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35°41′46″N 51°25′23″E / 35.69611°N 51.42306°E / 35.69611; 51.42306

Tehran تهران Tehrān
Metropolis
File:Tehran-Montage.png
Official seal of TehranSeal
Country	Iran
Province	Tehran
County	Tehran County Rey County Shemiranat County
Government
• Mayor	Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf
Area
• Metropolis	730 km (282 sq mi)
• Metro	18,814 km (7,264 sq mi)
Elevation	1,200 m (3,900 ft)
Population
• Density	10,327.6/km (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 of Iran and Tehran Province. With a population of 18,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the 19th largest city in the world.

Tehran is the centre of most Iranian industries including automotive, electrical, military, weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical. Tehran is also a leading centre for the sale of carpets and furniture. There is an oil refinery located south of the city.

In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to mass-migration of people from all around Iran. Tehran has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions, notably a sizable Armenian community. Many languages are spoken within its boundaries as a result. The city is home to 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. In 2009, Tehran was the 33rd most expensive city in the world. Furthermore globally it stands 19th by city population, 56th by the size of its GDP and 29th by the population of its metropolitan area.

History

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.

In the 1920s and 30's, the city essentially was started from scratch under the rule of the Shah of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi. Reza 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 buildings with pre-islamic Iranian style, such as the National Bank, Police Headquarter, Telegraph Office and Military Academy 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 examples of Persian Gardens also became targets to new construction projects.

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.

In the 1960s and 70's Tehran was rapidly developing under the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Modern Buildings altered the face of Tehran and ambitious projects were envisioned for the following decades. The majority of these projects were stopped by the Islamic Revolution 1979, with few elements of them, such as the Milad Tower, being built under the new regime decades later.

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.)

Climate

Tehran features a semi-arid, continental climate (Köppen climate classification BSk). 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 26°C, mean maximum temperature 36°C) and the coldest is January (mean minimum temperature -1°C, mean maximum temperature 8°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 43°C and the record low is -15°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.

Demographics

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. A number of Arabic speakers of Iraqi and Lebanese origin also live in Tehran, and Arab people from Syria, Khuzestan and Kuwait too. 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.

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.

Because of the theocratic government of the country, The majority of Tehranis are believed to be the followers of Twelver Shia Islam which is also the state religion but it can not be confirmed independently for lack of independent statistics. 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 Mystic Islam. Also there are atheists living in Tehran.

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, half of the city (northern area) remains the most liberal in the nation, a fact that attracts many youngsters from elsewhere to study in the capital.

Tehran has a reported 58% depressed population, 400 thousand addicts and 14% unemployed.

Capital relocation

Plan to move the capital has been discussed many times in prior years. In 2010, the government of Iran announced that "for security and administrative reasons" the plan to move capital from Tehran has been finalized. The Majlis named Shahroud and Semnan as two of main candidates to replace Tehran as the capital. There are plans to relocate 163 state firms to the provinces and several universities from Tehran to avoid damages from a potential earthquake. President Ahmadinejad suggested that 5 million residents should migrate out of Tehran.

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

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, Fereshteh, 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, Pamena. Chaleh Meydan is the oldest neighborhood of the aforementioned. Districts during Pahlavi era are: Sepah str. (Imam Khomeini), Toopkhaneh, Laleh-Zaar str. (the architecture of this street was European style) & Eslambol str. (shopping center of northern Tehran). Other old districts are : Doushan-Tappeh, Doulab, Sabzeh-Meydan, Seyed Khandan, Zarab-Khaneh, Galou-Bandaak.

Food and restaurants

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

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. 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

Airport

Tehran is served by two airports. Mehrabad Airport, an old airport which doubles as a military base is used for domestic and pilgrimage 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

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 eight projected metro lines were opened. Tehran Metro has four operative lines and is 120 km long with another two lines under construction. Tehran has the longest metro line in the Middle East and currently the fourth longest in Asia.

Train

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 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.

Highways and streets

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

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

Also this a list of Tehran streets named after international personalities:

• Jordan Boulevard - high-profile boulevard in northern Tehran (renamed after the revolution)
• Anatole France Street - eastern side of the Unversity of Tehran (renamed after the revolution)
• Henri Corbin Street - downtown Tehran
• Edward Browne Street - near the Unversity of Tehran
• Roosevelt Avenue - eastern side of (former) U.S. Embassy which was named when he attended the Teheran Conference in 1943 (renamed after the revolution)
• Churchill Street - northern side of British Embassy which was named when he attended the Teheran Conference in 1943 (renamed after the revolution)
• Stalin Street - southern side of Russian Embassy which was named when he attended the Teheran Conference in 1943 (renamed after the revolution)
• Elizabeth II Boulevard - a main boulevard in downtown Tehran (renamed after the revolution)
• Eisenhower Avenue - a main avenue in western Tehran (renamed after the revolution)
• Kennedy Square - western Tehran (renamed after the revolution)
• Goethe Street - downtown Tehran (renamed after the revolution)
• Atatürk Expressway - western Tehran (renamed after the revolution)
• De Gaulle Expressway - western Tehran (renamed after the revolution)
• Gandhi Street - northern Tehran
• Muhammad Ali Jinnah Expressway - western Tehran
• Iqbal Lahori Street - eastern Tehran
• Patrice Lumumba Street - western Tehran
• Bobby Sands Street - western side of British Embassy

Pollution

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

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 Province:

• University of Tehran
• Sharif University of Technology
• Shahid Rajayee Teacher Training University
• Shariaty Technical College
• 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
• Science and Culture University

Sport

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.

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.

The ski resort of Dizin is situated to the north of Tehran in the Alborz Mountains. Tochal Ski Resort 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 and is probably the longest line in the world. 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.

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:

Architecture and landmarks

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. There have been no major quakes in Tehran since 1830.

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.

Tourism and attractions

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

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:

Religious Centers

• Shahr Banu Mausoleum
• Javan-Mard Qassab Mausoleum, a pre-Islamic semi-mythical hero
• Dozens of Imamzadeh 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 Babveyh cemetery, where many Iranian giants such as Takhti and Ali Akbar Dehkhoda are buried.
• Zahir-ud-Dowleh cemetery, in Tajrish, 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, Seljuk era, Karaj.
• Meidanak Tomb, 13th c., Karaj
• The Polish Cemetery 1-north of Tehran in Qolhak, British Embassy Garden, where numerous World War II western Allied soldiers are buried. 2- Polish Cemetery (Catholic Cemetery) in Dulab, south-east of Tehran
• Orthodox Cemetery, Dulab/The Russian Unknown Soldier's Tomb (Cenotaph) is located here with a red star over it
• Tower of Silence (Dakhmeh-ye Gabrha). Located on Moshirieh Road behind 7th unit of Tehran Cement Plant. It is circular in shape.
• Naghareh Khaneh Tower. Located on a mountain with same name in HaftDastgah District, beside Aminabad 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 was a royal cemetery and was used in the early years of the Islamic era.

Mosques and Madrasehs

• Old Jame Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 1662 (1072 AH)
• Royal (Shah) Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 1810-1825 (1225-1240 AH)
• Old SepahSalar Mosque and Madraseh - Marvi St. - 1861 (1277 AH)
• New SepahSalar Mosque and Madraseh - Baharestan Sq. - 1879-1892 (1296-1309 AH)
• Haj RajabAli Mosque - Buzarjomehri St. - 1836 (1252 AH)
• Sheikh AbdulHussein Mosque and Madraseh - Pachenar - 1854 (1270 AH)
• Haj Seyed Azizullah Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - Early 19th c.
• Aqa Mahmud Mosque - Marvi St. - 1828 (1243 AH)
• Beinul-Haramein Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 1835 (1251 AH)
• Sanee-Divan Mosque - Shahpur Ave. - 1915 (1333 AH)
• Khazen-ul-Mulk Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 1876 (1293 AH)
• Seraj-ul-Mulk Mosque - AmirKabir Ave. - 1886 (1303 AH)
• Haj Abulfath Mosque and Madraseh - Rey St. - 1888-1894 (1305-1312 AH)
• Saheb-Divan Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 1885 (1302 AH)
• HemmatAbad Mosque - Sepah Ave. - 1906 (1324 AH)
• Moezz-ud-Dowleh Mosque - Iran St. - 1899 (1317 AH)
• Moshir-us-Saltaneh Mosque - Mowlavi Ave. - 1900 (1318 AH)
• Aqa Mosque - Buzarjomehri St. - 1863 (1280 AH)
• Behbahani Mosque - Buzarjomehri St. - 1893 (1311 AH)
• Haj Esmail Mosque - Shah Sq. - 1896 (1314 AH)
• Haj Abulfath Me'mar Mosque - Emamzadeh Yahya - 1886 (1303 AH)
• Kharaqaniha Mosque - Rey St. - Mid 19th c.
• Sanee-ud-Dowleh Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - Mid 19th c.
• Malek Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - Early 19th c.
• Agha Bahram Mosque - Pamenar St. - 19th c.
• Amin-ud-Dowleh Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 19th c.
• Aqsa Mosque and Madraseh - Mowlavi Ave. - 19th c.
• Pamenar Mosque - Pamenar St. - 19th c.
• Chalanchi Khan Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 1837 (1253 AH)
• Aqa Jalal Mosque - Rey St. - 19th c.
• Haj SaqaBashi Mosque - Iran St. - Early 20th c.
• Haj Seif-ud-Dowleh - Zahir-ul-Eslam St. - 19th c.
• DabbaghKhaneh Mosque - Buzarjomehri St. - 19th c.
• Saheb-Jam Mosque - Saheb-Jam St. - 19th c.
• Majd-ud-Dowleh Mosque - Sepah St. - 19th c.
• Moayyer-ul-Mamalek Mosque and Madraseh - Khayyam Ave. - 1873 (1290 AH)
• Monirieh Mosque - Qazvin Ave. - Early 20th c.
• Niaki Mosque - Pamenar St. - 19th c.
• Haft-Tan Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 19th c.
• Haft-Dokhtaran Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 19th c.
• ChaharSuq Bozorg Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 19th c.
• ChaharSuq Kuchak Mosque - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 19th c.
• Khan-e-Marvi Madraseh - Mavi St. - 19th c.
• Abdullah Khan Madraseh - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 1861 (1277 AH)
• Asefieh Madraseh - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 1861 (1277 AH)
• Dangi Madraseh - Pamenar St. - 19th c.
• QanbarAli Khan Madraseh - Cyrus Ave. - 1871 (1288 AH)
• Saneeieh Madraseh - Emamzadeh Yahya - 1886 (1303 AH)
• Kazemieh Madraseh - Emamzadeh Yahya - 1881 (1298 AH)
• Philsuf-ud-Dowleh - Tehran Grand Bazaar - 19th c.
• Hosseineh Ershad - ZarrabKhaneh - 1960s
• Al-Javad Mosque - 20th c.

Churches

• Saint Sarkis Cathedral (Surp Sarkis) Armenian Apostolic Cathedral and Prelacy - KarimKhan Blvd. - 1970
• Saint George (Surp Gevork) Armenian Apostolic Church - Shahpur Ave. - 1795
• Sts. Thaddeus-Bartholomew (Surp Tadevos-Bartoghimevos) Armenian Apostolic Church - Tehran Grand Bazaar) - 1768
• Saint Minas (Surp Minas) Armenian Apostolic Church - Vanak - 1854
• Holy Mary (Surp Asdvadzadzin) Armenian Apostolic Church - Qavam St. - 1945
• Holy Translators (Surp Targmanchats) Armenian Apostolic Church - Vahidieh - 1868
• Saint Gregory the Illuminator (Surp Grigor Lusavoritch) Armenian Apostolic Church - Majidieh - 1982
• Saint Vardan (Surp Vardanantz) Armenian Apostolic Church - Heshmatieh - 1986
• Saint John (Surp Hovhannes) Chapel - Dulab Armenian Cemetery - 1936
• Saint Stephen (Surp Stepanos) Chapel - Nor Burastan Armenian Cemetery - 1974
• Holy Cross (Surp Khatch) Chapel - Ararat Stadium - 1987
• Saint Gregory the Illuminator (Surp Grigor Lusavoritch) Armenian Catholic Church - Ghazali St. - 1954
• Saint Joseph (Surp Hovsep) Armenian Catholic Church - Mirdamad Blvd. - 1963
• Holy Mary (Surp Asdvadzadzin) Armenian Catholic Church - Yusefabad
• Armenian Catholic Chapel - Dulab Armenian Catholic Cemetery - 1946
• Saint John (Surp Hovhannes) Armenian Protestant Church - Nader Shah Ave. - 1964
• Armenian Evangelical Brotherhood Church - Aban St. - 1970
• Saint George (Mar Gevargiz) Assyrian Church of the East - Bagh-e-Shah - 1962
• Holy Mary (Mart Maryam) Assyrian Church of the East - Sarbaz St. - 1978
• Saint Joseph (Mar Yozef) Chaldean Catholic Church - Forsat St. - 1950
• Holy Virgin Chaldean Catholic Church - Appadana St.
• Chaldean Catholic Chapel - Eslamshahr Catholic Cemetery - 1967
• St. Thomas (Mar Toma) Assyrian Evangelical Church - Amirabad - 1967
• Assyrian Brotherhood Church - ShahrAra St.
• Holy Heart of Christ Roman Catholic Church - Old Shemiran Road - 1920
• Holy Mary Roman Catholic Church - France St. - 1937
• St. Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc) Roman Catholic Church (Lazarists) - Manuchehri St. - 1945
• Abraham Roman Catholic Church (Dominicans) - Jamalzadeh St. - 1962
• St. Peter Protestant Church (American) - Qavam St. - 1873
• German Protestant Church - Yakhchal St. - 1963
• Emmanuel Protestant Church - Tavanir St. - 1972
• St. Paul Anglican Church - Hafez St. - 1967
• Seventh-Day Adventist Church - Rasht St. - 1955
• Jama'at-e Rabbani (Assemblies of God) Church - Takht-e-Jamshid Ave. - 1971
• Holy Mary Greek Orthodox Church - Roosevelt St. - 1941
• St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, Tehran - Roosevelt St. - 1945
• Russian Orthodox Chapel - Dulab Russian Cemetery

Synagogues

• AbdullahZadeh Synagogue
• Abrishami Synagogue
• Bagh-e Saba Synagogue
• Ettefagh Synagogue
• Ettehad Synagogue
• Haim Synagogue
• Fakhrabad Synagogue
• Kohan Synagogue
• Kurosh Synagogue
• Lubian Synagogue
• Pol-e Choobi Synagogue
• Ma'ariv Synagogue
• Nosrat Synagogue
• RafeeNia Synagogue
• Rah-e Danesh Synagogue
• Synagogue of Gisha
• Tafian (Hakim) Synagogue
• Yusefabad Synagogue
• Zargarian Synagogue

Sister cities

	Country	City
	United States	Los Angeles
	Russia	Moscow
	South Korea	Seoul
	UAE	Dubai
	Philippines	Manila
	Belarus	Minsk

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 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.
• 2010 West Asian Games: Tehran will be the host city for the 4th West Asian Games that will be held in a few months.

Pictures

Panoramic view

See also

• Architecture of Tehran
• A.S.P. Towers
• 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

References

1. Statistical Center of Iran - 2006 Census
2. Tehran Municipality, Atlas of Tehran Metropolis
3. Tehran Oil Refining Company Official Website. Tehran Oil Refining Company Official Website
4. http://www.citymayors.com/features/cost_survey.html
5. http://esa.un.org/wup2009/unup/index.asp?panel=2
6. http://www.citymayors.com/statistics/urban_2006_1.html
7. Behrooz, Samira; Karampour, Katayoun. A Research on Adaptation of Historic Urban Landscapes ; The Case of The Historical City of Tehran. Tehran Historical City Office.
8. Climate of Tehran
9. Heavy Snowfall in Tehran (in Persian)
10. http://www.sci.org.ir/content/userfiles/_census85/census85/natayej/
11. http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jul/1007.html
12. http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jun/1244.html
13. ^ http://www.payvand.com/news/10/may/1322.html
14. britannica.com, accessed: June 2009.
15. csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/081006_iran_nuclear.pdf
16. BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3129995.stm
17. Tehran. An Educational Website about Tehran
18. هر روز 27 تهرانی به دليل آلودگی هوا می ميرند. September 18, 2006
19. Iran smog 'kills 3,600 in month'. BBC News Online. January 9, 2007
20. http://www.payvand.com/news/09/jan/1007.html
21. http://www.tochal.org/en/telecabin_introduction.asp
22. Esteghlal F.C. Official Website. Esteghlal F.C.
23. Persepolis F.C. Official Website. Persepolis F.C.
24. Tehran Capital City of Iran. Tehran
25. The Style of Tehran. Library of Congress. Accessed 04-13-2008.
26. Milad Tower Official Website. Milad Tower
27. "Women to blame for earthquakes, says Iran cleric". The Guardian. 2010-04-19.
28. ^ Tehran International Tower Website. Tehran International Tower Website
29. tibf, accessed June 2009.
30. Sarkis Cathedral, Tehran - Lonely Planet Travel Guide
31. http://www.lacity.org/SisterCities/html/11.htm
32. http://el.mos.ru/cgi-bin/pbl_web?vid=2&osn_id=0&id_rub=2368&news_unom=35877
33. http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200707/200707110009.html
34. http://en.wikipedia.org/Dubai
35. "Sister Cities of Manila". © 2008-2009 City Government of Manila. Retrieved 2009-09-02. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
36. http://minsk.gov.by/ru/org/?k_org=3604&mode=doc&doc=3604_2_a&lang=eng
37. 7th Asian Games. Asian Games
38. AFC Asian Cup. AFC Asian Cup
39. West Asian Games. West Asian Games

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 Cinema Agency
• 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
• Photos of Daily Life in Tehran

Articles Related to Tehran

v t e Main neighborhoods of Tehran Urbanism in Iran: Tehran North Aghdasieh Almahdi Lavizan Ajodanieh Chizar Darakeh Darband Darrous Davoodiyeh Doulat Ekhtiarieh Elahieh Farmanieh Gheytarieh Gholhak Jamaran Jordan Kamranieh Mahmoodieh Mehran Niavaran Pasdaran Shemiran Tajrish Vanak Valiasr Velenjak Zafaraniyeh West Ekbatan Apadana Complex Bagh Feiz Farahzad Gisha Jannat Abad Punak Sa'adat Abad Sadeghiyeh Shahrak-e Gharb Shahran Shahrara Shahr-e ziba Tarasht Tehransar Central Abbas Abad Amir Abad Baharestan Enqelab Street Bazar Hasan Abad Jomhuri Keshavarz Boulevard Park-e Shahr Seyed Khandan Toopkhaneh Yusef Abad East Afsariyeh Lavizan Narmak Tehranpars Tehranno Piroozi South Khorasan Gomrok Javadiyeh Khavaran Navvab Nazi Abad Rey Yaft Abad  Geographic locale Lat. and Long. 35°41′46″N 51°25′23″E / 35.69611°N 51.42306°E / 35.69611; 51.42306 Template:List of attractions in Tehran v t e Counties of Tehran province Damavand Eslamshahr Firuzkuh Malard Pakdasht Pishva Rey Robat-Karim Shahr-e Qods Shahriar Shemiranat Tehran Varamin v t e Capitals of Asia Dependent territories and states with limited recognition are in italics Central Asia South Asia Southeast Asia West Asia Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Astana, Kazakhstan Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Dushanbe, Tajikistan Tashkent, Uzbekistan East Asia Beijing, China Pyongyang, North Korea Seoul, South Korea Taipei, Taiwan Tokyo, Japan Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia North Asia Moscow, Russia Camp Thunder Cove, BIOT (UK) * Dhaka, Bangladesh Islamabad, Pakistan Kabul, Afghanistan Kathmandu, Nepal Malé, Maldives New Delhi, India Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka Thimphu, Bhutan Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Bangkok, Thailand Dili, East Timor Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island (Australia) Hanoi, Vietnam Jakarta, Indonesia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Manila, Philippines Naypyidaw, Myanmar Phnom Penh, Cambodia Singapore Vientiane, Laos West Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Australia) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Amman, Jordan Ankara, Turkey Baghdad, Iraq Baku, Azerbaijan Beirut, Lebanon Damascus, Syria Doha, Qatar Episkopi Cantonment, Akrotiri and Dhekelia (UK) Jerusalem, Israel * Kuwait City, Kuwait Manama, Bahrain Muscat, Oman Nicosia, Cyprus North Nicosia, Northern Cyprus * Ramallah, Palestine (de facto) * Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sanaa, Yemen Sukhumi, Abkhazia * Tbilisi, Georgia Tehran, Iran Tskhinvali, South Ossetia * Yerevan, Armenia * Disputed. See: Chagos Archipelago sovereignty dispute, Cyprus dispute, Status of Jerusalem, Abkhaz-Georgian conflict and Georgian-Ossetian conflict v t e World's 50 most-populous urban areas     Tokyo Jakarta Delhi Guangzhou–Foshan Mumbai Manila Shanghai Seoul Cairo Mexico City Kolkata São Paulo New York Karachi Dhaka Bangkok Beijing Moscow Shenzhen Buenos Aires Los Angeles Johannesburg-Pretoria Bengaluru Chengdu Ho Chi Minh City Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto Lagos Istanbul Lahore Kinshasa–Brazzaville Tehran Chongqing Rio de Janeiro Xi'an Chennai Paris Zhengzhou Luanda London Dongguan Lima Wuhan Bogotá Tianjin Hyderabad Taipei Hangzhou Nagoya Surabaya Bandung

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• Populated places in Tehran Province
• Capitals in Asia
• Populated places along the Silk Road
• Tehran
• Iranian provincial capitals
• Economy of Iran