The Azadi Tower can be seen immediately when entering Tehran from the west side along the main road. Guests arriving at the airport of the Iranian capital are also the first to see it.
This fifty-meter beauty was built in Tehran in 1971.
The Tower of Remembrance of the Kings (the original official name) was built in honor of the 2500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. 8,000 blocks of white marble, brought from Isfahan province, were used for its construction. The cost of building the Azadi Tower amounted to $6,000,000, donated by large local businessmen (there are about five hundred of them).
History of the tower
The Iranian government in the 60s of the XX century announced a competition. It was necessary to develop a project dedicated to the 2500th anniversary of Iranian (Persian) statehood. As a result, the project of Hossein Amanat, a local architect, won. The opening of this grand structure took place in 1971, just in time for the anniversary.
At that time, the Azadi tower was called Borj-e Shahyad (translated from Persian - "Tower of memory of the shahs"), as well as the square where it was installed (Meydan-e Shahyad - "Square of memory of the shahs").
After the lapseduring the Islamic Revolution in Iran (1979), the tower and the square were renamed and became known as Azadi (translated from Persian as “freedom”).
First name
The tower was originally given the name Darvaze-e Kurush (translated from the Persian language - “Gate of Cyrus”). However, the chairman of the upcoming celebrations associated with the 2500th anniversary of statehood, Asadolla Alam, proposed calling the building Darvaze-e Shahanshahi (translated as “Gate of the Kings of the Kings”).
As a result, the final name of the tower was given by Iranist professor Bahram Farahvashi. He decided to give this building the name Borj-e Shahyad Aryamehr, which translates as "Tower of Memory of the Shahs of the Aryan Light." In 1971, it was simplified to Bordj-e Shahyad ("Tower of Memory of the Shahs").
Location
The Azadi Tower (photo in the article) is often called the "Gateway to Tehran", as it is located on the main road in the western part of the city leading to it. This is the first thing people who come to Tehran see from Mehrabad International Airport, which is the second largest in Tehran (the first is Imam Khomeini International Airport).
Not far from the tower and the square on which it is located, there are important transport arteries not only of Tehran, but of the entire state. These are the Saidi Highway, the Muhammad Ali Jinnah Highway and the road to Keredj. In addition, this place is the beginning of one of the largest streets in Tehran, called Azadi Avenue.
The area of the same name, located on an area of 50 thousand square meters. meters, is one oflargest in Iran. Azadi Tower occupies its central part.
Tower Specifications
The project of the Azadi Tower was created by the famous Iranian architect (later Canadian) Hossein Amanat, who left his homeland after the Islamic revolution. The construction was headed by the famous bricklayer G. D. Varnosfaderani.
The height of the tower, built of white Isfahan marble, is 45 meters. In total, 8,000 stone blocks were used for its construction. The style of the tower combines some elements of Iran's pre-Islamic architecture, including Sassanid and Ahmenid architecture, as well as post-Islamic Persian architecture. It should be noted that in 1982 the Monument of the Martyrs was built in Algiers, embodying the look and design of the Azadi Tower.
Museum
The original museum of the same name is located in the basement of the tower. Many of its exhibits are in crypts, and the lighting in the halls of the museum is slightly dimmed. The walls are decorated with tiles and ceramics, Persian miniatures and pre-Islamic paintings.
The Azadi Tower Museum in Tehran presents exhibits of Zoroastrian (pre-Islamic) Iran, as well as objects from the time after the spread of Islam. One of the main exhibits is an exact copy of the Cyrus Cylinder (the original is in the British Museum in London).
The museum also has exhibits related to the period of the White Revolution in Iran: a reduced copy of the Koran, famous paintings. The oldest exhibits: lacquered porcelainwares, gold plates, square slabs, and terracotta wares found at Susa. Many items are covered with cuneiform writing. There is also a considerable collection of Persian classical miniatures, covering periods up to the 19th century. Some of them belonged to Farah Pahlavi, the last Shahban of Iran (Empress).
