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Tehran, is situated on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains. It lies at an elevation of 1,1000 meters above the Caspian Sea level and it is the vastest and the most populous city of Iran and also ranks among the prominent cities of the world.
Park e Laleh _ Tehran
Tehran which means, “ warm slope”, was a village in the suburb of the ancient
Iranian capital of Ray, and after the fall of Ray by the Mongols in 1220
A.D., its residents moved to Tehran and the foundation for it to become a city
was thus laid. Little is known about Tehran before 1220 A.D.
After the gain of power by the safavid Dynasty (1502-1736), Tehran attracted the
attention of Shah Tahmasb (I), (reigned 1524-76), son of Shah Ismeal, the
founder of the Safavid Dynasty, who was going on a pilgrimage to Imamzadeh
Hamzeh, crossing through this region. In 961/1553, he ordered the construction
of walls around Tehran with 114 forts, matching the number of Suras in Quran.
Length of these walls measured to 6000 paces. Shah Abbas appointed a chief
magistrate for Tehran, and furthermore ordered the planting of a plane-tree
grove, the site of which later became the Arg of Tehran (Tehran Citadel).
From this point on, Tehran joined the ranks of the Safavid Dynasty cities; a
city with walls comprised of 114 forts and
renowned
gates, namely:
The Shah Abdoul-Azim Gate
The Doolab Gate
The Shemiran Gate
The Qazvin Gate & The
Bagh_e_Melli Gate
The last of which still remains today with the decorative Gate of Bagh-e-Melli in the administrative section of the capital. Tehran remained relatively unimportant until the end of the 18th century when it was made the capital by Agha Mohammad Khan, the founder of the Qajar Dynasty, who was crowned here in 1795. It was expanded by his successor Fath-Ali Shah who built the Golestan Palace.
The Holy Shrine Of Shah Abdoul Azim
Sight seeng in Great Tehran
Today, Tehran is a modern metropolis, a magnet for tourists,
and hub of a great culture with its numerous museums, including the superb
Archaeological Museum, with its prehistoric, historic and Islamic sections, the
Abguineh Glass and the Reza Abbasi Calligraphy museums, and also the several
museums housed on the
Sa’ad
Abad Palace grounds, (which used to be the Shah’s summer
residence is now the greatest cultural complex in modern Tehran consisting of
seven palace-museums), plus the State Jewels of Iran
which holds one of the most fabulous collections of treasures in the world. The
Iranian still identifies with the bazaar
as a place that is traditional, vital
and truly Persian, and Tehran boasts one of the richest and longest bazaars in
Iran with six miles of covered passages. The promenades around Tehran particularly the Alborz mountains and the
rivers’ attract a good number of visitors on holidays. The ski slopes of Dizin
and Shemshak are the venues of skiers. Karaj lake is a site of yachting and
water-skiing. Tehran is immense and displays spacious and spectacular natural
beauties, high mountain terrain’s with some peaks more than 17000 feet high,
many rivers and streams, as well as a modern cosmopolitan city. The first sight
of Iran a visitor gets on arrival is the national monument
Azadi Tower (freedom
tower) which is the master gate way to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Azadi Tower
is colossal without heaviness, wind filled like a sail surfing into the future,
and with pyramid structure as solid as the history of Iran. Tehran has many
archaeological museums, Crown Jewels, Ethnological, Carpet, Ceramic and Glass,
Reza Abbasi (collection of Persian art treasures), and Sa’ad Abad (the Palace of
the former Shah).
Please click on the pictures to
see enlarge)
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Old Tehran Gate( sar dar e Bagh e Melli) |
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Golestan palace, Qajar royal residence, 1780 to 1941 A.D. Decorated with mirror work and some of the priceless crown jewels put on show, side by side. |
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Stone Garden( Park e Jamshidieh) & Darakeh | ||
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Darakeh a popular mountain trail north of Tehran. |
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The sea of light, 182 carat, the world's largest pink diamond. National Jewel's museum, the richest and most dazzling treasury in the world. | ||
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Azadi (One of the most beautiful monument in the word). |
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Hemmat Highway & kurdestan free way |
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Park e Laleh |
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Kilan, one of the most beautiful village near Tehran. | ||
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Damavand is the highest peak on the Iranian Plateau at about 5600 meters elevation. It is a majestic volcano near Tehran.. It makes up part of the spectacular backdrop of the capital city Tehran. | ||
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More pictures from Tehran. |
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Three factors play an effective role in the climate of Tehran:
Alborz mountains, the western humid currents, and the latitude.As a matter of
fact, Alborz mountains make the weather in Tehran moderate. In northern Tehran,
the weather is moderate and mountainous, and in plains it is semi-arid. A major
part of precipitation takes place in winter.Average annual rainfall stands at
200 millimeters.
The cold season usually begins in December, but in the mountainous regions, it
begins earlier. The cold season lasts 3 or 4 months. In mid-March, the weather
grows warm. In late April, the weather
begins to grow warm at a faster pace, so that in mid-May, it is rather hot.
In the late Safavid period, upon the order of Shah Suleiman, a
splendid building was erected at the site of Chenarestan-I Shah Abbassi (the
Shah Abbassi Plane-Tree Grove) where Shah Sultan Hussein (reigned 1664-1722) of
the Safavid Dynasty, during the final years of his reign, spent some time there
and received the ambassador from Sultan Ahmad, Ottoman ruler.
The Afghan selected the city citadel as their living quarters, and as an
escaping measure, they constructed a bridge over the moat of the northern side
of the citadel safeguarded by a gate called Arg. This very gate later became the
site of the ruins on which the Dowlat Gate was erected.
With the fall of the power into the hands of Nadir Shah (Reigned 1736-1747), the
Afghans realized that they lacked the military strength to confront his forces
and the danger that was impending, so they decided to ravage the city and
massacre its inhabitants; that they did, and left behind numerous corps, many
homeless, and a large number of ruined structures.
In the year 1643, Nadir Shah bestowed Tehran to his son, Reza Qoli Mirza, as a
fief. Approximately 20 years later, Karim Khan-e Zand (reigned 1750-1779), the
founder of the Zand Dynasty, in order to continue his fight against Mohammad
Hassan Khan Qajar (chief of the Qavanlu clan of the Qajars), captured the city
and made it his military headquarters.
In 1764, he ordered the construction of a large Diwankhaneh (government
headquarters building) and a harem (seraglio), with its own surrounding walls
and moats, inside the compound of the Tehran citadel.
Agha Mohammad Khan, in 1200/1785, designated Tehran as his capital city, and
after the elimination of all his rivals and enemies, he was formally crowned as
Shah at the Tehran Citadel. From this point on and until the fall of the Qajars,
Tehran carried the title of Dar-ol Khelafeh (the seat of the caliphate) bestowed
upon it by Agha Mohammad Khan. He was succeeded by his nephew Fath Ali Shah
(reigned 1797-1834).
During Fath Ali’s reign, Tehran gradually improved and became more developed.
New buildings were erected and the population began and upward trend with
speculations that Tehran’s population, in those years, was some where between 15
to 20 thousand. During the reign intervals of
Fath Ali Shah and his successor Mohammad Shah (reigned 1834-48) and until the
beginning of Naser ed-Din Shah’s (reigned 1848-96) Tehran witnessed a three to
four times population increase as well as ythe formation of new architectural
structures including the Marmar (Marble) Ivan or Diwankhaneh va Darol Emareh
(the government head quarters and the governor’s seat), for the construction of
which, the major materials were acquired from the Karim Khan’s Vakil Palace in
Shiraz. Other monuments from this period were: the Golestan Garden and Palace,
the Qajar Palace, the Khorroji Building, the Negarestan Garden and Palace, the
Soltani Mosque, and a number of other splendid and luxurious structure, which
were mainly used for the accommodation of nobles, generals and foreign
ambassadors.
Tehran’s truly remarkable growth coincided with the reign of Naser ed-Din Shah.
The population of the city, over the course of a five-year period, increased as
much as three to four times. The number of people that lived in Tehran amounted
to 155,736. Tehran at that time embodied the districts of Arg. Udlajan, Chal
Maydan, Sangelaj, Bazar and a number of outlying buildings around Tehran known
as the out of city quarters.
An important population characteristic observed in this census was the fact that
immigrants constituted 73.4 percent of the population, while a mere 26.6 percent
were accounted as Tehrani borns, Azarbyjanis, Isfahanis and Kashanis formed the
majority or the immigrants, respectively.
The chief architectural structures of the period were the Mohammadiyeh Palace,
the Lalehzar Garden and Building, the Sepahsalar Mosque and Theological School,
the Darol Fonon School (Polytechnic School), the Doshan Tapeh Palace, the
Firouzeh (Turquoise) Palace, the Nezamiyeh Garden, the Horse Racing Track of
Bageh-e Shah (Royal Garden), BadGir (wind Tower) Building, the parade Ground and
the Cossacks Barracks, The Shams-ol Emareh Building, the portal Minerates of the
Soltani Masque, the flourishing stage of Sabzeh Maydan (Greeneries Square) and
its encirclement by newly built shops, in addition to many other structures
erected during those days in every corner and nook of Tehran; the traces of
which are still extant.
The furnishing of some of the alleys and streets of the vicinity around the
citadel with gas lamps, owing to the endeavors of Haj Amir-ol Zarb, was among
the period’s valuable municipal undertakings.
Until the fall of Qajars, Tehran carried the title of Dar-ol Khelafeh (the seat
of the caliphate) bestowed upon it by Agha Mohammad Khan, he was succeeded by
his nephew Fath Ali Shah (reigned 1797-1834). During Fath Ali’s reign, Tehran
gradually improved and became more developed. New buildings were erected and the
population began and upward trends with speculations that Tehran’s population,
in those years, was somewhere between 15 to 20 thousand. During the reign
intervals of Fath Ali Shah and his successor Mohammad Shah (reigned 1834-48) and
until the beginning of Naser od-Din Shah’s (reigned 1848-96) Tehran witnessed a
three to four times population increase as well as the formation of new
architectural structures including the Marmar (Marble) Ivan or Diwankhaneh va
Darol Emareh (the government headquarters and the governor’s seat), for the
construction of which, the major materials were acquired from the Karim Khan’s
Vakil Palace in Shiraz. Other monuments from this period were: the Golestan
Garden and Palace, the Qajar Palace, the Khorroji Building, the Negarestan
Garden and Palace, the Soltani Mosque, and a number of other splendid and
luxurious structure, which were mainly used for the accommodation of nobles,
generals and foreign ambassadors.
Tehran ‘s truly remarkable growth coincided with the reign of Naser od-Din Shah.
The population of the city, over the course of a five-year period, increased as
much as three to four times. The number of people that lived in Tehran amounted
to 155,736. Tehran at that time embodied the districts of Arg. Udlajan, Chal
Maydan, Sangelaj, Bazar and a number of outlying buildings around Tehran known
as the out of city quarters.
An important population characteristic observed in this census was the fact that
immigrants constituted 73.4 percent of the population, while a mere 26.6 percent
were accounted as Tehrani borns, Azarbyjanis, Isfahanis and Kashanis formed the
majority of the immigrants, respectively.
The chief architectural structures of the period were the Mohammadiyeh Palace,
the Lalehzar Garden and building, the Sepahsalar Mosque and Theological School,
the Darol Fonon School (polytechnic School), the Doshan Tappeh Palace, the
Firouzeh (Turqiose) Palace, the Nezamiyeh Garden, the Horse Racing Track of
Bageh-e Shah (Royal Garden), BadGir (wind Tower) Building, the parade Ground and
the Cossacks Barracks, the Shams-ol Emareh Building, the portal Minerates of the
Soltani Mosque, the flourishing stage of Sabzeh Maydan (Greeneries Square) and
its encirclement by newly built shops, in addition to many other structures
erected during those days in every corner and nook of Tehran; the traces of
which are still extant.
The plant, which manufactured the gas lamps, later became replaced by a small
electric power plant in a street called Caragh Barq. Construction of the
railroad from Tehran to the Shrine of Hazrat-e Abdul Azim, extention of
telegraph lines and the establishment of an imperial Bank, are all among other
public service credited to the same period.
In the second half of Naser-on Din Shah’s reign, in order to manage and improve
the condition of the city, the capital city police and municipality was formed,
which also had the responsibility of city cleaning.
During the reign of Mozaffar ed-Din Shah (reigned 1896-1907), Tehran did not
undergo any drastic development activities. But unfortunately, over the course
of his successor’s reign, Mohammad Ali Shah (1907-1909) many severe damages were
inflicted upon Tehran.
After the establishment of a constitutional government, Tehran has been
declared, in the constitution, as the capital and the seat of the Majlis. With
ratification of Baladieh law in the first Majlis, the settlement of the city was
transferred to this organization.
With power shift from Qajar to Pahlavi Tehran adopted the features of a new
city. The avenues of Buzarjomehri, Molavi, and etc…are among manifestations of
the above period. Later other roads and modern buildings with the supervision of
foreign engineers were constructed for the governmental and non-governmental
entities. Some of those structures include Justice department, police
headquarters, train station, ministry of finance, customs department, Tehran
university, Teachers Training College, Nezam High School, Military School, Arms
& Machine Gun Factory, Qaleh Morghi Airport, Doshan Tapeh Air Industries, Banks
of Melli, Sepah, Keshavarzi (Agriculture), Rahni, and Kargoshaei, hospitals,
Ministeries, Sa’adabad and a series of other imperial palaces, and the post
office, telephone, Telegraph, Wireless, and Radio Station centers. There were
also many other city military structures in addition to those of the private
sector, all of which caused the expansion and population increase of Tehran.
Furthermore, it was during the same year, based upon a declaration issued by the
Academy of Letters, the terminology for municipality was changed from Baladieh
into Shahrdari.
In the year 1302/1923, the population of Tehran amounted to 210,000 and by
1318/1639 reached the figure of 540,000, and during World War II, following the
occupation of Iran by the Allied Armed Forces in 1321/1941, it increased to
880,000. This upward trend was mainly due to the first two decades of the
thirteenth century’s (solar calendar) boom in the construction activities for
the erection of government buildings and palaces. During 1320-1330/1941-1951, an
annual average of 36,250 people was added to the population of Tehran, and
according to the first general census the population of the city amounted to
1,512,000. It was from this point in time that the expansion progress of the
city took gigantic dimensions; small and large satellite towns as well as new
districts were developed in the south, east west of Tehran, all of which
gradually became within the city limits of Tehran. The element of heavy traffic
and the need for a more speedy transportation paved the way for the construction
of major high ways. As a result, Tehran-Shemiran and Tehran-Ray traveling
distances became an insignificant factor. At that point in time, according to
the 1345/1966 census, the population of Tehran was 2,700,000, and by the
following enumeration of the people living in Tehran, the number registered was
4,530,223.
From Shahrivar 1320/ September 1941, and over the course of the subsequent four
decades, the shape of the city heavily altered; the city witnessed the erection
of large modern public and governmental buildings, replacement of the old
Sangelaj district by a vast park at the center of the city, the construction of
dams equipped with water purification facilities across the Karaj and Jajrud
rivers which provided the means of supplying the households with drinking water
via water pipelines.
The creation of new establishments and the development of urban facilities in
Tehran, due to its special status, caused the influx of immigration into this
city. New parks, sports arenas, well-equipped modern hospitals, movie, theaters,
museums, large hotels & restaurants, and many other structures manifested the
new features added to the city.
