#Tehran is the capital of #Iran and the most populous city in Iran and the Middle East, after #Cairo. The city is also known for its sprawling development and futuristic architecture, epitomized by the Milad Tower and the Fereshteh Pasargad Hotel. Tehran was first chosen as the capital of Iran by Agha Mohammad Khan of the Qajar dynasty in 1786, because of its proximity to Iran’s territories in the Caucasus, then separated from Iran in the Russo-Iranian Wars, to avoid the vying factions of the previously ruling Iranian dynasties.
The capital has been moved several times throughout history, and Tehran is the 32nd national capital of #Persia. Tehran has been a destination for mass migrations from all over Iran since the 20th century. The seat of the 1979 revolution, Tehran is home to many historical locations, including the royal complexes of Golestan, Sa’dabad, and Niavaran, where the two last dynasties of the former Imperial State of Iran were seated. Tehran’s most famous landmarks include the Azadi Tower, a memorial built under the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1971 to mark the 2,500th anniversary of the founding of the Imperial State of Iran, and the Milad Tower, the world’s sixth-tallest self-supporting tower, completed in 2007, and the Tabiat Bridge, completed in 2014.
Most of the population in Tehran are Persian, but large populations of other ethnolinguistic groups live in Tehran including #Jews, #Sikhs, and #Christians. Tehran is in the historical Media region of northwestern Iran. By the time of the Median Empire, part of present-day Tehran was a suburb of the prominent Median city of Rhages. In Avesta’s Videvdat #Rhages is mentioned as the 12th sacred place created by Ohrmazd.
The city has been ruled by several dynasties across the 2 millennia. Growing awareness of civil rights resulted in the Constitutional Revolution n Tehran and the first constitution of Iran was drafted in Tehran in 1906. After #WorldWar1, the constituent assembly elected #RezaShah of the #Pahlavi dynasty as monarch, who immediately suspended the Baladi law of 1907. From the 1920s to the 1930s, Reza Shah rebuilt the city. Several old buildings, including parts of the Golestan Palace, Tekye Dowlat, and Tupkhane Square, were replaced with modern buildings. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Tehran developed rapidly under Mohammad Reza Shah.
Modern buildings altered the face of Tehran and ambitious projects were planned for the following decades. A consortium led by an Iranian architect identified problems blighting the city and planned its replacement but after the 1979 Revolution and the subsequent #IranIraqWar, the plan was dropped. Tehran has a cold semi-arid climate largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Alborz Mountains to its north and the country’s central desert to the south. The city suffers from severe air pollution, 80% of it due to cars with the remaining 20% is due to industrial pollutionTehran is the economic center of Iran and over 45% of the nations’ large industrial firms are located in the city.
Few foreign companies operate in Tehran, due to the international sanction, however prior to the 1979 Revolution, many foreign companies were active in the city. the city employs people in various industries including 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. Tehran has a wide range of #shoppingmalls and markets at Valiasr, Davudie, and Zaferanie.
The largest old bazaars of Tehran are the Grand Bazaar and the Bazaar of Tajrish. Well connected by road, rail, and air with all major cities of the region, Tehran is the main #tourist hub of Iran. There are numerous tourist attractions in and around the city including #museums such as the National Museum, Malek Museum, Cinema Museum, Abgineh Museum Museum of the Qasr Prison, Carpet Museum, Reverse Glass Painting Museum, and Safir Office Machines Museum. The city is famed for its #parks with over 2000 of them spread across the city. The city is a major #cultural, #sports, #art, #education, and #healthcare hub of the region. The city is especially known for its architecture with numerous attractive buildings and #stadiums. Tehrān plays a noted role in the arts.
The Tehrān Symphony Orchestra has performed both at home and for international audiences abroad, and the Fajr International Theater Festival is held annually in Tehrān. Iran’s #filmindustry, also based in Tehrān, has been internationally recognized for its new realist school of cinema and its award-winning #films. The city has numerous hotels and resorts that provide luxurious, mid-range, and budget accommodation. #Cuisine of Tehran is the main attraction for #tourism promotion and #restaurants across the serve variety of #Persian delicacies. Also worth visiting are numerous historical #palaces, # buildings, and #tombs and #towers. Overall the city has been the center of all activity in Iran and anything happening here has an impact across the country.
