travel in iran

Azadi Tower (freedom) is unquestionably the most emblematic symbol of Tehran since its inauguration in 1971. The Tower is located in the middle of a huge square of the same name in west of Tehran. From an architectural point of view, it is a modern design incorporating elements from the history of Iranian architecture before and after the Islamicization of Iran. Azadi Square is one of the main symbols of Tehran, which has always attracted many visitors by its unique architecture and beauty. Today, this beautiful structure is considered as one of Tehran’s most famous tourist attractions. Iranians and foreigners visiting Iran cannot leave the capital without visiting this symbol of modernity. This article aims to present the Azadi Tower of Tehran and to study the history, the different parts and the architecture of this beautiful structure.

Celebrating the 2500th anniversary of founding the Achaemenes dynasty by Cyrus the Great in 530 BC AD, was the set of festivities organized from March 1971 to March 1972. Due to the absence of a symbolic structure in Tehran, the authorities decided to build Shahyad Tower (King’s Remembrance). Another goal was to build a testimony of modern Iran and gateway to the great civilization of the twentieth century. The project of these festivities under the reign of the last Iranian shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, is often criticized for its very high cost and for its propagandist side contrasting much with the authoritarianism of the royal regime.

This great architectural monument is designed by Hossein Amanat (born in 1942), graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Tehran University, who designed the Shahyad Tower (today, Azadi Tower) at the age of 24. He had won a competition organized in 1966 by Tehran City Hall for the construction of an architectural monument in the west of the capital.This monument is the most famous work of this Iranian architect who then created the plan of the Sharif Technological University in Tehran and the Iranian Embassy in Beijing. He lives in Canada today and has done several projects around the world.