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Tehran

January 15, 2023

This article is about the Iranian capital city. For other uses, see Tehran (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Teheran-ro.

Tehran (/tɛəˈræn, -ˈrɑːn, ˌteɪ-/; Persian: تهران Tehrân [tehˈɾɒːn] (listen)) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia,[6] and has the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East, after Cairo. It is ranked 24th in the world by metropolitan area population.

Tehran
تهران
Capital city
تهران بزرگ · The Greater Tehran
Top to bottom, left to right: Milad Tower; Azadi Tower; View of City at Night; North of Tehran, National Garden; Ferdows Garden; Shams-ol-Emareh; Navvab Expressway; Tabiat Bridge; Chitgar Lake.
Flag
Seal
Tehran
Location in Iran and Asia
Tehran
Tehran (Iran)
Tehran
Tehran (Asia)
Coordinates: 35°41′21″N 51°23′20″E / 35.68917°N 51.38889°E / 35.68917; 51.38889Coordinates: 35°41′21″N 51°23′20″E / 35.68917°N 51.38889°E / 35.68917; 51.38889
CountryIran
ProvinceTehran
CountyTehran
Ray
Shemiranat
DistrictCentral
Government
 • MayorAlireza Zakani
 • City Council ChairmanMehdi Chamran
Area
[1]
 • Urban
615 km2 (237 sq mi)
 • Metro
2,235 km2 (863 sq mi)
Elevation
[2]
900 to 1,830 m (2,952 to 6,003 ft)
Population
[5]
 • Density11,800/km2 (31,000/sq mi)
 • Urban
9,039,000[3]
 • Metro
15,800,000[4]
 • Population rank in Iran
1st
DemonymTehrani (en)
Time zoneUTC+03:30 (IRST)
Area codes(+98) 021
ClimateBSk
Websitewww.tehran.ir
This article contains Persian text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols.

In the Classical era, part of the territory of present-day Tehran was occupied by Rhages, a prominent Median city[7] destroyed in the medieval Arab, Turkic, and Mongol invasions. Modern Ray is an urban area absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran.

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. Large-scale demolition and rebuilding began in the 1920s, and Tehran has been a destination for mass migrations from all over Iran since the 20th century.[8]

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.[9]

Most of the population are Persian,[10][11] and roughly 99% of them understand and speak the Persian language, but large populations of other ethnolinguistic groups live in Tehran and speak Persian, as majority of the minorities are Persianized and assimilated.[12]

Tehran has an international airport (Imam Khomeini Airport), a domestic airport (Mehrabad Airport), a central railway station, a rapid transit system, Tehran Metro, a bus rapid transit system, trolleybuses, and a large network of highways.

Plans to relocate Iran's capital from Tehran to another area, due to air pollution and earthquakes, have so far not yet received approval. A 2016 survey of 230 cities across the globe by consultant Mercer ranked Tehran 203rd for quality of life.[13] According to the Global Destinations Cities Index in 2016, Tehran is among the top ten fastest growing destinations.[14]

The City Council declared October 6 Tehran Day in 2016, celebrating the day in 1907 when the city officially became the capital of Iran.[15]

Etymology

Various theories on the origin of the name Tehran have been put forward.

Iranian linguist Ahmad Kasravi, in an article "Shemiran-Tehran", suggested that Tehran and Kehran mean "the warm place", and "Shemiran" means "the cool place". He listed cities with the same base and suffix and studied the components of the word in ancient Iranian languages, and came to the conclusion that Tehran and Kehran meant the same thing in different Iranian language families, as the constant "t" and "k" are close to each other in such languages. He also provided evidence that cities named "Shemiran" were colder than those named "Tehran" or "Kehran". He considered other theories not considering the ancient history of Iranian languages such as "Tirgan" theory and "Tahran" theory folk etymology.[16]

Another theory is that "Tehran" derives from Tiran/Tirgan, "the abode of Tir", the Zoroastrian equivalent of Hermes). The ancient Parthian town of Tiran had a neighbour, Mehran ("abode of Mehr/Mithra", the Zoroastrian sun/justice angel). Both of these were mere villages in the suburbs of the great city of Ray/Rhages. Mehran still exists as a residential district in Greater Tehran, as well as Ray, which forms the southern suburbs of Tehran.

The official City of Tehran website says that "Tehran" comes from the Persian words "Tah" meaning "end", or "bottom", and "Ran" meaning "[mountain] slope"—literally, the bottom of the mountain (ته کوه). Given Tehran's position at the foot of the Alborz mountains, this seems plausible.[17]

In English, it was formerly spelt "Teheran".[18]

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Tehran.

Archaeological remains from the ancient city of Ray suggest that settlement in Tehran dates back over 8,000 years.[19]

Classical era

Tehran is in the historical Media region of (Old Persian: 𐎶𐎠𐎭 Māda) in northwestern Iran. By the time of the Median Empire, part of present-day Tehran was a suburb of the prominent Median city of Rhages (Old Persian: 𐎼𐎥𐎠 Ragā). In the Avesta's Videvdat (i, 15), Rhages is mentioned as the 12th sacred place created by Ohrmazd.[20] In Old Persian inscriptions, Rhages appears as a province (Bistun 2, 10–18). From Rhages, Darius I sent reinforcements to his father Hystaspes, who was putting down a rebellion in Parthia (Bistun 3, 1–10).[20] Some Middle Persian texts give Rhages as the birthplace of Zoroaster,[21] although modern historians generally place the birth of Zoroaster in Khorasan Province.

Mount Damavand, the highest peak of Iran, which is located near Tehran, is an important location in Ferdowsi's Šāhnāme,[22] an Iranian epic poem based on the ancient legends of Iran. It appears in the epics as the homeland of the protoplast Keyumars, the birthplace of King Manuchehr, the place where King Fereydun bound the dragon fiend Aždahāk (Bivarasp), and the place where Arash shot his arrow.[22]

Medieval period

In 641, during the reign of the Sasanian Empire, Yazdgerd III issued his last appeal to the nation from Rhages, before fleeing to Khorasan.[20] Rhages was dominated by the Parthian House of Mihran, and Siyavakhsh—the son of Mehran, the son of Bahram Chobin—who resisted the seventh-century Muslim invasion of Iran.[20] Because of this resistance, when the Arabs captured Rhages, they ordered the town destroyed and rebuilt anew by traitor aristocrat Farrukhzad.[20]

In the ninth century, Tehran was a well-known village, but less so than the city of Rhages, flourishing nearby. Rhages was described in detail by tenth-century Muslim geographers.[20] Despite the interest that Arabian Baghdad displayed in Rhages, the number of Arabs in the city remained insignificant and the population mainly consisted of Iranians of all classes.[20][23]

The Oghuz Turks invaded Rhages in 1035 and again in 1042, but the city was recovered under the Seljuks and the Khwarezmians.[20] Medieval writer Najm od Din Razi declared the population of Rhages about 500,000 before the Mongol invasion. In the 13th century, the Mongols invaded Rhages, laid the city to ruins, and massacred many of its inhabitants.[20] Others escaped to Tehran.

In July 1404, Castilian ambassador Ruy González de Clavijo visited Tehran on a journey to Samarkand, the capital of Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, the ruler of Iran at the time. He described it in his diary as an unwalled region.

Early modern era

Italian traveler Pietro della Valle passed through Tehran overnight in 1618, and in his memoirs called the city Taheran. English traveler Thomas Herbert entered Tehran in 1627, and mentioned it as Tyroan. Herbert stated that the city had about 3,000 houses.[24]

 
A portrait of Qajar ruler Agha Mohammad Khan, at London's V&A Museum

In the early 18th century, Karim Khan of the Zand dynasty ordered a palace and a government office built in Tehran, possibly to declare the city his capital; but he later moved his government to Shiraz. Eventually, Qajar king Agha Mohammad Khan chose Tehran as the capital of Iran in 1786.[25]

Agha Mohammad Khan's choice of his capital was based on a similar concern for the control of both northern and southern Iran.[25] He was aware of the loyalties of the inhabitants of former capitals Isfahan and Shiraz to the Safavid and Zand dynasties respectively, and was wary of the power of the local notables in these cities.[25] Thus, he probably viewed Tehran's lack of a substantial urban structure as a blessing, because it minimized the chances of resistance to his rule by the notables and by the general public.[25] Moreover, he had to remain within close reach of Azerbaijan and Iran's integral northern and southern Caucasian territories[25]—at that time not yet irrevocably lost per the treaties of Golestan and Turkmenchay to the neighboring Russian Empire—which would follow in the course of the 19th century.[26]

 
Map of Tehran in 1857

After 50 years of Qajar rule, the city still barely had more than 80,000 inhabitants.[25] Up until the 1870s, Tehran consisted of a walled citadel, a roofed bazaar, and the three main neighborhoods of Udlajan, Chale-Meydan, and Sangelaj, where the majority resided.

The first development plan of Tehran in 1855 emphasized traditional spatial structure. The second, under the supervision of Dar ol Fonun in 1878, included new city walls, in the form of a perfect octagon with an area of 19 square kilometers, mimicking the Renaissance cities of Europe.[27] Tehran was 19.79 square kilometers, and had expanded more than fourfold.[28]

Late modern era

 
The Triumph of Tehran: Sardar Asad II and Sepahsalar e Tonekaboni conquering Tehran in July 1909

Growing awareness of civil rights resulted in the Constitutional Revolution and the first constitution of Iran in 1906. On June 2, 1907, the parliament passed a law on local governance known as the Baladie (municipal law), providing a detailed outline of issues such as the role of councils within the city, the members' qualifications, the election process, and the requirements to be entitled to vote. The then-Qajar monarch Mohammad Ali Shah abolished the constitution and bombarded the parliament with the help of the Russian-controlled Cossack Brigade on June 23, 1908. That was followed by the capture of the city by the revolutionary forces of Ali-Qoli Khan (Sardar Asad II) and Mohammad Vali Khan (Sepahsalar e Tonekaboni) on July 13, 1909. As a result, the monarch was exiled and replaced with his son Ahmad, and the parliament was re-established.

 
Aerial view of Tehran in 1925

After World War I, the constituent assembly elected Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty as the new monarch, who immediately suspended the Baladie law of 1907, replacing the decentralized and autonomous city councils with centralist approaches to governance and planning.[27]

From the 1920s to the 1930s, under the rule of Reza Shah, the city was essentially rebuilt from scratch. Several old buildings, including parts of the Golestan Palace, Tekye Dowlat, and Tupkhane Square, were replaced with modern buildings influenced by classical Iranian architecture, particularly the buildings of the National Bank, the police headquarters, the telegraph office, and the military academy.

Changes to the urban fabric began with the street-widening act of 1933, which served as a framework for changes in all other cities. The Grand Bazaar was divided in half and many historic buildings were demolished and replaced by wide straight avenues,[29] and the traditional texture of the city was replaced with intersecting cruciform streets that created large roundabouts in major public spaces such as the bazaar.

As an attempt to create a network for easy transportation within the city, the old citadel and city walls were demolished in 1937, replaced by wide streets cutting through the urban fabric. The new city map of Tehran in 1937 was heavily influenced by modernist planning patterns of zoning and gridiron networks.[27]

During World War II, Soviet and British troops entered the city. In 1943, Tehran was the site of the Tehran Conference, attended by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The establishment of the planning organization of Iran in 1948 resulted in the first socioeconomic development plan to cover from 1949 to 1955. These plans not only failed to slow the unbalanced growth of Tehran but with the 1962 land reforms that Reza Shah's son and successor Mohammad Reza Shah named the White Revolution, Tehran's chaotic growth was further accentuated.

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. To resolve the problem of social exclusion, the first comprehensive plan was approved in 1968. The consortium of Iranian architect Abd-ol-Aziz Farmanfarmaian and the American firm of Victor Gruen Associates identified the main problems blighting the city as high-density suburbs, air and water pollution, inefficient infrastructure, unemployment, and rural-urban migration. Eventually, the whole plan was marginalized by the 1979 Revolution and the subsequent Iran–Iraq War.[27]

 
The Azadi Tower was built in 1971.

Tehran's most famous landmark, the Azadi Tower, was built by the order of the Shah in 1971. It was designed by Hossein Amanat, an architect whose design won a competition, combining elements of classical Sassanian architecture with post-classical Iranian architecture. Formerly known as the Shahyad Tower, it was built to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the Imperial State of Iran.

During the Iran–Iraq War in 1980 to 1988, Tehran was repeatedly targeted by airstrikes and Scud missile attacks.

The 435-meter-high Milad Tower, one of the proposed development projects of pre-revolutionary Iran,[30] was completed in 2007, and has become a famous landmark of Tehran. Tabiat Bridge a 270-meter pedestrian overpass,[9] designed by award-winning architect Leila Araghian, was completed in 2014.

Geography

Location and subdivisions

 
Districts of Tehran

The metropolis of Tehran is divided into 22 municipal districts, each with its own administrative center. Of the 22 municipal districts, 20 are located in Tehran County's Central District, while districts 1 and 20 are respectively located in the counties of Shemiranat and Ray. Although administratively separate, the cities of Ray and Shemiran are often considered part of Greater Tehran.

  •  

    Tehran and Mount Tochal in the winter of 2006.

  •  

    View of Tehran at Night from Tajrish.

  •  

    Elahieh, an upper-class residential and commercial district in northern Tehran.

  •  

    Ekhtiarieh, an old residential area in northern Tehran.

  •  

    Tehran from Gheytarieh.

  •  

    Bucharest Street in Abbas Abad, north-central Tehran.

  •  

    Resalat Tunnel in Tehran.

  •  

    Sattarkhan street in Tehran.

  •  

    Jordan view.

  •  

    Kamranieh alley

  •  

    Velenjak northwestern Tehran.

  •  

    Pasdaran Street.

Northern Tehran is the wealthiest part of the city,[31] consisting of various districts such as Zafaraniyeh, Jordan, Elahiyeh, Pasdaran, Kamranieh, Ajodanieh, Farmanieh, Darrous, Niavaran, Jamaran, Aghdasieh, Mahmoodieh, Velenjak, Qeytarieh, Ozgol and Ekhtiarieh.[32][33] While the center of the city houses government ministries and headquarters, commercial centers are located further north.

Climate

 
Urban sustainability analysis of the metropolitan area of Tehran, using the 'Circles of Sustainability' method of the UN Global Compact Cities Programme.
 
Mellat Park in autumn

The northern area of Tehran has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa), with a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) elsewhere, with hot dry summers and cool rainy winters. Tehran's climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Alborz mountains to its north and the country's central desert to the south. It can be generally described as mild in spring and autumn, hot and dry in summer, and cold and wet in winter.

As the city has a large area, with significant differences in elevation among various districts, the weather is often cooler in the hilly north than in the flat southern part of Tehran. For instance, the 17.3 km (10.7 mi) Valiasr Street runs from Tehran's railway station at 1,117 m (3,665 ft) elevation above sea level in the south of the city to Tajrish Square at 1712.6 m (5612.3 ft) elevation above sea level in the north.[34] However, the elevation can even rise up to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) at the end of Velenjak in northern Tehran. The sparse texture, the existence of old gardens, orchards, green spaces along the highways and the lack of industrial activities in the north of the city have helped the air in the northern areas to be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius cooler than the southern areas of the city.[35]

The main direction of the prevailing wind in Tehran is northwest to southeast.[36] Other air currents that blow in the area of ​​Tehran are:

  1. Tochal breeze: With the rapid cooling of the Alborz mountain range at night, a local high-pressure center is formed on Mount Tochal, and this cold current flows down the mountain due to its weight and high pressure; Thus, a gentle breeze blows into the city from the north at night.[35]
  2. Southern and southeastern regional winds: these winds blow from the desert plains in the hot months of the year.[35]
  3. Western winds: These winds are among the planetary winds that affect the city of Tehran more or less throughout the year and can be called the prevailing wind.[35]

Air currents have a great effect on Tehran's weather. The prevailing wind blowing from the west causes the west of the city to always be exposed to fresh air; Although this wind brings smoke and pollution from the western industrial areas, its strong wind can take the polluted air out of the city of Tehran.[35]

In most years, winter provides half of Tehran's total annual rainfall. March is the rainiest month of the year and about one-fifth of the annual rainfall occurs in it. Summer is also the least rainy season and September is the driest month of the year in Tehran. The average annual rainfall of the city is sometimes very different in the north and south regions.[35] There are between 205 and 213 days of clear to partly cloudy weather in Tehran.[37]

One of the most intense rains in Tehran happened on April 21, 1962 and this rain lasted for 10 hours. Meteorology also announced that the amount of rainfall on that one day in Tehran was equivalent to six years.[38]

Summer is hot and dry with little rain, but relative humidity is generally low, making the heat tolerable. Average high temperatures are between 31 °C (88 °F) and 38 °C (100 °F) during summer months, and it can sometimes rise up to 40 °C (104 °F) during heat waves. Average low temperatures in summer are between 18 °C (64 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F), and it can occasionally drop to below 14 °C (57 °F)  in the mountainous north of the city at night.

Winter is cold and occasionally snowy, with an average of 12.3 snow days annually in central Tehran and more than 23.7 snow days annually in northern Tehran. During the winter months, average high temperatures are between 3 °C (37 °F) and 11 °C (52 °F) and average low temperatures are between −5 °C (23 °F) and 1 °C (34 °F), and it can occasionally drop to below −10 °C (14 °F)  during cold waves.

Most of the annual precipitation occurs from late autumn to mid-spring. March is the wettest month with an average precipitation of 39.6 millimetres (1.56 in). The hottest month is July, with a mean minimum temperature of 24 °C (75 °F) and a mean maximum temperature of 36.7 °C (98.1 °F), and the coldest is January, with a mean minimum temperature of −0.4 °C (31.3 °F) and a mean maximum temperature of 7.9 °C (46.2 °F).[39]

The highest recorded temperature was 43 °C (109 °F) on 3 July 1958 and the lowest recorded temperature was −15 °C (5 °F) on 8 January 1969.

Climate data for Tehran Mehrabad, altitude: 1190.8 m (1951–2010, extremes 1951–2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.6
(67.3) 		24.4
(75.9) 		30.3
(86.5) 		33.4
(92.1) 		37.0
(98.6) 		42.2
(108.0) 		43.0
(109.4) 		42.0
(107.6) 		38.0
(100.4) 		33.4
(92.1) 		26.4
(79.5) 		21.0
(69.8) 		43.0
(109.4)
Average high °C (°F) 7.9
(46.2) 		10.6
(51.1) 		15.7
(60.3) 		22.2
(72.0) 		28.0
(82.4) 		34.0
(93.2) 		36.7
(98.1) 		35.7
(96.3) 		31.6
(88.9) 		24.5
(76.1) 		16.3
(61.3) 		10.1
(50.2) 		22.8
(73.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.8
(38.8) 		6.0
(42.8) 		10.7
(51.3) 		16.8
(62.2) 		22.1
(71.8) 		27.5
(81.5) 		30.3
(86.5) 		29.5
(85.1) 		25.5
(77.9) 		19.0
(66.2) 		11.6
(52.9) 		5.9
(42.6) 		17.4
(63.3)
Average low °C (°F) −0.4
(31.3) 		1.4
(34.5) 		5.7
(42.3) 		11.4
(52.5) 		16.3
(61.3) 		21.1
(70.0) 		24.0
(75.2) 		23.4
(74.1) 		19.4
(66.9) 		13.5
(56.3) 		6.8
(44.2) 		1.8
(35.2) 		12.0
(53.7)
Record low °C (°F) −15.0
(5.0) 		−13.0
(8.6) 		−8.0
(17.6) 		−4.0
(24.8) 		2.4
(36.3) 		5.0
(41.0) 		14.0
(57.2) 		13.0
(55.4) 		9.0
(48.2) 		2.8
(37.0) 		−7.2
(19.0) 		−13.0
(8.6) 		−15.0
(5.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 34.6
(1.36) 		33.2
(1.31) 		39.6
(1.56) 		31.9
(1.26) 		14.8
(0.58) 		3.0
(0.12) 		2.2
(0.09) 		1.7
(0.07) 		1.2
(0.05) 		10.7
(0.42) 		26.1
(1.03) 		33.7
(1.33) 		232.7
(9.18)
Average precipitation days 9.0 8.6 10.7 10.8 8.8 3.1 2.1 1.3 1.1 5.3 7.2 8.6 76.6
Average snowy days 5.1 2.9 1.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 2.7 12.3
Average relative humidity (%) 64 56 47 40 33 25 26 26 27 36 49 62 41
Mean monthly sunshine hours 168.8 179.8 203.0 220.6 287.0 346.3 345.9 333.6 302.8 249.9 202.9 168.9 3,009.5
Average ultraviolet index 2 3 3 5 6 7 7 7 5 4 3 2 5
Source 1: Iran Meteorological Organization (records[40] (temperatures[41]), (precipitation[42]), (humidity[43]), (days with precipitation[44]

[45]), (sunshine[46])

Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[47]
Climate data for Tehran-Shomal (north of Tehran), altitude: 1549.1 m (1988–2010, extremes and precipitation 1988-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17.2
(63.0) 		23.5
(74.3) 		29.0
(84.2) 		32.4
(90.3) 		34.6
(94.3) 		40.4
(104.7) 		41.8
(107.2) 		40.6
(105.1) 		36.4
(97.5) 		31.2
(88.2) 		23.6
(74.5) 		19.6
(67.3) 		41.8
(107.2)
Average high °C (°F) 6.1
(43.0) 		8.6
(47.5) 		13.8
(56.8) 		20.0
(68.0) 		25.5
(77.9) 		31.6
(88.9) 		34.4
(93.9) 		33.6
(92.5) 		29.5
(85.1) 		22.8
(73.0) 		14.5
(58.1) 		8.6
(47.5) 		20.8
(69.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 2.3
(36.1) 		4.4
(39.9) 		9.2
(48.6) 		14.9
(58.8) 		19.8
(67.6) 		25.6
(78.1) 		28.5
(83.3) 		27.6
(81.7) 		23.4
(74.1) 		17.2
(63.0) 		9.9
(49.8) 		4.8
(40.6) 		15.6
(60.1)
Average low °C (°F) −1.5
(29.3) 		0.2
(32.4) 		4.6
(40.3) 		9.8
(49.6) 		14.2
(57.6) 		19.7
(67.5) 		22.6
(72.7) 		21.6
(70.9) 		17.3
(63.1) 		11.7
(53.1) 		5.3
(41.5) 		0.9
(33.6) 		10.5
(51.0)
Record low °C (°F) −13.0
(8.6) 		−11.0
(12.2) 		−8.0
(17.6) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		0.0
(32.0) 		12.0
(53.6) 		15.4
(59.7) 		10.6
(51.1) 		8.8
(47.8) 		2.6
(36.7) 		−8.3
(17.1) 		−9.6
(14.7) 		−13.0
(8.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 56.6
(2.23) 		64.2
(2.53) 		70.1
(2.76) 		54.9
(2.16) 		25.6
(1.01) 		3.9
(0.15) 		5.0
(0.20) 		3.9
(0.15) 		3.7
(0.15) 		24.5
(0.96) 		53.8
(2.12) 		61.1
(2.41) 		427.3
(16.83)
Average precipitation days 12.3 10.9 12.3 10.0 8.9 3.3 3.4 1.6 1.3 5.8 8.6 10.7 89.1
Average snowy days 8.9 6.6 2.5 0.1 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0.6 4.9 23.7
Average relative humidity (%) 67 59 53 44 39 30 31 31 33 44 57 66 46
Mean monthly sunshine hours 135.8 146.4 185.1 215.0 274.6 322.8 331.8 327.5 292.6 245.5 171.5 135.8 2,784.4
Source 1: [48]
Source 2: [49]

In February 2005, heavy snow covered all parts of the city. Snow depth was recorded as 15 cm (6 in) in the southern part of the city and 100 cm (39 in) in the northern part of city. One newspaper reported that it had been the worst weather in 34 years. Ten thousand bulldozers and 13,000 municipal workers were deployed to keep the main roads open.[50][51]

On January 5 and 6, 2008, a wave of heavy snow and low temperatures covered the city in a thick layer of snow and ice, forcing the Council of Ministers to officially declare a state of emergency and close down the capital from January 6 through January 7.[52]

On February 3, 2014, Tehran received heavy snowfall, specifically in the northern parts of the city, with a depth of 2 metres (6.6 ft). In one week of successive snowfalls, roads were made impassable in some areas, with the temperature ranging from −8 °C (18 °F)  to  −16 °C (3 °F).[53]

On June 3, 2014, a severe thunderstorm with powerful microbursts created a haboob, engulfing the city in sand and dust and causing five deaths, with more than 57 injured. This event also knocked down numerous trees and power lines. It struck between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., dropping temperatures from 33 °C (91 °F)  to 19 °C (66 °F)  within an hour. The dramatic temperature drop was accompanied by wind gusts reaching nearly 118 kilometres per hour (73 mph) .[54]

Environmental issues

See also: Environmental issues in Tehran, Environmental issues in Iran, and List of earthquakes in Iran
 
Heavy air pollution in Tehran

A plan to move the capital has been discussed many times in prior years, due mainly to the environmental issues of the region. Tehran is one of the world's most polluted cities and is also located near two major fault lines.

The city suffers from severe air pollution, 80% of it due to cars.[55] The remaining 20% is due to industrial pollution. Other estimates suggest that motorcycles alone account for 30% of air and 50% of noise pollution in Tehran.[56] Tehran is also considered one of the strongest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the Middle East. Enhanced concentration of carbon dioxide over the city (that are likely originated from the anthropogenic urban sources in the city) is easily detectable from satellite observations throughout the year.[57]

In 2010, the government announced that "for security and administrative reasons, the plan to move the capital from Tehran has been finalized."[58] There are plans to relocate 163 state firms and several universities from Tehran to avoid damages from a potential earthquake.[58][59]

The officials are engaged in a battle to reduce air pollution. It has, for instance, encouraged taxis and buses to convert from petrol engines to engines that run on compressed natural gas. Furthermore, the government has set up a "Traffic Zone" covering the city centre during peak traffic hours. Entering and driving inside this zone is only allowed with a special permit.

There have also been plans to raise people's awareness of the hazards of pollution. One method that is being employed is the installation of Pollution Indicator Boards all around the city to monitor the level of particulate matter (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO).

Demographics

See also: Demographics of Tehran
Further information: Ethnicities in Iran
 
Population of Tehran
 
Tehran in 1985 and 2009
Tehran's Population History
YearPop.±% p.a.
15541,000—    
16263,000+1.54%
179715,000+0.95%
180750,000+12.79%
181260,000+3.71%
183480,000+1.32%
1867147,256+1.87%
1930250,000+0.84%
1940540,087+8.01%
19561,560,934+6.86%
19662,719,730+5.71%
19764,530,223+5.23%
19866,058,207+2.95%
19916,497,238+1.41%
19966,758,845+0.79%
20067,711,230+1.33%
20118,244,759+1.35%
20168,737,510+1.17%

The city of Tehran has a population of approximately 10 million in 2016.[60] With its cosmopolitan atmosphere, Tehran is home to diverse ethnic and linguistic groups from all over the country. The present-day dominant language of Tehran is the Tehrani variety of the Persian language, and the majority of people in Tehran identify themselves as Persians.[11][10] However, before, the native language of the Tehran–Ray region was not Persian, which is linguistically Southwest Iranian and originates in Fars, but a now extinct Northwestern Iranian language.[61]

Iranian Azeris form the second-largest ethnic group of the city, comprising about 10-15% [62][63] of the total population, while ethnic Mazanderanis are the third-largest, comprising about 5% of the total population.[64] Tehran's other ethnic communities include Kurds, Armenians, Georgians, Bakhtyaris, Talysh, Baloch, Assyrians, Arabs, Jews, and Circassians.

According to a 2010 census conducted by the Sociology Department of the University of Tehran, in many districts of Tehran across various socio-economic classes in proportion to population sizes of each district and socio-economic class, 63% of the people were born in Tehran, 98% knew Persian, 75% identified themselves as ethnic Persian, and 13% had some degree of proficiency in a European language.[10]

Tehran saw a drastic change in its ethnic-social composition in the early 1980s. After the political, social, and economic consequences of the 1979 Revolution and the years that followed, a number of Iranian citizens, mostly Tehranis, left Iran. The majority of Iranian emigrations have left for the United States, Germany, Sweden, and Canada.

With the start of the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), the second wave of inhabitants fled the city, especially during the Iraqi air offensives on the capital. With most major powers backing Iraq at the time, economic isolation gave yet more reason for many inhabitants to leave the city (and the country). Having left all they had and have 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 neighbouring Afghanistan and Iraq prompted a rush of refugees into the country who arrived in their millions, with Tehran being a magnet for much seeking work, who subsequently helped the city to recover from war wounds, working for far less pay than local construction workers. Many of these refugees are being repatriated with the assistance of the 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 own countries. Afghan refugees are mostly Dari-speaking Tajik and Hazara, speaking a variety of Persian, and Iraqi refugees are mainly Mesopotamian Arabic-speakers who are often of Iranian and Persian ethnic heritage.

Religion

See also: Religion in Iran and List of religious centers in Tehran

The majority of Tehranis are officially Twelver Shia Muslims, which has also been the state religion since the 16th-century Safavid conversion. Other religious communities in the city include followers of the Sunni and Mystic branches of Islam, various Christian denominations, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and the Baháʼí Faith.

There are many religious centres scattered around the city, from old to newly built centres, including mosques, churches, synagogues, and Zoroastrian fire temples. The city also has a very small third-generation Indian Sikh community with a local gurdwara that was visited by the Indian Prime Minister in 2012.[65]

  •  

    Tehran's Shah Mosque

  •  

    Tehran's Greek Orthodox Church of Virgin Mary

  •  

    Saint Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, Tehran

  •  

    St. Joseph Assyrian Catholic (Chaldean Catholic) Church, Tehran

  •  

    Assyrian Church of the East of Mar Sarkis, Tehran

  •  

    Tehran's Yusef Abad Synagogue

  •  

    Adrian Fire Temple, Tehran

Economy

See also: Economy of Tehran, Industry of Iran, and Communications in Iran

Tehran is the economic centre of Iran.[66] About 30% of Iran's public-sector workforce and 45% of its large industrial firms are located in the city, and almost half of these workers are employed by the government.[67] Most of the remainder of workers are factory workers, shopkeepers, laborers, and transport workers.

Few foreign companies operate in Tehran, due to the government's complex international relations. But prior to the 1979 Revolution, many foreign companies were active in Iran.[68] Tehran's present-day modern industries include the manufacturing of automobiles, electronics and electrical equipment, weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical products. It is also a leading centre for the sale of carpets and furniture. The oil refining companies of Pars Oil, Speedy, and Behran are based in Tehran.

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 World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) 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.[69]

Shopping

See also: List of shopping malls in Iran

Tehran has a wide range of shopping centers, and is home to over 60 modern shopping malls.[70] The city has a number of commercial districts, including those located at Valiasr, Davudie, and Zaferanie. The largest old bazaars of Tehran are the Grand Bazaar and the Bazaar of Tajrish. Iran Mall is the largest mall in the world in area.[71]

Most of the international branded stores and upper-class shops are in the northern and western parts of the city. Tehran's retail business is growing with several newly built malls and shopping centres.[70]

List of modern and most-visited Shopping Malls in Tehran Province:[72]

  • Mega Mall
  • Bamland Shopping Center
  • Palladium Shopping Center
  • Sam Center
  • Iran Mall
  • Kourosh Mall
  • Tirajeh Shopping Center
  • Modern Elahiyeh Shopping Center
  • Donyaye Noor Shopping Centre
  • Tandis Shopping Center
  • Ava Centre
  • Atlas Mall
  • Goldis Mall
  • OPAL Shopping Center
  • Rosha Department Store
  • Sivan Center
  • Arg Shopping Center
  • Nasr Shopping Center
  • Galleria Shopping Center
  • Charso Mall
  • Mirdamad Shopping Center
  • Royal Address Complex
  • Platin Shopping Center
  • Sana Shopping Center
  • Sepid Shopping Center Tehran
  • Najm Khavar Mianeh
  • Parsian Shopping Center
  • Artemis Shopping Center
  • Heravi Center Shopping Mall
  • Tuba shopping center
  • Lale Shopping Center
  • Andisheh Shopping Center
  • Sky Center
  • Lotus Mall
  • Saba Shopping Mall
  • Seven Center Shopping Mall
  • Kasa Shopping
  • Platin Shopping Center

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Tehran

Tehran, as one of the main tourist destinations in Iran, has a wealth of cultural attractions. It is home to royal complexes of Golestan, Saadabad and Niavaran, which were built under the reign of the country's last two monarchies.

There are several historic, artistic, and scientific museums in Tehran, including the

Also the Museum of Contemporary Art, which hosts works of famous artists such as Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. The Iranian Imperial Crown Jewels, one of the largest jewel collections in the world, are also on display at Tehran's National Jewelry Museum.

A number of cultural and trade exhibitions take place in Tehran, which are mainly operated by the country's International Exhibitions Company. Tehran's annual International Book Fair is known to the international publishing world as one of the most important publishing events in Asia.[73]

Hotel

  •  

    Espinas Palace Hotel

  •  

    Parsian Esteghlal International Hotel

  •  

    Ferdowsi Grand Hotel

  •  

    Homa Hotel

  •  

    Laleh International Hotel

  •  

    Parsian Azadi Hotel

Infrastructure

Highways and streets

See also: List of Expressways in Tehran

Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the political system changed from constitutional monarchy to Islamic republic. Then the construction of political power in the country needed to change so that new spectrums of political power decision-making centers emerged in Iran. Motives, desires and actions of these new political power decision-making centers in Iran, made them rename streets and public places throughout the country, especially Tehran. For example Shahyad square changed to Azadi square and Pahlavi street changed to Valiasr street.[74]

The metropolis of Tehran is equipped with a large network of highways and interchanges.[75]

 
The left image shows Tehran on a day-off during the Nowruz holidays, and the right one shows it on a working day.

A number of streets in Tehran are named after international figures, including:

Cars

See also: Automotive industry in Iran
 
Tehran's taxi (2019)

According to the head of Tehran Municipality's Environment and Sustainable Development Office, Tehran was designed to have a capacity of about 300,000 cars, but more than five million cars are on the roads.[76] The automotive industry has recently developed, but international sanctions influence the production processes periodically.[77]

According to local media, Tehran has more than 200,000 taxis plying the roads daily,[78] with several types of taxi available in the city. Airport taxis have a higher cost per kilometer as opposed to regular green and yellow taxis in the city.

Buses

See also: Trolleybuses in Tehran and Tehran Bus Rapid Transit

Buses have served the city since the 1920s. Tehran's transport system includes conventional buses, trolleybuses, and bus rapid transit (BRT). The city's four major bus stations include the South Terminal, the East Terminal, the West Terminal, and the northcentral Beyhaghi Terminal.

The trolleybus system was opened in 1992, using a fleet of 65 articulated trolleybuses built by Czech Republic's Škoda.[79] This was the first trolleybus system in Iran.[79] In 2005, trolleybuses were operating on five routes, all starting at Imam Hossein Square.[80] Two routes running northeastwards operate almost entirely in a segregated busway located in the middle of the wide carriageway along Damavand Street, stopping only at purpose-built stops located about every 500 metres along the routes, effectively making these routes trolleybus-BRT (but they are not called such). The other three trolley bus routes run south and operate in mixed traffic. Both route sections are served by limited-stop services and local (making all stops) services.[80] A 3.2-kilometer extension from Shoosh Square to Rah Ahan Square was opened in March 2010.[81]

Tehran's bus rapid transit (BRT) was officially inaugurated in 2008. It has 10 lines with some 215 stations in different areas of the city. As of 2011, the BRT system had a network of 100 kilometres (62 miles), transporting 1.8 million passengers on a daily basis.

Bicycle

 
A BDOOD station in Tehran

Bdood is a dockless bike-sharing company in Iran. Founded in 2017, it is available in the central and northwest regions of the capital city of Tehran. The company has plans to expand across the city in the future.

In the first phase, the application covers the flat areas of Tehran and they would be out of use in poor weather conditions.

Riders can use 29 parking lots for the bikes across Enqelab Avenue, Keshavarz Boulevard, Beheshti Street and Motahhari Avenue in which the bikes are available 24/7 for riders.

Railway and subway

See also: Iranian Railways and Tehran Metro

Tehran has a central railway station that connects services round the clock to various cities in the country, along with a Tehran–Europe train line also running.

The feasibility study and conceptual planning of the construction of Tehran's subway system were started in the 1970s. The first two of the eight projected metro lines were opened in 2001.

List of Tehran Metro Lines
Line Opening[82] Length Stations[83] Type
1 2001 70 km (43 mi)[84] 32[84][85] Metro
2 2000 26 km (16 mi)[86] 22[85][86] Metro
3 2012 37 km (23 mi)[87] 24[85][87] Metro
4 2008 22 km (14 mi)[88] 22[88] Metro
5 1999 43 km (27 mi)[89] 11[89][90] Commuter rail
6 2019 9 km (5.6 mi)[91] 3 Metro
7 2017 13.5 km (8.4 mi)[92] 8 Metro
Metro Subtotal: 177.5 km (110 mi) 111
Total: 220.5 km (137 mi) 122

Airport

See also: Airlines of Iran
 
Entrance of the Imam Khomeini Airport in 2018

Tehran is served by the international airports of Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini. Mehrabad Airport, an old airport in western Tehran that doubles as a military base, is mainly used for domestic and charter flights. Imam Khomeini Airport, located 50 kilometres (31 miles) south of the city, handles the main international flights.

Parks and green spaces

See also: List of Tehran metropolis parks
 
City Park, March 2008
 
Water and Fire park at night, February 2010

There are over 2,100 parks within the metropolis of Tehran,[93] with one of the oldest being Jamshidie Park, which was first established as a private garden for Qajar prince Jamshid Davallu, and was then dedicated to the last empress of Iran, Farah Pahlavi. The total green space within Tehran stretches over 12,600 hectares, covering over 20 percent of the city's area. The Parks and Green Spaces Organization of Tehran was established in 1960, and is responsible for the protection of the urban nature present in the city.[94]

Tehran's Birds Garden is the largest bird park in Iran. There is also a zoo located on the Tehran–Karaj Expressway, housing over 290 species within an area of about five hectares.[95]

In 2009, the Ab-o-Atash Park ("Water and Fire park") was founded. Its main features are an open water fountain area for cooling in the hot climate, fire towers, and an amphitheatre.[96]

Energy

See also: Energy in Iran

Water

Fresh water resources of Tehran Province in 2017

  Groundwater (37%)
  Sewage treatment (63%)
See also: Water supply and sanitation in Iran

Greater Tehran with its population of more than 13 million is supplied by surface water from the Lar dam on the Lar River in the Northeast of the city, the Latyan dam on the Jajrood River in the North, the Karaj River in the Northwest, as well as by groundwater in the vicinity of the city.

Solar Energy

Solar panels have been installed in Tehran's Pardisan Park for green electricity production, said Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of the Department of Environment.

According to the national energy roadmap, the government plans to promote green technology to increase the nominal capacity of power plants from 74 gigawatts to over 120 gigawatts by the end of 2025.[97]

Education

 
The University of Tehran is the oldest modern university of Iran.
See also: Education in Iran, List of colleges and universities in Tehran, and Science in Iran

Tehran is the largest and most important educational center in Iran. There are a total of nearly 50 major colleges and universities in Greater Tehran.

Since the establishment of Dar ol Fonun by the order of Amir Kabir in the mid-19th century, 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 was named after, was one of the founding pioneers of the American College of Tehran, which was one of the first modern high schools in the Middle East.

Among major educational institutions located in Tehran, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences are the most prestigious. Other major universities located in Tehran include Tehran University of Art, Allameh Tabatabaei University, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University (Melli University), Kharazmi University, Iran University of Science and Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, Iran's Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, Shahed University, and Tarbiat Modarres University. Sharif University of Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, and Iran University of Science and Technology also located in Tehran are nationally well known for taking in the top undergraduate Engineering and Science students; and internationally recognized for training competent under graduate students. It has probably the highest percentage of graduates who seek higher education abroad.

Tehran is also home to Iran's largest military academy, and several religious schools and seminaries.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Tehran

Architecture

See also: Architecture of Tehran

The oldest surviving architectural monuments of Tehran are from the Qajar and Pahlavi eras. In Greater Tehran, monuments dating back to the Seljuk era remain as well; notably the Toqrol Tower in Ray. Rashkan Castle, dating back to the ancient Parthian Empire, of which some artifacts are housed at the National Museum;[98] and the Bahram fire temple, which remains since the Sassanian Empire.

Tehran only had a small population until the late 18th century but began to take a more considerable role in Iranian society after it was chosen as the capital city. Despite the regular occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar period and after, some historic buildings remain from that era.[99]

Tehran is Iran's primate city, and is considered to have the most modernized infrastructure in the country. However, the gentrification of old neighbourhoods and the demolition of buildings of cultural significance have caused concerns.[100]

 
Qeytarie skyline in February 2010

Previously a low-rise city due to seismic activity in the region, modern high-rise developments in Tehran have been built in recent decades in order to service its growing population. There have been no major quakes in Tehran since 1830.[101]

Tehran International Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Iran. It is 54-stories tall and located in the northern district of Yusef Abad.

The Azadi Tower, a memorial built under the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty, has long been the most famous symbol of Tehran. Originally constructed in commemoration of the 2,500th year of the foundation of the Imperial State of Iran, it combines elements of the architecture of the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras with post-classical Iranian architecture. The Milad Tower, which is the sixth tallest tower[102] and the 24th-tallest freestanding structure in the world,[103] is the city's other famous landmark tower. Leila Araghian's Tabiat Bridge, the largest pedestrian overpass in Tehran, was completed in 2014 and is also considered a landmark.[9]

Theater

 
The Roudaki Hall, Tehran

Under the reign of the Qajars, Tehran was home to the royal theatre of Tekye Dowlat, located to the southeast of the Golestan Palace, in which traditional and religious performances were observed. It was eventually demolished and replaced with a bank building in 1947, following the reforms during the reign of Reza Shah.

Before the 1979 Revolution, the Iranian national stage had become the most famous performing scene for known international artists and troupes in the Middle East,[104] with the Roudaki Hall of Tehran constructed to function as the national stage for opera and ballet. The hall was inaugurated in October 1967 and named after prominent Persian poet Rudaki. It is home to the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, the Tehran Opera Orchestra, and the Iranian National Ballet Company.

The City Theater of Tehran, one of Iran's biggest theatre complexes, which contains several performance halls, was opened in 1972. It was built at the initiative and presidency of empress Farah Pahlavi, and was designed by architect Ali Sardar Afkhami, constructed within five years.

The annual events of Fajr Theater Festival and Tehran Puppet Theater Festival take place in Tehran.

Cinema

 
Ferdows Garden houses Iran's Cinema Museum.

The first movie theater in Tehran was established by Mirza Ebrahim Khan in 1904.[105] Until the early 1930s, there were 15 theaters in Tehran Province and 11 in other provinces.[106]

In present-day Tehran, most of the movie theatres are located downtown. The complexes of Kourosh Cinema, Mellat Gallery and Cineplex, Azadi Cinema, and Cinema Farhang are among the most popular cinema complexes in Tehran.

Several film festivals are held in Tehran, including Fajr Film Festival, Children and Youth Film Festival, House of Cinema Festival, Mobile Film and Photo Festival, Nahal Festival, Roshd Film Festival, Tehran Animation Festival, Tehran Short Film Festival, and Urban Film Festival.

Concerts

There are a variety of concert halls in Tehran. An organization like the Roudaki Culture and Art Foundation has five different venues where more than 500 concerts take place this year. Vahdat Hall, Roudaki Hall, Ferdowsi Hall, Hafez Hall and Azadi Theater are the top five venues in Tehran, where classical, pop, traditional, rock or solo concerts take place.[107]

Sports

 
Dizin, Iran's largest ski resort, is located near Tehran.
See also: Sport in Iran

Football and volleyball are the city's most popular sports, while wrestling, basketball, and futsal are also major parts of the city's sporting culture.

12 ski resorts operate in Iran, the most famous being Tochal, Dizin, and Shemshak, all within one to three hours from the city of Tehran.

Tochal's resort is the world's fifth-highest ski resort at over 3,730 meters (12,240 feet) above sea level at its highest point. It is also the world's nearest ski resort to a capital city. The resort was opened in 1976, shortly before the 1979 Revolution. It is equipped with an 8-kilometre-long (5 mi) gondola lift that covers a huge vertical distance.[108] There are two parallel chair ski lifts in Tochal that reach 3,900 meters (12,800 feet) high near Tochal's peak (at 4,000 m/13,000 ft), rising higher than the gondola's seventh station, which is higher than any of the European ski resorts. From the Tochal peak, there are views of the Alborz range, including the 5,610-metre-high (18,406 ft) Mount Damavand, a dormant volcano.

 
The Azadi Stadium is the largest football stadium in West Asia.

Tehran is the site of the national stadium of Azadi, the biggest stadium by capacity in West Asia, where many of the top matches of Iran's Premier League are held. The stadium is a part of the Azadi Sport Complex, which was originally built to host the 7th Asian Games in September 1974. This was the first time the Asian Games were hosted in West Asia. Tehran played host to 3,010 athletes from 25 countries/NOCs, which was at the time the highest number of participants since the inception of the Games.[109] That followed hosting the 6th AFC Asian Cup in June 1976, and then the first West Asian Games in November 1997. 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 years.[110] The city had also hosted the final of the 1968 AFC Asian Cup. Several FIVB Volleyball World League courses have also been hosted in Tehran.

Football clubs

The first football club of Tehran, Iran Club, was founded in 1920 and dissolved within two years in 1923. Today, Tehran's oldest existing football club is Rah Ahan, which was founded in 1937. Persepolis and Esteghlal, which are the city's biggest clubs and two of the biggest clubs in Asia, compete in the Tehran derby. Tehran is also home to the F.C. Ararat Tehran, a popular Armenian football team based at the Ararat Stadium.

The following table lists Tehran's six major football clubs.

Club Sport Founded League
Ararat F.C. Association football 1944 Tehran Province League
Esteghlal F.C.[111] Association football 1945 Iran Pro League (IPL)
Steel Azin F.C. Association football 2007 Iran Football's 3rd Division
Persepolis F.C.[112] Association football 1967 Iran Pro League (IPL)
Paykan F.C. Association football 1967 Iran Pro League (IPL)

Smaller clubs based in Tehran are listed below.

Club Sport League
Baadraan F.C. Association football Azadegan League
Parseh F.C. Association football Azadegan League
Niroo Zamini F.C. Association football 2nd Division
Kaveh F.C. Association football 2nd Division
Moghavemat F.C. Association football 2nd Division
Oghab F.C. Association football 3rd Division
Entezam F.C. Association football 3rd Division
Naftoon F.C. Association football 3rd Division

Food

See also: Iranian cuisine

There are many restaurants and cafes in Tehran, both modern and classic, serving both Iranian and cosmopolitan cuisine. Pizzerias, sandwich bars, and kebab shops make up the majority of food shops in Tehran.[113]

  •  

    A restaurant in Darband

  •  

    A pizzeria in Kamyab Street, Tehran

  •  

    A Japanese restaurant in Tehran

  •  

    Shemroon Cafe, in Tehran's Iranian Art Museum

  •  

    30 Tir food street

Graffiti

Main article: Graffiti in Tehran
 
A scene from the 2016 documentary film Writing on the City, showing graffiti in Tehran's Sa'adat Abad

Many styles of graffiti are seen in Tehran. Some are political and revolutionary slogans painted by governmental organizations,[114] and some are works of art by ordinary citizens, representing their views on both social and political issues. However, unsanctioned street art is forbidden in Iran,[114] and such works are usually short-lived.

During the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, many graffiti works were created by people supporting the Green Movement. They were removed from the walls by the paramilitary Basij forces.[115]

In recent years, Tehran Municipality has been using graffiti in order to beautify the city. Several graffiti festivals have also taken place in Tehran, including the one organized by the Tehran University of Art in October 2014.[116]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Iran

Tehran is twinned with:[117]

Cooperation agreements

Tehran cooperates with:

Panoramic views

 
A panoramic view of Tehran at night
 
A panoramic view of Tehran during the day
 
A panoramic view of Tehran during the day in spring
 
A panoramic view of Tehran during the day
 
A panoramic view of Tehran on a clean day

See also

References

  1. ^ "City of Tehran Statisticalyearbook" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  2. ^ Tehran, Environment & Geography 2015-11-17 at the Wayback Machine. Tehran.ir.
  3. ^ "Population of Tehran". from the original on 13 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  4. ^ "Major Agglomerations of the World - Population Statistics and Maps". citypopulation.de. 13 September 2018.
  5. ^ Urban population: Data for Tehran County. ~97.5% of county population live in Tehran city
    Metro population: Estimate on base of census data, includes central part of Tehran province and Karaj County and Fardis from Alborz province
  6. ^ SI ee List of metropolitan areas in Asia.
  7. ^ Erdösy, George. (1995). The Indo-Aryans of ancient South Asia: Language, material culture and ethnicity. Walter de Gruyter. p. 165. Possible western place names are the following: Raya-, which is also the ancient name of Median Raga in the Achaemenid inscriptions (Darius, Bisotun 2.13: a land in Media called Raga) and modern Rey south of Tehran
  8. ^ "Tehran (Iran) : Introduction – Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Encyclopædia Britannica. from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  9. ^ a b c "Tabiat Pedestrian Bridge / Diba Tensile Architecture". ArchDaily. 17 November 2014. from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  10. ^ a b c "چنددرصد تهرانی‌ها در تهران به دنیا آمده‌اند؟". tabnak.ir (in Persian). 3 November 2010. from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2010.
  11. ^ a b Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad Jalal; McDonald, Peter; Hosseini-Chavoshi, Meimanat. (30 September 2009). "Region of Residence". The Fertility Transition in Iran: Revolution and Reproduction. Springer. pp. 100–101.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Schuppe, Mareike. (2008). Coping with Growth in Tehran: Strategies of Development Regulation. GRIN Verlag. p. 13. Besides Persian, there are Azari, Armenian, and Jewish communities in Tehran. The vast majority of Tehran's residents are Persian-speaking (98.3%).
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Bibliography

See also: Bibliography of the history of Tehran
  • Emerson, Charles. 1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War (2013) compares Tehran to 20 major world cities; pp 309–24.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tehran.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tehran.
 
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Teheran (province)".
 
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Teheran (city)".
Preceded by Capital of Iran (Persia)
1795–current 		Incumbent

January 15, 2023
tehran, this, article, about, iranian, capital, city, other, uses, disambiguation, confused, with, teheran, ɛəˈr, ɑː, persian, تهران, tehrân, tehˈɾɒːn, listen, largest, city, province, capital, iran, with, population, around, million, city, around, million, la. This article is about the Iranian capital city For other uses see Tehran disambiguation Not to be confused with Teheran ro Tehran t ɛeˈr ae n ˈ r ɑː n ˌ t eɪ Persian تهران Tehran tehˈɾɒːn listen is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia 6 and has the second largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo It is ranked 24th in the world by metropolitan area population Tehran تهرانCapital cityتهران بزرگ The Greater TehranTop to bottom left to right Milad Tower Azadi Tower View of City at Night North of Tehran National Garden Ferdows Garden Shams ol Emareh Navvab Expressway Tabiat Bridge Chitgar Lake FlagSealTehranLocation in Iran and AsiaShow map of TehranTehranTehran Iran Show map of IranTehranTehran Asia Show map of AsiaCoordinates 35 41 21 N 51 23 20 E 35 68917 N 51 38889 E 35 68917 51 38889 Coordinates 35 41 21 N 51 23 20 E 35 68917 N 51 38889 E 35 68917 51 38889CountryIranProvinceTehranCountyTehranRayShemiranatDistrictCentralGovernment MayorAlireza Zakani City Council ChairmanMehdi ChamranArea 1 Urban615 km2 237 sq mi Metro2 235 km2 863 sq mi Elevation 2 900 to 1 830 m 2 952 to 6 003 ft Population 5 Density11 800 km2 31 000 sq mi Urban9 039 000 3 Metro15 800 000 4 Population rank in Iran1stDemonymTehrani en Time zoneUTC 03 30 IRST Area codes 98 021ClimateBSkWebsitewww tehran irThis article contains Persian text Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols In the Classical era part of the territory of present day Tehran was occupied by Rhages a prominent Median city 7 destroyed in the medieval Arab Turkic and Mongol invasions Modern Ray is an urban area absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran 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 Large scale demolition and rebuilding began in the 1920s and Tehran has been a destination for mass migrations from all over Iran since the 20th century 8 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 9 Most of the population are Persian 10 11 and roughly 99 of them understand and speak the Persian language but large populations of other ethnolinguistic groups live in Tehran and speak Persian as majority of the minorities are Persianized and assimilated 12 Tehran has an international airport Imam Khomeini Airport a domestic airport Mehrabad Airport a central railway station a rapid transit system Tehran Metro a bus rapid transit system trolleybuses and a large network of highways Plans to relocate Iran s capital from Tehran to another area due to air pollution and earthquakes have so far not yet received approval A 2016 survey of 230 cities across the globe by consultant Mercer ranked Tehran 203rd for quality of life 13 According to the Global Destinations Cities Index in 2016 Tehran is among the top ten fastest growing destinations 14 The City Council declared October 6 Tehran Day in 2016 celebrating the day in 1907 when the city officially became the capital of Iran 15 Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 2 1 Classical era 2 2 Medieval period 2 3 Early modern era 2 4 Late modern era 3 Geography 3 1 Location and subdivisions 3 2 Climate 3 3 Environmental issues 4 Demographics 4 1 Religion 5 Economy 5 1 Shopping 5 2 Tourism 6 Infrastructure 6 1 Highways and streets 6 2 Cars 6 3 Buses 6 4 Bicycle 6 5 Railway and subway 6 6 Airport 6 7 Parks and green spaces 6 8 Energy 6 8 1 Water 6 8 2 Solar Energy 7 Education 8 Culture 8 1 Architecture 8 2 Theater 8 3 Cinema 8 4 Concerts 8 5 Sports 8 5 1 Football clubs 8 6 Food 8 7 Graffiti 9 Twin towns sister cities 9 1 Cooperation agreements 10 Panoramic views 11 See also 12 References 13 Bibliography 14 External linksEtymology EditVarious theories on the origin of the name Tehran have been put forward Iranian linguist Ahmad Kasravi in an article Shemiran Tehran suggested that Tehran and Kehran mean the warm place and Shemiran means the cool place He listed cities with the same base and suffix and studied the components of the word in ancient Iranian languages and came to the conclusion that Tehran and Kehran meant the same thing in different Iranian language families as the constant t and k are close to each other in such languages He also provided evidence that cities named Shemiran were colder than those named Tehran or Kehran He considered other theories not considering the ancient history of Iranian languages such as Tirgan theory and Tahran theory folk etymology 16 Another theory is that Tehran derives from Tiran Tirgan the abode of Tir the Zoroastrian equivalent of Hermes The ancient Parthian town of Tiran had a neighbour Mehran abode of Mehr Mithra the Zoroastrian sun justice angel Both of these were mere villages in the suburbs of the great city of Ray Rhages Mehran still exists as a residential district in Greater Tehran as well as Ray which forms the southern suburbs of Tehran The official City of Tehran website says that Tehran comes from the Persian words Tah meaning end or bottom and Ran meaning mountain slope literally the bottom of the mountain ته کوه Given Tehran s position at the foot of the Alborz mountains this seems plausible 17 In English it was formerly spelt Teheran 18 History EditFor a chronological guide see Timeline of Tehran Archaeological remains from the ancient city of Ray suggest that settlement in Tehran dates back over 8 000 years 19 Classical era Edit Tehran is in the historical Media region of Old Persian 𐎶𐎠𐎭 Mada in northwestern Iran By the time of the Median Empire part of present day Tehran was a suburb of the prominent Median city of Rhages Old Persian 𐎼𐎥𐎠 Raga In the Avesta s Videvdat i 15 Rhages is mentioned as the 12th sacred place created by Ohrmazd 20 In Old Persian inscriptions Rhages appears as a province Bistun 2 10 18 From Rhages Darius I sent reinforcements to his father Hystaspes who was putting down a rebellion in Parthia Bistun 3 1 10 20 Some Middle Persian texts give Rhages as the birthplace of Zoroaster 21 although modern historians generally place the birth of Zoroaster in Khorasan Province Mount Damavand the highest peak of Iran which is located near Tehran is an important location in Ferdowsi s Sahname 22 an Iranian epic poem based on the ancient legends of Iran It appears in the epics as the homeland of the protoplast Keyumars the birthplace of King Manuchehr the place where King Fereydun bound the dragon fiend Azdahak Bivarasp and the place where Arash shot his arrow 22 Medieval period Edit In 641 during the reign of the Sasanian Empire Yazdgerd III issued his last appeal to the nation from Rhages before fleeing to Khorasan 20 Rhages was dominated by the Parthian House of Mihran and Siyavakhsh the son of Mehran the son of Bahram Chobin who resisted the seventh century Muslim invasion of Iran 20 Because of this resistance when the Arabs captured Rhages they ordered the town destroyed and rebuilt anew by traitor aristocrat Farrukhzad 20 In the ninth century Tehran was a well known village but less so than the city of Rhages flourishing nearby Rhages was described in detail by tenth century Muslim geographers 20 Despite the interest that Arabian Baghdad displayed in Rhages the number of Arabs in the city remained insignificant and the population mainly consisted of Iranians of all classes 20 23 The Oghuz Turks invaded Rhages in 1035 and again in 1042 but the city was recovered under the Seljuks and the Khwarezmians 20 Medieval writer Najm od Din Razi declared the population of Rhages about 500 000 before the Mongol invasion In the 13th century the Mongols invaded Rhages laid the city to ruins and massacred many of its inhabitants 20 Others escaped to Tehran In July 1404 Castilian ambassador Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo visited Tehran on a journey to Samarkand the capital of Turco Mongol conqueror Timur the ruler of Iran at the time He described it in his diary as an unwalled region Early modern era Edit Italian traveler Pietro della Valle passed through Tehran overnight in 1618 and in his memoirs called the city Taheran English traveler Thomas Herbert entered Tehran in 1627 and mentioned it as Tyroan Herbert stated that the city had about 3 000 houses 24 A portrait of Qajar ruler Agha Mohammad Khan at London s V amp A Museum In the early 18th century Karim Khan of the Zand dynasty ordered a palace and a government office built in Tehran possibly to declare the city his capital but he later moved his government to Shiraz Eventually Qajar king Agha Mohammad Khan chose Tehran as the capital of Iran in 1786 25 Agha Mohammad Khan s choice of his capital was based on a similar concern for the control of both northern and southern Iran 25 He was aware of the loyalties of the inhabitants of former capitals Isfahan and Shiraz to the Safavid and Zand dynasties respectively and was wary of the power of the local notables in these cities 25 Thus he probably viewed Tehran s lack of a substantial urban structure as a blessing because it minimized the chances of resistance to his rule by the notables and by the general public 25 Moreover he had to remain within close reach of Azerbaijan and Iran s integral northern and southern Caucasian territories 25 at that time not yet irrevocably lost per the treaties of Golestan and Turkmenchay to the neighboring Russian Empire which would follow in the course of the 19th century 26 Map of Tehran in 1857 After 50 years of Qajar rule the city still barely had more than 80 000 inhabitants 25 Up until the 1870s Tehran consisted of a walled citadel a roofed bazaar and the three main neighborhoods of Udlajan Chale Meydan and Sangelaj where the majority resided The first development plan of Tehran in 1855 emphasized traditional spatial structure The second under the supervision of Dar ol Fonun in 1878 included new city walls in the form of a perfect octagon with an area of 19 square kilometers mimicking the Renaissance cities of Europe 27 Tehran was 19 79 square kilometers and had expanded more than fourfold 28 Late modern era Edit The Triumph of Tehran Sardar Asad II and Sepahsalar e Tonekaboni conquering Tehran in July 1909 Growing awareness of civil rights resulted in the Constitutional Revolution and the first constitution of Iran in 1906 On June 2 1907 the parliament passed a law on local governance known as the Baladie municipal law providing a detailed outline of issues such as the role of councils within the city the members qualifications the election process and the requirements to be entitled to vote The then Qajar monarch Mohammad Ali Shah abolished the constitution and bombarded the parliament with the help of the Russian controlled Cossack Brigade on June 23 1908 That was followed by the capture of the city by the revolutionary forces of Ali Qoli Khan Sardar Asad II and Mohammad Vali Khan Sepahsalar e Tonekaboni on July 13 1909 As a result the monarch was exiled and replaced with his son Ahmad and the parliament was re established Aerial view of Tehran in 1925 After World War I the constituent assembly elected Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty as the new monarch who immediately suspended the Baladie law of 1907 replacing the decentralized and autonomous city councils with centralist approaches to governance and planning 27 From the 1920s to the 1930s under the rule of Reza Shah the city was essentially rebuilt from scratch Several old buildings including parts of the Golestan Palace Tekye Dowlat and Tupkhane Square were replaced with modern buildings influenced by classical Iranian architecture particularly the buildings of the National Bank the police headquarters the telegraph office and the military academy Changes to the urban fabric began with the street widening act of 1933 which served as a framework for changes in all other cities The Grand Bazaar was divided in half and many historic buildings were demolished and replaced by wide straight avenues 29 and the traditional texture of the city was replaced with intersecting cruciform streets that created large roundabouts in major public spaces such as the bazaar As an attempt to create a network for easy transportation within the city the old citadel and city walls were demolished in 1937 replaced by wide streets cutting through the urban fabric The new city map of Tehran in 1937 was heavily influenced by modernist planning patterns of zoning and gridiron networks 27 During World War II Soviet and British troops entered the city In 1943 Tehran was the site of the Tehran Conference attended by U S President Franklin D Roosevelt Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill Tupkhane Square in 1911 Jalili Square Khaiyam street in Tehran in 1930 University of Tehran s Faculty of Law in 1939 National Bank of Iran Sabze Meydan in the 1940s The Tehran Conference in 1943 The former Parliament Building in 1956 Ferdowsi Avenue in 1960 Keshavarz Boulevard in 1970 Karimkhan Street in 1977 Expressways in Tehran The establishment of the planning organization of Iran in 1948 resulted in the first socioeconomic development plan to cover from 1949 to 1955 These plans not only failed to slow the unbalanced growth of Tehran but with the 1962 land reforms that Reza Shah s son and successor Mohammad Reza Shah named the White Revolution Tehran s chaotic growth was further accentuated 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 To resolve the problem of social exclusion the first comprehensive plan was approved in 1968 The consortium of Iranian architect Abd ol Aziz Farmanfarmaian and the American firm of Victor Gruen Associates identified the main problems blighting the city as high density suburbs air and water pollution inefficient infrastructure unemployment and rural urban migration Eventually the whole plan was marginalized by the 1979 Revolution and the subsequent Iran Iraq War 27 The Azadi Tower was built in 1971 Tehran s most famous landmark the Azadi Tower was built by the order of the Shah in 1971 It was designed by Hossein Amanat an architect whose design won a competition combining elements of classical Sassanian architecture with post classical Iranian architecture Formerly known as the Shahyad Tower it was built to commemorate the 2 500th anniversary of the Imperial State of Iran During the Iran Iraq War in 1980 to 1988 Tehran was repeatedly targeted by airstrikes and Scud missile attacks The 435 meter high Milad Tower one of the proposed development projects of pre revolutionary Iran 30 was completed in 2007 and has become a famous landmark of Tehran Tabiat Bridge a 270 meter pedestrian overpass 9 designed by award winning architect Leila Araghian was completed in 2014 Geography EditLocation and subdivisions Edit Districts of Tehran The metropolis of Tehran is divided into 22 municipal districts each with its own administrative center Of the 22 municipal districts 20 are located in Tehran County s Central District while districts 1 and 20 are respectively located in the counties of Shemiranat and Ray Although administratively separate the cities of Ray and Shemiran are often considered part of Greater Tehran Sulqan RD Kan District Aftab District Aftab RD Khalazir RD Central District Siyahrud RD Tehran D 1 Shemiranat County D 2 D 3 D 4 D 5 D 6 D 7 D 8 D 9 D 10 D 11 D 12 D 13 D 14 D 15 D 16 D 17 D 18 D 19 D 20 Ray County D 21 D 22 Regions and municipal districts of TehranNorth District 1 Farmaniyeh Evin Darakeh Zaferaniyeh Mahmoodiyeh Velenjak Darband Golabdarreh Jamaran Dezashib Niavaran Darabad Tajrish Gheytariyeh Chizar Ozgol Aghdasiyeh Elahieh Jamshidiyeh Saadabad KamraniyehDistrict 2 Farahzad Shahrara Gisha Punak e Bahtari Saadat Abad Sadeghieh Shahrak e Gharb Tarasht TohidDistrict 3 Darus Davoodiyeh Ekhtiariyeh Golhak Vanak JordanDistrict 5 Bolvar e Ferdowsi Jannat Abad Ekbatan PunakDistrict 6 Amir Abad Arjantin Yousef Abad Park e Laleh East District 4 Khak Sefid Hakimiyeh Lavizan Ozgol Pasdaran Resalat Shams Abad Shemiran e No Tehranpars Zargande NarmakDistrict 7 Abbas Abad Behjat Abad Emam Hossein SabalanDistrict 8 Mo allem Narmak Samangan Nezam AbadDistrict 13 Dowshan Tappe Niru Havaii Tehran e No PirooziDistrict 14 Chaharsad Dastgah Dulab Esfahanak Khorasan Sad Dastgah Center District 10 Beryanak Haft Chenar SalsabilDistrict 11 Dokhaniyat Lashkar Moniriyeh Sheikh HadiDistrict 12 Baharestan Bazar e Tehran Ferdowsi Gorgan Park e Shahrr Pich e ShemiranDistrict 17 Emamzade Hasan Bagh Khazaneh Qal e Morghi South District 15 Afsariyeh Bisim Khavaran Kiyanshahr Masoudiyeh MoshiriyehDistrict 16 Ali Abad Bagh e Azari Khazane Yakhchi Abad Javadiyeh Nazi AbadDistrict 19 Abdol Abad Khani Abad No Nemat AbadDistrict 20 Dolat Abad Javanmard e Ghassab Ebn Babviyeh Hazrat e Abdol Azim Sizdah e Aban Rey West District 9 Jey Sar Asyab Mehr AbadDistrict 18 Khalije Fars Yaft Abad Shad Abad Shahrak e Vali Asr Tolid Daru FerdowsDistrict 21 Shahrak e Darya Bashgah e Naft Tehransar Shahrak e Pasdaran Shahrak e Azadi VardavardDistrict 22 Bagh e Haj Seif Kan Kuy e Sazman e Barname Park Chitgar Peykanshahr Stadium e Azadi Shahrak e Cheshmeh Shahrak e Rah Ahan Shahrak e Omid Shahid Baqeri Dehkade ye Olympic Daryache Chitgar GolestanMunicipal districts of TehranName Persian Name County Number ofMunicipal Regions Area Population Population Density Location within TehranDistrict 1 منطقه ۱ Mantaqe ye Yek Shemiranat County 10 64 0 km 487 508 10 533 km District 2 منطقه ۲ Mantaqe ye Do Tehran County 9 64 0 km 701 303 14 964 km District 3 منطقه ۳ Mantaqe ye Se Tehran County 6 31 2 km 330 649 10 156 km District 4 منطقه ۴ Mantaqe ye Chahar Tehran County 9 61 4 km 919 001 14 943 km District 5 منطقه ۵ Mantaqe ye Panj Tehran County 7 52 9 km 858 346 18 320 km District 6 منطقه ۶ Mantaqe ye Seŝ Tehran County 6 21 4 km 251 384 13 763 km District 7 منطقه ۷ Mantaqe ye Haft Tehran County 5 15 4 km 312 194 20 140 km District 8 منطقه ۸ Mantaqe ye Haŝt Tehran County 3 13 4 km 425 197 31 984 km District 9 منطقه ۹ Mantaqe ye Noh Tehran County 3 19 6 km 174 239 6 387 km District 10 منطقه ۱۰ Mantaqe ye Dah Tehran County 3 8 2 km 327 115 40 029 km District 11 منطقه ۱۱ Mantaqe ye Yazdah Tehran County 4 12 6 km 307 940 25 743 km District 12 منطقه ۱۲ Mantaqe ye Davazdah Tehran County 6 16 9 km 241 831 15 150 km District 13 منطقه ۱۳ Mantaqe ye Sizdah Tehran County 4 12 8 km 248 952 14 726 km District 14 منطقه ۱۴ Mantaqe ye Ĉahardah Tehran County 6 24 3 km 515 795 21 370 km District 15 منطقه ۱۵ Mantaqe ye Panzdah Tehran County 6 35 4 km 641 279 23 186 km District 16 منطقه ۱۶ Mantaqe ye Ŝanzdah Tehran County 6 18 1 km 268 406 16 238 km District 17 منطقه ۱۷ Mantaqe ye Hefdah Tehran County 3 8 2 km 273 231 33 276 km District 18 منطقه ۱۸ Mantaqe ye Heĵdah Tehran County 5 37 5 km 419 882 11 029 km District 19 منطقه ۱۹ Mantaqe ye Nuzdah Tehran County 3 20 3 km 261 027 12 809 km District 20 منطقه ۲۰ Mantaqe ye Bist Ray County 5 23 0 km 365 259 16 365 km District 21 منطقه ۲۱ Mantaqe ye Bist o Yek Tehran County 3 51 6 km 186 821 3 646 km District 22 منطقه ۲۲ Mantaqe ye Bist o Do Tehran County 4 54 0 km 176 347 3 025 km Tehran and Mount Tochal in the winter of 2006 View of Tehran at Night from Tajrish Elahieh an upper class residential and commercial district in northern Tehran Ekhtiarieh an old residential area in northern Tehran Tehran from Gheytarieh Bucharest Street in Abbas Abad north central Tehran Resalat Tunnel in Tehran Sattarkhan street in Tehran Jordan view Kamranieh alley Velenjak northwestern Tehran Pasdaran Street Northern Tehran is the wealthiest part of the city 31 consisting of various districts such as Zafaraniyeh Jordan Elahiyeh Pasdaran Kamranieh Ajodanieh Farmanieh Darrous Niavaran Jamaran Aghdasieh Mahmoodieh Velenjak Qeytarieh Ozgol and Ekhtiarieh 32 33 While the center of the city houses government ministries and headquarters commercial centers are located further north Climate Edit Urban sustainability analysis of the metropolitan area of Tehran using the Circles of Sustainability method of the UN Global Compact Cities Programme Mellat Park in autumn The northern area of Tehran has a Mediterranean climate Koppen climate classification Csa with a cold semi arid climate BSk elsewhere with hot dry summers and cool rainy winters Tehran s climate is largely defined by its geographic location with the towering Alborz mountains to its north and the country s central desert to the south It can be generally described as mild in spring and autumn hot and dry in summer and cold and wet in winter As the city has a large area with significant differences in elevation among various districts the weather is often cooler in the hilly north than in the flat southern part of Tehran For instance the 17 3 km 10 7 mi Valiasr Street runs from Tehran s railway station at 1 117 m 3 665 ft elevation above sea level in the south of the city to Tajrish Square at 1712 6 m 5612 3 ft elevation above sea level in the north 34 However the elevation can even rise up to 2 000 m 6 600 ft at the end of Velenjak in northern Tehran The sparse texture the existence of old gardens orchards green spaces along the highways and the lack of industrial activities in the north of the city have helped the air in the northern areas to be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius cooler than the southern areas of the city 35 The main direction of the prevailing wind in Tehran is northwest to southeast 36 Other air currents that blow in the area of Tehran are Tochal breeze With the rapid cooling of the Alborz mountain range at night a local high pressure center is formed on Mount Tochal and this cold current flows down the mountain due to its weight and high pressure Thus a gentle breeze blows into the city from the north at night 35 Southern and southeastern regional winds these winds blow from the desert plains in the hot months of the year 35 Western winds These winds are among the planetary winds that affect the city of Tehran more or less throughout the year and can be called the prevailing wind 35 Air currents have a great effect on Tehran s weather The prevailing wind blowing from the west causes the west of the city to always be exposed to fresh air Although this wind brings smoke and pollution from the western industrial areas its strong wind can take the polluted air out of the city of Tehran 35 In most years winter provides half of Tehran s total annual rainfall March is the rainiest month of the year and about one fifth of the annual rainfall occurs in it Summer is also the least rainy season and September is the driest month of the year in Tehran The average annual rainfall of the city is sometimes very different in the north and south regions 35 There are between 205 and 213 days of clear to partly cloudy weather in Tehran 37 One of the most intense rains in Tehran happened on April 21 1962 and this rain lasted for 10 hours Meteorology also announced that the amount of rainfall on that one day in Tehran was equivalent to six years 38 Summer is hot and dry with little rain but relative humidity is generally low making the heat tolerable Average high temperatures are between 31 C 88 F and 38 C 100 F during summer months and it can sometimes rise up to 40 C 104 F during heat waves Average low temperatures in summer are between 18 C 64 F and 25 C 77 F and it can occasionally drop to below 14 C 57 F in the mountainous north of the city at night Winter is cold and occasionally snowy with an average of 12 3 snow days annually in central Tehran and more than 23 7 snow days annually in northern Tehran During the winter months average high temperatures are between 3 C 37 F and 11 C 52 F and average low temperatures are between 5 C 23 F and 1 C 34 F and it can occasionally drop to below 10 C 14 F during cold waves Most of the annual precipitation occurs from late autumn to mid spring March is the wettest month with an average precipitation of 39 6 millimetres 1 56 in The hottest month is July with a mean minimum temperature of 24 C 75 F and a mean maximum temperature of 36 7 C 98 1 F and the coldest is January with a mean minimum temperature of 0 4 C 31 3 F and a mean maximum temperature of 7 9 C 46 2 F 39 The highest recorded temperature was 43 C 109 F on 3 July 1958 and the lowest recorded temperature was 15 C 5 F on 8 January 1969 Climate data for Tehran Mehrabad altitude 1190 8 m 1951 2010 extremes 1951 2020 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 19 6 67 3 24 4 75 9 30 3 86 5 33 4 92 1 37 0 98 6 42 2 108 0 43 0 109 4 42 0 107 6 38 0 100 4 33 4 92 1 26 4 79 5 21 0 69 8 43 0 109 4 Average high C F 7 9 46 2 10 6 51 1 15 7 60 3 22 2 72 0 28 0 82 4 34 0 93 2 36 7 98 1 35 7 96 3 31 6 88 9 24 5 76 1 16 3 61 3 10 1 50 2 22 8 73 0 Daily mean C F 3 8 38 8 6 0 42 8 10 7 51 3 16 8 62 2 22 1 71 8 27 5 81 5 30 3 86 5 29 5 85 1 25 5 77 9 19 0 66 2 11 6 52 9 5 9 42 6 17 4 63 3 Average low C F 0 4 31 3 1 4 34 5 5 7 42 3 11 4 52 5 16 3 61 3 21 1 70 0 24 0 75 2 23 4 74 1 19 4 66 9 13 5 56 3 6 8 44 2 1 8 35 2 12 0 53 7 Record low C F 15 0 5 0 13 0 8 6 8 0 17 6 4 0 24 8 2 4 36 3 5 0 41 0 14 0 57 2 13 0 55 4 9 0 48 2 2 8 37 0 7 2 19 0 13 0 8 6 15 0 5 0 Average precipitation mm inches 34 6 1 36 33 2 1 31 39 6 1 56 31 9 1 26 14 8 0 58 3 0 0 12 2 2 0 09 1 7 0 07 1 2 0 05 10 7 0 42 26 1 1 03 33 7 1 33 232 7 9 18 Average precipitation days 9 0 8 6 10 7 10 8 8 8 3 1 2 1 1 3 1 1 5 3 7 2 8 6 76 6Average snowy days 5 1 2 9 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 7 12 3Average relative humidity 64 56 47 40 33 25 26 26 27 36 49 62 41Mean monthly sunshine hours 168 8 179 8 203 0 220 6 287 0 346 3 345 9 333 6 302 8 249 9 202 9 168 9 3 009 5Average ultraviolet index 2 3 3 5 6 7 7 7 5 4 3 2 5Source 1 Iran Meteorological Organization records 40 temperatures 41 precipitation 42 humidity 43 days with precipitation 44 45 sunshine 46 Source 2 Weather Atlas UV 47 Climate data for Tehran Shomal north of Tehran altitude 1549 1 m 1988 2010 extremes and precipitation 1988 2020 Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec YearRecord high C F 17 2 63 0 23 5 74 3 29 0 84 2 32 4 90 3 34 6 94 3 40 4 104 7 41 8 107 2 40 6 105 1 36 4 97 5 31 2 88 2 23 6 74 5 19 6 67 3 41 8 107 2 Average high C F 6 1 43 0 8 6 47 5 13 8 56 8 20 0 68 0 25 5 77 9 31 6 88 9 34 4 93 9 33 6 92 5 29 5 85 1 22 8 73 0 14 5 58 1 8 6 47 5 20 8 69 4 Daily mean C F 2 3 36 1 4 4 39 9 9 2 48 6 14 9 58 8 19 8 67 6 25 6 78 1 28 5 83 3 27 6 81 7 23 4 74 1 17 2 63 0 9 9 49 8 4 8 40 6 15 6 60 1 Average low C F 1 5 29 3 0 2 32 4 4 6 40 3 9 8 49 6 14 2 57 6 19 7 67 5 22 6 72 7 21 6 70 9 17 3 63 1 11 7 53 1 5 3 41 5 0 9 33 6 10 5 51 0 Record low C F 13 0 8 6 11 0 12 2 8 0 17 6 2 4 27 7 0 0 32 0 12 0 53 6 15 4 59 7 10 6 51 1 8 8 47 8 2 6 36 7 8 3 17 1 9 6 14 7 13 0 8 6 Average precipitation mm inches 56 6 2 23 64 2 2 53 70 1 2 76 54 9 2 16 25 6 1 01 3 9 0 15 5 0 0 20 3 9 0 15 3 7 0 15 24 5 0 96 53 8 2 12 61 1 2 41 427 3 16 83 Average precipitation days 12 3 10 9 12 3 10 0 8 9 3 3 3 4 1 6 1 3 5 8 8 6 10 7 89 1Average snowy days 8 9 6 6 2 5 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4 9 23 7Average relative humidity 67 59 53 44 39 30 31 31 33 44 57 66 46Mean monthly sunshine hours 135 8 146 4 185 1 215 0 274 6 322 8 331 8 327 5 292 6 245 5 171 5 135 8 2 784 4Source 1 48 Source 2 49 In February 2005 heavy snow covered all parts of the city Snow depth was recorded as 15 cm 6 in in the southern part of the city and 100 cm 39 in in the northern part of city One newspaper reported that it had been the worst weather in 34 years Ten thousand bulldozers and 13 000 municipal workers were deployed to keep the main roads open 50 51 On January 5 and 6 2008 a wave of heavy snow and low temperatures covered the city in a thick layer of snow and ice forcing the Council of Ministers to officially declare a state of emergency and close down the capital from January 6 through January 7 52 On February 3 2014 Tehran received heavy snowfall specifically in the northern parts of the city with a depth of 2 metres 6 6 ft In one week of successive snowfalls roads were made impassable in some areas with the temperature ranging from 8 C 18 F to 16 C 3 F 53 On June 3 2014 a severe thunderstorm with powerful microbursts created a haboob engulfing the city in sand and dust and causing five deaths with more than 57 injured This event also knocked down numerous trees and power lines It struck between 5 00 and 6 00 p m dropping temperatures from 33 C 91 F to 19 C 66 F within an hour The dramatic temperature drop was accompanied by wind gusts reaching nearly 118 kilometres per hour 73 mph 54 Environmental issues Edit See also Environmental issues in Tehran Environmental issues in Iran and List of earthquakes in Iran Heavy air pollution in Tehran A plan to move the capital has been discussed many times in prior years due mainly to the environmental issues of the region Tehran is one of the world s most polluted cities and is also located near two major fault lines The city suffers from severe air pollution 80 of it due to cars 55 The remaining 20 is due to industrial pollution Other estimates suggest that motorcycles alone account for 30 of air and 50 of noise pollution in Tehran 56 Tehran is also considered one of the strongest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the Middle East Enhanced concentration of carbon dioxide over the city that are likely originated from the anthropogenic urban sources in the city is easily detectable from satellite observations throughout the year 57 In 2010 the government announced that for security and administrative reasons the plan to move the capital from Tehran has been finalized 58 There are plans to relocate 163 state firms and several universities from Tehran to avoid damages from a potential earthquake 58 59 The officials are engaged in a battle to reduce air pollution It has for instance encouraged taxis and buses to convert from petrol engines to engines that run on compressed natural gas Furthermore the government has set up a Traffic Zone covering the city centre during peak traffic hours Entering and driving inside this zone is only allowed with a special permit There have also been plans to raise people s awareness of the hazards of pollution One method that is being employed is the installation of Pollution Indicator Boards all around the city to monitor the level of particulate matter PM10 nitrogen dioxide NO2 ozone O3 sulfur dioxide SO2 and carbon monoxide CO Demographics EditSee also Demographics of Tehran Further information Ethnicities in Iran Population of Tehran Tehran in 1985 and 2009 Tehran s Population HistoryYearPop p a 15541 000 16263 000 1 54 179715 000 0 95 180750 000 12 79 181260 000 3 71 183480 000 1 32 1867147 256 1 87 1930250 000 0 84 1940540 087 8 01 19561 560 934 6 86 19662 719 730 5 71 19764 530 223 5 23 19866 058 207 2 95 19916 497 238 1 41 19966 758 845 0 79 20067 711 230 1 33 20118 244 759 1 35 20168 737 510 1 17 The city of Tehran has a population of approximately 10 million in 2016 60 With its cosmopolitan atmosphere Tehran is home to diverse ethnic and linguistic groups from all over the country The present day dominant language of Tehran is the Tehrani variety of the Persian language and the majority of people in Tehran identify themselves as Persians 11 10 However before the native language of the Tehran Ray region was not Persian which is linguistically Southwest Iranian and originates in Fars but a now extinct Northwestern Iranian language 61 Iranian Azeris form the second largest ethnic group of the city comprising about 10 15 62 63 of the total population while ethnic Mazanderanis are the third largest comprising about 5 of the total population 64 Tehran s other ethnic communities include Kurds Armenians Georgians Bakhtyaris Talysh Baloch Assyrians Arabs Jews and Circassians According to a 2010 census conducted by the Sociology Department of the University of Tehran in many districts of Tehran across various socio economic classes in proportion to population sizes of each district and socio economic class 63 of the people were born in Tehran 98 knew Persian 75 identified themselves as ethnic Persian and 13 had some degree of proficiency in a European language 10 Tehran saw a drastic change in its ethnic social composition in the early 1980s After the political social and economic consequences of the 1979 Revolution and the years that followed a number of Iranian citizens mostly Tehranis left Iran The majority of Iranian emigrations have left for the United States Germany Sweden and Canada With the start of the Iran Iraq War 1980 1988 the second wave of inhabitants fled the city especially during the Iraqi air offensives on the capital With most major powers backing Iraq at the time economic isolation gave yet more reason for many inhabitants to leave the city and the country Having left all they had and have 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 neighbouring Afghanistan and Iraq prompted a rush of refugees into the country who arrived in their millions with Tehran being a magnet for much seeking work who subsequently helped the city to recover from war wounds working for far less pay than local construction workers Many of these refugees are being repatriated with the assistance of the 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 own countries Afghan refugees are mostly Dari speaking Tajik and Hazara speaking a variety of Persian and Iraqi refugees are mainly Mesopotamian Arabic speakers who are often of Iranian and Persian ethnic heritage Religion Edit See also Religion in Iran and List of religious centers in Tehran The majority of Tehranis are officially Twelver Shia Muslims which has also been the state religion since the 16th century Safavid conversion Other religious communities in the city include followers of the Sunni and Mystic branches of Islam various Christian denominations Judaism Zoroastrianism and the Bahaʼi Faith There are many religious centres scattered around the city from old to newly built centres including mosques churches synagogues and Zoroastrian fire temples The city also has a very small third generation Indian Sikh community with a local gurdwara that was visited by the Indian Prime Minister in 2012 65 Tehran s Shah Mosque Tehran s Greek Orthodox Church of Virgin Mary Saint Mary Armenian Apostolic Church Tehran St Joseph Assyrian Catholic Chaldean Catholic Church Tehran Assyrian Church of the East of Mar Sarkis Tehran Tehran s Yusef Abad Synagogue Adrian Fire Temple TehranEconomy EditSee also Economy of Tehran Industry of Iran and Communications in Iran Tehran Stock Exchange Tehran is the economic centre of Iran 66 About 30 of Iran s public sector workforce and 45 of its large industrial firms are located in the city and almost half of these workers are employed by the government 67 Most of the remainder of workers are factory workers shopkeepers laborers and transport workers Few foreign companies operate in Tehran due to the government s complex international relations But prior to the 1979 Revolution many foreign companies were active in Iran 68 Tehran s present day modern industries include the manufacturing of automobiles electronics and electrical equipment weaponry textiles sugar cement and chemical products It is also a leading centre for the sale of carpets and furniture The oil refining companies of Pars Oil Speedy and Behran are based in Tehran 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 World Federation of Exchanges WFE 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 69 Shopping Edit See also List of shopping malls in Iran Tehran has a wide range of shopping centers and is home to over 60 modern shopping malls 70 The city has a number of commercial districts including those located at Valiasr Davudie and Zaferanie The largest old bazaars of Tehran are the Grand Bazaar and the Bazaar of Tajrish Iran Mall is the largest mall in the world in area 71 Most of the international branded stores and upper class shops are in the northern and western parts of the city Tehran s retail business is growing with several newly built malls and shopping centres 70 Iran Mall Tiraje Mall in western Tehran Kourosh Mall in Shahid Sattari Expressway Tehran s Old Grand Bazaar OPAL Shopping Cente Hyperstar Tehran s subsidiary of CarrefourList of modern and most visited Shopping Malls in Tehran Province 72 Mega Mall Bamland Shopping Center Palladium Shopping Center Sam Center Iran Mall Kourosh Mall Tirajeh Shopping Center Modern Elahiyeh Shopping Center Donyaye Noor Shopping Centre Tandis Shopping Center Ava Centre Atlas Mall Goldis Mall OPAL Shopping Center Rosha Department Store Sivan Center Arg Shopping Center Nasr Shopping Center Galleria Shopping Center Charso Mall Mirdamad Shopping Center Royal Address Complex Platin Shopping Center Sana Shopping Center Sepid Shopping Center Tehran Najm Khavar Mianeh Parsian Shopping Center Artemis Shopping Center Heravi Center Shopping Mall Tuba shopping center Lale Shopping Center Andisheh Shopping Center Sky Center Lotus Mall Saba Shopping Mall Seven Center Shopping Mall Kasa Shopping Platin Shopping Center Tourism Edit Main article Tourism in Tehran Tehran as one of the main tourist destinations in Iran has a wealth of cultural attractions It is home to royal complexes of Golestan Saadabad and Niavaran which were built under the reign of the country s last two monarchies There are several historic artistic and scientific museums in Tehran including the National Museum Malek Museum Cinema Museum at Ferdows Garden Abgineh Museum Museum of the Qasr Prison Carpet Museum Reverse Glass Painting Museum vitray art Safir Office Machines MuseumAlso the Museum of Contemporary Art which hosts works of famous artists such as Van Gogh Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol The Iranian Imperial Crown Jewels one of the largest jewel collections in the world are also on display at Tehran s National Jewelry Museum A number of cultural and trade exhibitions take place in Tehran which are mainly operated by the country s International Exhibitions Company Tehran s annual International Book Fair is known to the international publishing world as one of the most important publishing events in Asia 73 Tabiat Bridge Golestan Palace Niavaran Complex Sa dabad Complex Masoudie Baharestan National Museum of Iran Museum of Contemporary Art Carpet Museum of Iran Museum of the Qasr Prison Abgineh MuseumHotel Espinas Palace Hotel Parsian Azadi Hotel Fereshteh Pasargad Hotel Laleh International Hotel Parsian Enghelab Hotel Parsian Esteghlal International Hotel Parsian Evin Hotel Ibis Hotel Espinas International Hotel Persian Plaza Hotel Hanna Boutique Hotel Homa Hotel Rexan Hotel Tehran Heritage Hostel Tehran Grand 1 Hotel Iran Cozy Hotel Pamchal Hotel Amatis Hotel Hotel Markazi Iran Marlik Hotel Ferdowsi Grand Hotel Atana Hotel Valiasr Hotel Taj Mahal Hotel Morvarid Hotel Hally Hotel Howeyzeh hotel Atlas Hotel Amir Hotel Espinas Palace Hotel Parsian Esteghlal International Hotel Ferdowsi Grand Hotel Homa Hotel Laleh International Hotel Parsian Azadi HotelInfrastructure EditHighways and streets Edit See also List of Expressways in Tehran Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979 the political system changed from constitutional monarchy to Islamic republic Then the construction of political power in the country needed to change so that new spectrums of political power decision making centers emerged in Iran Motives desires and actions of these new political power decision making centers in Iran made them rename streets and public places throughout the country especially Tehran For example Shahyad square changed to Azadi square and Pahlavi street changed to Valiasr street 74 The metropolis of Tehran is equipped with a large network of highways and interchanges 75 Valiasr Street Hemmat Expressway Modarres Expressway Kordestan Expressway interchange with Resalat and Hakim expressways The left image shows Tehran on a day off during the Nowruz holidays and the right one shows it on a working day A number of streets in Tehran are named after international figures including Henri Corbin Street central Tehran Simon Bolivar Boulevard northwestern Tehran Edward Browne Street near the University of Tehran Gandhi Street northern Tehran Mohammad Ali Jenah Expressway western Tehran Iqbal Lahori Street eastern Tehran Patrice Lumumba Street western Tehran Nelson Mandela Boulevard northern Tehran Bobby Sands Street western side of the British EmbassyCars Edit See also Automotive industry in Iran Tehran s taxi 2019 According to the head of Tehran Municipality s Environment and Sustainable Development Office Tehran was designed to have a capacity of about 300 000 cars but more than five million cars are on the roads 76 The automotive industry has recently developed but international sanctions influence the production processes periodically 77 According to local media Tehran has more than 200 000 taxis plying the roads daily 78 with several types of taxi available in the city Airport taxis have a higher cost per kilometer as opposed to regular green and yellow taxis in the city Buses Edit See also Trolleybuses in Tehran and Tehran Bus Rapid Transit Tehran s bus rapid transit Buses have served the city since the 1920s Tehran s transport system includes conventional buses trolleybuses and bus rapid transit BRT The city s four major bus stations include the South Terminal the East Terminal the West Terminal and the northcentral Beyhaghi Terminal The trolleybus system was opened in 1992 using a fleet of 65 articulated trolleybuses built by Czech Republic s Skoda 79 This was the first trolleybus system in Iran 79 In 2005 trolleybuses were operating on five routes all starting at Imam Hossein Square 80 Two routes running northeastwards operate almost entirely in a segregated busway located in the middle of the wide carriageway along Damavand Street stopping only at purpose built stops located about every 500 metres along the routes effectively making these routes trolleybus BRT but they are not called such The other three trolley bus routes run south and operate in mixed traffic Both route sections are served by limited stop services and local making all stops services 80 A 3 2 kilometer extension from Shoosh Square to Rah Ahan Square was opened in March 2010 81 Tehran s bus rapid transit BRT was officially inaugurated in 2008 It has 10 lines with some 215 stations in different areas of the city As of 2011 update the BRT system had a network of 100 kilometres 62 miles transporting 1 8 million passengers on a daily basis Bicycle Edit A BDOOD station in Tehran Bdood is a dockless bike sharing company in Iran Founded in 2017 it is available in the central and northwest regions of the capital city of Tehran The company has plans to expand across the city in the future In the first phase the application covers the flat areas of Tehran and they would be out of use in poor weather conditions Riders can use 29 parking lots for the bikes across Enqelab Avenue Keshavarz Boulevard Beheshti Street and Motahhari Avenue in which the bikes are available 24 7 for riders Railway and subway Edit See also Iranian Railways and Tehran Metro Tehran s railway station Meydan e San at Metro Station Tehran has a central railway station that connects services round the clock to various cities in the country along with a Tehran Europe train line also running The feasibility study and conceptual planning of the construction of Tehran s subway system were started in the 1970s The first two of the eight projected metro lines were opened in 2001 List of Tehran Metro Lines Line Opening 82 Length Stations 83 Type1 2001 70 km 43 mi 84 32 84 85 Metro2 2000 26 km 16 mi 86 22 85 86 Metro3 2012 37 km 23 mi 87 24 85 87 Metro4 2008 22 km 14 mi 88 22 88 Metro5 1999 43 km 27 mi 89 11 89 90 Commuter rail6 2019 9 km 5 6 mi 91 3 Metro7 2017 13 5 km 8 4 mi 92 8 MetroMetro Subtotal 177 5 km 110 mi 111Total 220 5 km 137 mi 122Airport Edit See also Airlines of Iran Entrance of the Imam Khomeini Airport in 2018 Tehran is served by the international airports of Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini Mehrabad Airport an old airport in western Tehran that doubles as a military base is mainly used for domestic and charter flights Imam Khomeini Airport located 50 kilometres 31 miles south of the city handles the main international flights Parks and green spaces Edit See also List of Tehran metropolis parks City Park March 2008 Water and Fire park at night February 2010 There are over 2 100 parks within the metropolis of Tehran 93 with one of the oldest being Jamshidie Park which was first established as a private garden for Qajar prince Jamshid Davallu and was then dedicated to the last empress of Iran Farah Pahlavi The total green space within Tehran stretches over 12 600 hectares covering over 20 percent of the city s area The Parks and Green Spaces Organization of Tehran was established in 1960 and is responsible for the protection of the urban nature present in the city 94 Tehran s Birds Garden is the largest bird park in Iran There is also a zoo located on the Tehran Karaj Expressway housing over 290 species within an area of about five hectares 95 In 2009 the Ab o Atash Park Water and Fire park was founded Its main features are an open water fountain area for cooling in the hot climate fire towers and an amphitheatre 96 Energy Edit See also Energy in Iran Water Edit Fresh water resources of Tehran Province in 2017 Groundwater 37 Sewage treatment 63 See also Water supply and sanitation in Iran Greater Tehran with its population of more than 13 million is supplied by surface water from the Lar dam on the Lar River in the Northeast of the city the Latyan dam on the Jajrood River in the North the Karaj River in the Northwest as well as by groundwater in the vicinity of the city Solar Energy Edit Solar panels have been installed in Tehran s Pardisan Park for green electricity production said Masoumeh Ebtekar head of the Department of Environment According to the national energy roadmap the government plans to promote green technology to increase the nominal capacity of power plants from 74 gigawatts to over 120 gigawatts by the end of 2025 97 Education Edit The University of Tehran is the oldest modern university of Iran See also Education in Iran List of colleges and universities in Tehran and Science in Iran Tehran is the largest and most important educational center in Iran There are a total of nearly 50 major colleges and universities in Greater Tehran Since the establishment of Dar ol Fonun by the order of Amir Kabir in the mid 19th century 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 was named after was one of the founding pioneers of the American College of Tehran which was one of the first modern high schools in the Middle East Among major educational institutions located in Tehran Amirkabir University of Technology Tehran Polytechnic University of Tehran Sharif University of Technology and Tehran University of Medical Sciences are the most prestigious Other major universities located in Tehran include Tehran University of Art Allameh Tabatabaei University K N Toosi University of Technology Shahid Beheshti University Melli University Kharazmi University Iran University of Science and Technology Iran University of Medical Sciences Islamic Azad University International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology Iran s Polymer and Petrochemical Institute Shahed University and Tarbiat Modarres University Sharif University of Technology Amirkabir University of Technology and Iran University of Science and Technology also located in Tehran are nationally well known for taking in the top undergraduate Engineering and Science students and internationally recognized for training competent under graduate students It has probably the highest percentage of graduates who seek higher education abroad Tehran is also home to Iran s largest military academy and several religious schools and seminaries Culture EditMain article Culture of Tehran Architecture Edit See also Architecture of Tehran The oldest surviving architectural monuments of Tehran are from the Qajar and Pahlavi eras In Greater Tehran monuments dating back to the Seljuk era remain as well notably the Toqrol Tower in Ray Rashkan Castle dating back to the ancient Parthian Empire of which some artifacts are housed at the National Museum 98 and the Bahram fire temple which remains since the Sassanian Empire Tehran only had a small population until the late 18th century but began to take a more considerable role in Iranian society after it was chosen as the capital city Despite the regular occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar period and after some historic buildings remain from that era 99 Tehran is Iran s primate city and is considered to have the most modernized infrastructure in the country However the gentrification of old neighbourhoods and the demolition of buildings of cultural significance have caused concerns 100 Hasanabad Square A view of the building of the City Theater of Tehran The Courthouse of Tehran Police House the National Garden Cossack House the National Garden Qeytarie skyline in February 2010 Previously a low rise city due to seismic activity in the region modern high rise developments in Tehran have been built in recent decades in order to service its growing population There have been no major quakes in Tehran since 1830 101 Tehran International Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Iran It is 54 stories tall and located in the northern district of Yusef Abad The Azadi Tower a memorial built under the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty has long been the most famous symbol of Tehran Originally constructed in commemoration of the 2 500th year of the foundation of the Imperial State of Iran it combines elements of the architecture of the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras with post classical Iranian architecture The Milad Tower which is the sixth tallest tower 102 and the 24th tallest freestanding structure in the world 103 is the city s other famous landmark tower Leila Araghian s Tabiat Bridge the largest pedestrian overpass in Tehran was completed in 2014 and is also considered a landmark 9 Theater Edit The Roudaki Hall Tehran Under the reign of the Qajars Tehran was home to the royal theatre of Tekye Dowlat located to the southeast of the Golestan Palace in which traditional and religious performances were observed It was eventually demolished and replaced with a bank building in 1947 following the reforms during the reign of Reza Shah Before the 1979 Revolution the Iranian national stage had become the most famous performing scene for known international artists and troupes in the Middle East 104 with the Roudaki Hall of Tehran constructed to function as the national stage for opera and ballet The hall was inaugurated in October 1967 and named after prominent Persian poet Rudaki It is home to the Tehran Symphony Orchestra the Tehran Opera Orchestra and the Iranian National Ballet Company The City Theater of Tehran one of Iran s biggest theatre complexes which contains several performance halls was opened in 1972 It was built at the initiative and presidency of empress Farah Pahlavi and was designed by architect Ali Sardar Afkhami constructed within five years The annual events of Fajr Theater Festival and Tehran Puppet Theater Festival take place in Tehran Cinema Edit Azadi Cinema Complex Ferdows Garden houses Iran s Cinema Museum The first movie theater in Tehran was established by Mirza Ebrahim Khan in 1904 105 Until the early 1930s there were 15 theaters in Tehran Province and 11 in other provinces 106 In present day Tehran most of the movie theatres are located downtown The complexes of Kourosh Cinema Mellat Gallery and Cineplex Azadi Cinema and Cinema Farhang are among the most popular cinema complexes in Tehran Several film festivals are held in Tehran including Fajr Film Festival Children and Youth Film Festival House of Cinema Festival Mobile Film and Photo Festival Nahal Festival Roshd Film Festival Tehran Animation Festival Tehran Short Film Festival and Urban Film Festival Concerts Edit There are a variety of concert halls in Tehran An organization like the Roudaki Culture and Art Foundation has five different venues where more than 500 concerts take place this year Vahdat Hall Roudaki Hall Ferdowsi Hall Hafez Hall and Azadi Theater are the top five venues in Tehran where classical pop traditional rock or solo concerts take place 107 Sports Edit Dizin Iran s largest ski resort is located near Tehran See also Sport in Iran Football and volleyball are the city s most popular sports while wrestling basketball and futsal are also major parts of the city s sporting culture 12 ski resorts operate in Iran the most famous being Tochal Dizin and Shemshak all within one to three hours from the city of Tehran Tochal s resort is the world s fifth highest ski resort at over 3 730 meters 12 240 feet above sea level at its highest point It is also the world s nearest ski resort to a capital city The resort was opened in 1976 shortly before the 1979 Revolution It is equipped with an 8 kilometre long 5 mi gondola lift that covers a huge vertical distance 108 There are two parallel chair ski lifts in Tochal that reach 3 900 meters 12 800 feet high near Tochal s peak at 4 000 m 13 000 ft rising higher than the gondola s seventh station which is higher than any of the European ski resorts From the Tochal peak there are views of the Alborz range including the 5 610 metre high 18 406 ft Mount Damavand a dormant volcano The Azadi Stadium is the largest football stadium in West Asia Tehran is the site of the national stadium of Azadi the biggest stadium by capacity in West Asia where many of the top matches of Iran s Premier League are held The stadium is a part of the Azadi Sport Complex which was originally built to host the 7th Asian Games in September 1974 This was the first time the Asian Games were hosted in West Asia Tehran played host to 3 010 athletes from 25 countries NOCs which was at the time the highest number of participants since the inception of the Games 109 That followed hosting the 6th AFC Asian Cup in June 1976 and then the first West Asian Games in November 1997 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 years 110 The city had also hosted the final of the 1968 AFC Asian Cup Several FIVB Volleyball World League courses have also been hosted in Tehran Football clubs Edit The first football club of Tehran Iran Club was founded in 1920 and dissolved within two years in 1923 Today Tehran s oldest existing football club is Rah Ahan which was founded in 1937 Persepolis and Esteghlal which are the city s biggest clubs and two of the biggest clubs in Asia compete in the Tehran derby Tehran is also home to the F C Ararat Tehran a popular Armenian football team based at the Ararat Stadium The following table lists Tehran s six major football clubs Club Sport Founded LeagueArarat F C Association football 1944 Tehran Province LeagueEsteghlal F C 111 Association football 1945 Iran Pro League IPL Steel Azin F C Association football 2007 Iran Football s 3rd DivisionPersepolis F C 112 Association football 1967 Iran Pro League IPL Paykan F C Association football 1967 Iran Pro League IPL Smaller clubs based in Tehran are listed below Club Sport LeagueBaadraan F C Association football Azadegan LeagueParseh F C Association football Azadegan LeagueNiroo Zamini F C Association football 2nd DivisionKaveh F C Association football 2nd DivisionMoghavemat F C Association football 2nd DivisionOghab F C Association football 3rd DivisionEntezam F C Association football 3rd DivisionNaftoon F C Association football 3rd DivisionFood Edit See also Iranian cuisine There are many restaurants and cafes in Tehran both modern and classic serving both Iranian and cosmopolitan cuisine Pizzerias sandwich bars and kebab shops make up the majority of food shops in Tehran 113 A restaurant in Darband A pizzeria in Kamyab Street Tehran A Japanese restaurant in Tehran Shemroon Cafe in Tehran s Iranian Art Museum 30 Tir food streetGraffiti Edit Main article Graffiti in Tehran A scene from the 2016 documentary film Writing on the City showing graffiti in Tehran s Sa adat Abad Many styles of graffiti are seen in Tehran Some are political and revolutionary slogans painted by governmental organizations 114 and some are works of art by ordinary citizens representing their views on both social and political issues However unsanctioned street art is forbidden in Iran 114 and such works are usually short lived During the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests many graffiti works were created by people supporting the Green Movement They were removed from the walls by the paramilitary Basij forces 115 In recent years Tehran Municipality has been using graffiti in order to beautify the city Several graffiti festivals have also taken place in Tehran including the one organized by the Tehran University of Art in October 2014 116 Twin towns sister cities EditSee also List of twin towns and sister cities in Iran Tehran is twinned with 117 Ankara Turkey Baghdad Iraq Beijing China Bishkek Kyrgyzstan Brasilia Brazil Budapest Hungary Caracas Venezuela Dushanbe Tajikistan East Jerusalem Palestine Havana Cuba Kabul Afghanistan Khartoum Sudan London England United Kingdom 118 Los Angeles United States New York City United States Manila Philippines Minsk Belarus 119 Moscow Russia Pretoria South Africa Sanaa Yemen Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina 120 Tbilisi Georgia Cooperation agreements Edit Tehran cooperates with Istanbul Turkey 117 Paris France 117 Seoul South Korea 121 Panoramic views Edit A panoramic view of Tehran at night A panoramic view of Tehran during the day A panoramic view of Tehran during the day in spring A panoramic view of Tehran during the day A panoramic view of Tehran on a clean daySee also EditIran International Exhibitions Company Islamic City Council of Tehran List of people from Tehran Tehran City Council 1968 1979 References Edit City of Tehran Statisticalyearbook PDF Archived PDF from the original on 13 April 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Retrieved 18 June 2020 Bibliography EditSee also Bibliography of the history of Tehran Emerson Charles 1913 In Search of the World Before the Great War 2013 compares Tehran to 20 major world cities pp 309 24 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tehran Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tehran Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Teheran province Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Teheran city Google Map Tehran Tehran Municipality website Tehran Geographic Information Center Tehranimages A photographic project focusing on neglected pieces of architecture in downtown Tehran Iran https www letsvisitpersia com must see in tehran Preceded byShiraz Capital of Iran Persia 1795 current Incumbent Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tehran amp oldid 1133745089, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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