Tehran

I

Introduction

Tehran or Teheran, capital and largest city of Iran, and capital of Tehran province, located in the northern part of the country. Tehran is Iran’s administrative, economic, and cultural centre as well as the major industrial and transport centre of the region. The city sits on the slopes of the Elburz Mountains, about 1,173 m (3,850 ft) above sea level, on the northwestern fringes of the Kavir desert. Although the name Tehran means “warm place”, the climate has marked seasonal contrasts, with short springs and autumns separating cold winters and hot, dry summers.

Tehran is one of the largest urban centres in the Middle East. In the 1980s the metropolitan region grew rapidly, partly due to surging birthrates following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but also because of increased migration from rural to urban areas, as well as an influx of refugees from the Iran-Iraq War and fighting in Afghanistan. The density of the inner city forced many of these migrants to settle in outlying areas.

More than 97 per cent of Tehran’s population is Muslim. The remainder are religious minorities such as Armenian and Assyrian Christians, Zoroastrians, and Jews, who have lived in Tehran for centuries. Persian, the national language, is the most commonly spoken language, athough migrant settlers have introduced minority languages and dialects such as Azeri (Azari), Kurdish, and Gilaki.

The city has a population density of 12,000 persons per sq km (31,000 per sq mi), though population density varies widely among Tehran’s 20 municipal districts. Population 6,758,845 (2006).

II

Economy

More than 25 per cent of Iran’s public-sector workforce and 40 per cent of large industrial firms are located in Tehran. Almost half of all workers in Tehran work for the government. Most of the remainder work as shopkeepers, factory workers, labourers, and transport workers. Modern industries include the production of cars, electrical products, household appliances, plastics, cement, bricks, textiles, and processed foods. Private enterprise and investments are limited, despite recent promotional efforts by the government. The huge crude-oil industry, although centred in Ābādān and other areas, is administered by the National Iranian Oil Company in Tehran. Few foreign companies operate in Tehran. Before the 1979 revolution many Western companies were active in the city. However, the revolution, subsequent nationalization of industries, and the Iran-Iraq War has driven both foreign and domestic investment from the city.

Tehran is the transport hub of Iran. Several major roads and motorways converge on the city, and rail lines radiate from Tehran to all parts of the country as well as to Europe (via Turkey), Russia (via Azerbaijan), and the ports of the Persian Gulf. The city has two airports, including Mehrabad International Airport, althugh a third is under construction in nearby Alîâbâd. Tehran relies heavily on private cars, taxis, buses, and motorcycles, and is one of the most car-dependent cities in the world. Air pollution from vehicle emissions is a serious problem, and since 1979 the government has restricted private cars from entering the city centre during peak traffic hours. It has also encouraged taxis and buses to convert from petrol engines to engines that use compressed natural gas. Congestion is also an issue, despite the addition of new motorways and flyovers. The public transport system in Tehran was greatly improved at the end of 2000, when the first section of a modern underground rail network, which is to be completed by 2007, opened to commuters.

III

Places of Interest

With 40 institutions of higher education, Tehran has more colleges and universities than any other city in Iran. The most prominent are the University of Tehran (1932), Shahid Beheshti University (1959), Sharif University of Technology, and Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. Libraries that serve the public with a large collection of historical, hand-written manuscripts as well as printed books include the National Library of Iran, the two branches of the Parliament Library, and the Library of the National Treasures. Roudaki and Vahdat concert halls are the capital’s leading centres for performing arts.

Tehran’s museums include the Iran Bastan Museum, which houses one of the world’s best collections of archaeological artefacts, dating to 4000 bc; the Golestan Palace Museum, which holds a collection of celebrated treasures, including the Peacock Throne, the Globe of Jewels, the Imperial State Crown, and the great uncut diamond Darya-e Noor; the National Arts Museum, a treasure house of works from Persian artists; the Persian Museum, housing Persian rugs; the Museum of Iranian Porcelain and Ceramics; and several museums established by Iran’s Islamic government in the palaces once belonging to the shah, the former ruler of Iran.

The capital’s most conspicuous architectural landmark is the large marble Shahyad Tower, constructed in 1971 as a gateway to the city. At the centre of the city are Sepah and Firdowsi squares, on or near which are the important government buildings and several mosques and palaces. The city has several open spaces, including Eram, Mellat, and Laleh public parks. Tehran’s largest sports facilities are Amjadieh Stadium and the 100,000-seat Azadi Sports Arena, built for the 1974 Asian Games. The city also has several athletics clubs known as zurkhanehs (houses of strength), where men go to practise an ancient form of Iranian athletics involving weight-lifting and gymnastics. Ski resorts lie on the slopes of the Elburz ranges about 60 km (38 mi) from central Tehran.

Most of the recent rapid growth of Tehran has been to the north, where new residential sections now link it with Shemran. Many of the factories and older districts are to the south of the city, including remnants of a large bazaar that has been largely replaced by shops. Also to the south of the city are Aliabad, the burial site of the Ayatollah Khomeini, and the ruins of the ancient cities of Rey and Rages, birthplace of the caliph Harun ar-Rashid, where an oil refinery now stands.

IV

History

When the ancient city of Rey was destroyed by the Mongols in 1221, Tehran, then a small suburb dating possibly from the 4th century ad, survived. It grew slowly in succeeding centuries; a city wall and four watchtowers were added in the 16th century and by the early 17th century Tehran had about 3,000 houses. In the 1720s the city was attacked and occupied by Afghan invaders, who remained until 1729 when Nadir Shah freed the city. Agha Mohammad Khan, founder of the Kajar dynasty, made Tehran the capital of Persia in 1788.

Under the Pahlavi dynasty (1925-1979), Tehran was modernized, industrialized, and considerably rebuilt. While several mosques and palaces of the 19th century remain, most of the architecture is new. The discovery of oil brought wealth, prosperity, and an influx of Western ideas. A rift appeared between the more modern and wealthy northern Tehran and traditional, southern Tehran. In 1943 the city was the site of the Tehran Conference of Allied leaders.

The city experienced considerable turmoil following the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. More than 50 US citizens were held hostage by Iranians in the American Embassy in Tehran from November 1979 to January 1981. The capital was also the target of numerous Iraqi strikes during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988).