Tehran Skyline

Tehran is the economic centre of Iran. 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 and its poor relations with the rest the world. But before the Islamic revolution many foreign 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, south of the city. Tehran has four airports, including Mehrabad International Airport, Imam Khomeini International Airport, 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, 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, has been one of the world's best performing stock exchanges in recent years.

Transportation

See also: Transport in Iran, List of Tehran metro stations, and Tehran Monorail

The metropolis of Tehran enjoys a huge network of highways (280 km) and of interchanges, ramps, and loops (180 km). In 2007 there were 130 kilometers of highways and 120 kilometers of ramps and loops under construction.

Airport

Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA).

Tehran is served by two airports. Mehrabad Airport, an old airport which doubles as a military base is used for domestic and pilgrimige flights. This airport is located in the Western part of the city. Imam Khomeini International Airport, located 50 kilometers (31 mi) south of the city, handles almost all international flights.

Metro

File:Tehran metroStation.jpg

Tehran Metro

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 the seven projected metro lines were opened. Tehran Metro has five operative lines and is 120 km long with another 3lines under construction. Tehran has the longest metro line in the Middle East and currently the fourth longest in Asia. The Tehran Metro is fast and convenient with average arrival time of 3 to 5 minutes at most stations.

Train

Building of Central train station by architect Vladislav Gorodetsky

Tehran also has a central train station with connecting services round the clock to various cities in the country. Tehran-Europe Train Line is active.

Bus

Tehran Bus Rapid Transit

Tehran has the most bus stops in Asia.Tehran Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) was officially inaugurated on 14 January 2008 by Tehran's mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in order to facilitate the motor traffic in Tehran. BRT has 3 lines with 60 stations in different city areas. Tehran's trolleybus was active in 1950s and it's the first trolleybus in Asia, but now there are only 10 trolleybuses active and the rest are kept in Tehran's Bus Museum. Tehran's bus transport system is active since the 1920s. There are four bus terminals that also provide connections at low rates. The terminals are located on the South, East, West, and Bei-haghi Park-Drive.

Streets

While the center of the city houses the government ministries and headquarters, the commercial centers are more located toward Valiasr Street (formerly known as Pahlavi street), Taleghani Ave, and Beheshti Ave further north. Although administratively separate, Rey, Shemiran, and Karaj are often considered part of the larger Tehran metropolitan area.

Pollution

See also: Environmental issues in Iran and Automotive industry in Iran

Alborz Mountains seen from Tehran on a day of relatively clean air.

Tehran suffers from severe air pollution and the city is often covered by smog 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. 80% of the city's pollution is due to cars. The remaining 20% is due to industrial pollution. In 2007 Iran imposed fuel rations but the plan has met little success in reducing the pollution levels.

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, 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; 3) Geographical: Tehran is bound in the north by the massive Alborz 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.

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. Furthermore, since 1979 the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has set up a "Traffic Zone" (طرح ترافیک) 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 (NO₂), ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO). The board also displays the Pollutant Standards Index (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.

Education and research

See also: Education in Iran, List of colleges and universities in Tehran, and Science in Iran

Dar ul-Funun, Iran's first Modern school, founded in 1851

Tehran University.

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

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, whom Jordan Avenue in Tehran is named after, was also one of the founding pioneers of the American College of Tehran. Among major educational institutions located in Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, 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 (Tehran Polytechnic), K.N.Toosi University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti University (Melli University), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Shahed University 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.

List

This is a list of Universities in Tehran Provience, sorted by date established:

• Shariaty Technical College
• University of Tehran
• Allameh Tabatabaii University
• Amirkabir University of Technology
• Alzahra University
• Baqiyatallah Medical Sciences University
• Iran University of Science and Technology
• Imam Hossein University
• Imam Sadeq University
• Iran University of Medical Sciences
• K.N.Toosi University of Technology
• Shahed University
• Shahid Beheshti University
• Tehran University of Medical Sciences
• Islamic Azad University
• Tarbiat Moaalem University
• Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics
• Payame Noor University
• Tarbiat Modares University

Sport

See also: Sport in Iran

Tehran was the first city in the Middle East to host the Asian Games. The 7th Asian Summer Games in 1974, was held with the participation of 2,363 athletes and officials from 25 countries.

Tochal Telecabin

.

Tehran is also the site of Iran's national football stadium on Azadi Sport Complex with 100,000 seating capacity. Azadi Football Stadium is biggest stadium in Iran and Middle East and one of the biggest in the World. Many of the top matches of Iran's Premier League are held here. In 2005, FIFA 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, Takhti Stadium, and Shahid Shirudi Stadium, among others.

File:Dizin05.jpg

International Snowboard championship in Dizin. The ski resort of Dizin is situated to the north of Tehran in the Alborz Mountains range.

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

Azadi Stadium is the fourth biggest stadium in the world.

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, Dizin, and Shemshak, all within one to three hours of Tehran.

Football

In Football (soccer), Tehran is the host to three major football clubs in Iran's Premier Football League, namely:

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Head Coach
Esteghlal F.C.	Football (soccer)	1945	Iran Pro League (IPL)	Samad Marfavi
Persepolis F.C.	Football (soccer)	1963	Iran Pro League (IPL)	Ali Daei
Steel Azin F.C.	Football (soccer)	2007	Iran Pro League (IPL)	Hamid Estili

Architecture and landmarks

Khalvat Karimkhani

File:Milad Tower at Night2.JPG

Milad Tower at Night

Tehran Skyline

See also Architecture of Tehran

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 period and before, some buildings still remain from Tehran's era of antiquity. Today Tehran is Iran's primate city, and has the most modernized infastructure in the country; however, the gentrification of old neighborhoods and the demolition of buildings of cultural significance has caused concerns.

The Azadi Tower has been the longstanding symbol of Tehran. It was constructured to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian empire, and was originally named "Shahyad Tower"; after the Iranian revolution, 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, 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. It is architecturally designed similar to Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise community of Clark County, Nevada, United States. 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. Tehran has a beautiful skyline with many midrise buildings and towers. In 2004, 200 cameramen took photos of Tehran's skyline from the mountains outside the city.

• Tehran International Tower, A.S.P complex 17371_216988286740_189445821740_3668745_855257_s.jpg
  Tehran International Tower, A.S.P complex 17371_216988286740_189445821740_3668745_855257_s.jpg
• Skyline of Tehran
  Skyline of Tehran
• 
  Azadi Tower (Freedom tower)

Tourism and attractions

See also: Tourism in Iran

The Achaemenid collection of The National Museum of Iran in Tehran.

Tehran, as Iran's showcase and capital city, has a wealth of cultural attractions. The Peacock Throne of the Persian Kings (Shahs) can be found in Tehran's Golestan Palace. Some of the well-known museums are National Museum of Iran, Sa'dabad Palaces Complex, Glassware and Ceramics Museum of Iran, The Carpet Museum of Iran, Tehran's Underglass painting Museum, and Niavaran Palace Complex. The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art features the works of great artists such as Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol. The collection of these paintings was selected by the former Empress Farah Diba.

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

Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) Is known to the International Publishing World as the most important publishing event in Asia and the Middle East.

Recreation

File:Laleh park jonub.jpg

Laleh Park's southwestern entrance with a statue of Biruni, a medieval Persian astronomer.

The most popular social activity, especially among the younger generation is cinema. Most cinema theatres are located downtown. The Azadi Cinema was inaugurated in 2008. It is the largest cinema theatre in Tehran with ten salons. The Iram Zoo and Iram City Game are also popular meeting points, especially for families with children. A new larger zoo is planned for 2010.

Artists often mingle at the House Of Artists. Theatre Shahr was opened in 1962. It is the largest theatre in Tehran and the Middle East. Tehran TV 1, Tehran Cinema TV, Omid TV and Tehran Show TV are among the most popular TV stations in Tehran. Tehran TV2, Tehran TV3 and Tehran Sport are planned to be launched in 2010.

The following table shows some places for outdoors activities in Tehran:

Tochal Ski resort	Darband hiking trail	Chitgar Park	Niavaran Park	Sa'ei Park	Daneshju Park	Goft-o-gū Park
Mellat Park	Laleh Park	Jamshidieh Park	Shatranj Park	Darabad hiking trail	Darakeh hiking trail	Jahan-e Kudak Park
Azadi sports complex	Enghelab Sports Complex and Golf course	Latyan Lake	Lavizan Forest Park	Vardavard Forest Park	Khajeer National Park	Kavir National Park
Tar Lake	Amir Kabir Lake	Lar Protected Natural Habitat	Varjeen Protected Natural Habitat	Pardisan	Tangeh Savashi	Farahzad

Religious Centers

Hosseiniye Ershad.

• Hosseiniye Ershad
• 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.
• Dozens of Saqa Khanehs: traditional places of prayer
• Several Tekyehs: traditional places for mourning Muharram ceremonies for Husayn ibn Ali.
• Ebn-e Babooyeh cemetery, where many Iranian giants such as Takhti and Ali Akbar Dehkhoda are buried.
• Zahir o-dowleh cemetery, where many Iranian giants of art and culture such as Iraj Mirza, Mohammad Taghi Bahar, Forough Farrokhzad, Abolhasan Saba, Ruhollah Khaleghi, and Darvish-khan are buried.
• Kordan Tomb, Seljuqi era, Karaj.
• Maydanak Tomb, 13th century, Karaj
• The Polish Cemetery 1-north of Tehran in British Gholhak Garden, where numerous World War II 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

Saint Sarkis Armenian Cathedral in Tehran cnr Nejatollahi and Karim Khan-e Zand Sts, Valiasr Sq Area

• Sarkis Cathedral, 1970
• Saint George Church, 1790
• Thaddeus Bartholimeus Church, 1808
• Tatavus Church, from the Qajar era
• Enjili Church, 1867
• Assyrian Church
• Sarbaz Church
• Armenian Church
• Tree Church
• Holy Church
• Star Church

Synagogues

• Abdollah Zadeh Synagogue
• Abrishami Synagogue
• Bagh Saba Synagogue
• Ettefagh Synagogue
• Ettehad Synagogue
• Haim Synagogue
• Fakhrabad Synagogue
• Kohan Synagogue
• Kourosh Synagogue
• Lubian Synagogue
• Pole Choobi Synagogue
• Mahariv Synagogue
• Nosrat Synagogue
• Rafi Nia Synagogue
• Rah-e Danesh Synagogue
• Synagogue of Gisha
• Tafian (Hakim)(Pesyan) Synagogue
• Yusef Abad Synagogue
• Zargarian Synagogue

Sister cities

	Country	City
	United States	Los Angeles
	United States	New York City
	Canada	Toronto
	India	New Delhi
	India	Mumbai
	India	Agra
	China	Beijing
	United Kingdom	London
	Syria	Damascus
	Cuba	Havana
	South Korea	Seoul
	South Korea	Busan
	South Africa	Pretoria
	Russia	Saint Petersburg
	Russia	Moscow
	Belarus	Minsk
	UAE	Dubai
	Philippines	Manila
	Venezuela	Caracas
	Afghanistan	Kabul
	Brazil	Brasilia
	France	Paris
	Germany	Berlin
	Kuwait	Kuwait
	Israel	Jerusalem
	Sudan	Khartoum
	Yemen	Sanaa
	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh
	Saudi Arabia	Jeddah
	Indonesia	Jakarta
	Australia	Sydney
	Japan	Tokyo
	Mexico	Mexico City
	Indonesia	Jakarta
	Egpyt	Cairo
	Greece	Athens
	Indonesia	Jakarta
	Lebanon	Beirut
	El Salvador	San Salvador
	Sweden	Stockholm
	Norway	Oslo
	Nigeria	Lagos
	North Korea	Pyongyang
	Pakistan	Karachi
	Pakistan	Islamabad
	Pakistan	Lahore

Events

• 1974 Asian Games: The 7th 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. 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 was the sixth edition of the Asian Nations Cup, the football (soccer) championship of Asia (AFC). It was hosted by Iran. The field of six teams was split into two groups of three. Iran won their third title in a row, beating Kuwait in the final 1-0.
• 1997 1st West Asian Games: The 1st West Asian Games 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

Panoramic view from Tehran

Panoramic view from Tehran at night

See also

• Architecture of Tehran
• Azadi Tower
• Bagh-e Ferdows
• Bagh-e Melli
• City Council of Tehran
• Economy of Iran
• List of colleges and universities in Tehran
• Milad Tower
• Tehran International Fairgrounds
• Tehran Stock Exchange
• Template:Wikitravelpar
• Tourism in Iran
• International rankings of Iran

External links

• Google Map: Tehran
• Map of Tehran
• Tehran Photos & Videos
• Tehran Daily Photos
• Some photographs of Chāleh Meydān, Tehran by Kāmrān Adl, Iran Journal of Architecture (click on photographs to see caption)
• Some photographs of Ettehādieh, Tehran, by Kāmrān Adl, Iran Journal of Architecture (click on photographs to see caption)
• Tehran, Iran Photo Set by Shapour Bahrami
• Iran's Peace Museum in Tehran
• Tehran Photos
• Iran Travels
• 21st-Century Tehran in Seven Photos by World Hum
• Iran Guide
• Persia Car
• Tehran today - Part I Part II Part III (PressTV documentary)

Official

• Tehran Municipality website
• Tehran Geographic Information Center
• Tehran Traffic Control Center
• Information Center of Tehran Businesses and Locales
• Official Tehran Yellow pages (Ketabe Avval)
• Urban Tehran Documentary Photographs by K. Reshad

Underground

• Independent Art Media and Basement on Tehran Downtown
• Urban Art report
• Pop and Rock Music releases and reviews
• O21 Persian Hiphop Crew
• Tehran Photo Gallery
• Photos of Old Tehran