Tehran, Iran

Tehran is the capital and industrial center of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. The name Tehran, which is also sometimes spelled Teheran, means "warm slope." Despite the city's habitual strife and violence, Tehran has prospered and grown for centuries. As the capital of an Islamic nation at odds with Israel, the United States, and the United Nations (UN), Tehran is at the center of an ongoing diplomatic dilemma in the early twenty-first century, particularly in regards to Iran's nuclear program.

Landscape

Tehran is located at the foot of Mount Damavand, which is among several other mountains on the southern slopes of the Elburz Mountains, at an elevation of about 1,200 meters (3,800 feet) above sea level. Most of the mountains and highlands in Tehran are in the northern end of the city and can be seen beyond the city's skyline. The elevation declines from the northern end of the city to the lowest point in the southern desert. Tehran's mountainous areas have a moderate climate, while the lower-lying plains have a semi-arid desert climate. There are several rivers that flow through Tehran, such as the Karaj River, the Jajroud River, and the Taleqan Roud River. Several rivers are dammed to provide the population with potable water. The city is 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the coast of the Caspian Sea. A plateau lies in the south end of the city.

Tehran has a moderate climate, with warm summers and cool winters. The average temperature in July is 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), while the average temperature in January is 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit). The city receives the majority of its 20 centimeters (8 inches) of annual rain between November and May, with occasional snowfall in December, January, and February.

The 600 square kilometer (1483 square mile) Tehran Province is made up of nine districts; the city is further divided into twenty-two administrative districts. Most of the existing buildings in Tehran are from the late eighteenth century, when Tehran was made the capital of Iran, although many prominent high-rises were built in the 1950s. The city is home to a well-known bazaar in the south end, which is also home to the historic district.

Tehran, and the rest of Iran, is vulnerable to climate change. Prior to experiencing the effects of climate change, Iran was already prone to floods, droughts, and landslides. Because of climate change, the country's temperatures have increased and its precipitation has been reduced, making water shortages a serious problem.

People

Tehran Province is the most densely populated province in Iran, with over 13 million inhabitants in 2016, according to the Statistical Center of Iran. The urban area of Tehran was home to 9.382 million people in 2022, according to the US Central Intelligence Agency; about 99 percent of the city's population is Muslim, and most of the population speaks the Persian language. Most of Tehran's population identifies as Persian, with about a quarter identifying as Azeri and speaking Azerbaijani. There are a small number of Christians, Zoroastrians, and Jews in the city.

Because of the massive migration that has occurred since the Iran-Iraq War, much of the character of the city has been lost, including the city's distinctive architecture. This condition is known as "Tehran Identity Disaster."

The large Tajik, Hazara, Pashtuns, Uzbek, and Iraqi Arab communities contribute to the blue-collar workforce in the city, and often work as day laborers for the development of Tehran.

Economy

Tehran is Iran's major economic center, accounting for fully half of the country's manufactured goods. Among the goods produced or processed in Tehran are textiles, chemicals, electrical equipment, automobiles, oil, and tobacco. Pharmaceuticals, pottery, and cement are also produced in Tehran. Agriculture is another one of Tehran's major industries; the city has been known for its pomegranates since the tenth century. Farmers also harvest sugar, which is processed in the city. Because of the strict Islamic government, it has been difficult for foreign companies, particularly Western companies, to operate in Tehran.

As Iran's economy experienced a weakening in the second decade of the twenty-first century, large protest demonstrations were held in Tehran in 2018 in direct response to a drastic decrease in the value of the country's currency ahead of new US sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program and its position in relation to conflicts in the Middle East.

Rail lines connect the city to the rest of Iran and the trans-Europe rail system. Tehran also has an underground rail system with independent lines. Despite this, Tehran is one of the most car-dependent cities in the world. An international airport is located just 10 kilometers (6 miles) outside of the city, in Mehrabad.

Landmarks

One of the landmarks of Tehran that is well known internationally is the golden-domed tomb of Ayatollah Khomeini, located just south of the city. The tomb draws thousands of visitors from around the world every year. The tomb is the center of a development that includes a shopping mall and a university. The Motahari (formerly Sepah-salar) Mosque and Baharstan Palace, the home of Iran's parliament, are also major attractions within the city.

Tehran is home to nearly seventy museums, including an archaeological museum, an ethnographical museum, and at least three former palaces that have been converted into museums. The Golestan Palace, which was once the residence of Iran's royalty, houses two famous thrones: one is in the shape of a peacock, and the other is encrusted with jewels. The Sa'adabad Palace and the Marmar Palace are also now museums. The Shahyad Tower is considered by locals to be a symbol of modern Iran. The Azadi Tower (Freedom Monument), built in 1971, commemorates the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, and is the first landmark seen by most visitors and tourists as a result of its proximity to the international airport. The Milad Tower in Tehran is the world's fourth-largest free-standing structure. A large complex, called the Tehran International Trade and Conventions Center, is built around the tower.

History

The earliest mention of Tehran in print is in an eleventh-century history book called "Baghdad's History," although Tehran is thought to have existed since the fourth century. It was originally a suburb of the ancient Iranian city of Rey (also known as Rages, or Rayy), and during this time, many people in Tehran actually lived underground. A thirteenth-century geography text describes Tehran as an embattled, rebellious village with internal struggles. Yet, even as Rey itself was destroyed in 1220 CE by the invading Mongols, Tehran began to prosper and grow.

The village of Tehran grew both in population and physical size for a little more than 200 years, when King Shah Tahmasb I ordered the walls around the village destroyed and declared Tehran a city. The city became known as the birch city after Italian traveler Pietro Della Valle visited the city in the late seventeenth century and wrote about his experience and mentioned the city's birch trees in particular. When Afghan forces occupied Tehran, the invading rulers chose to live in a recently built structure in the birch groves.

After the fall of the Safavid dynasty and the defeat of the Afghans, Persian Shah Karim Khan Zand established Tehran as the military headquarters of his war against Mohammad Hassan Khan Qajar. When the Shah first came to the city in 1759, he was so impressed that he had brand new government offices built in the area around the birch groves. The declaration of Tehran as the capital of Persia was not made official until decades later, in 1788, but Zand did contribute to the strength and development of the city by building moats and walls to protect what would eventually become the home of the local government. Tehran was the focal point of the Qajar dynasty, which would last until 1925.

With the fall of the Qajars, Reza Shah Pahlavi took control of the city and of Iran as a whole. Pahlavi modernized the city and campaigned for the country's independence. After British and Soviet forces entered the city during World War II, Tehran began to be seen as an important city to the world at large. Tehran was the site of a historic conference in November 1943, when US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met to discuss the possibility of attacking the Germans from a second front. More relevant to the host city's interests, the Allied leaders also made a formal declaration of independence for Iran, to take effect at the end of the war. The Allies agreed to withdraw from the country and provide economic assistance after the war was over.

After the war, a newly independent Iran was under the control of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, who ushered in a new age of prosperity for Tehran with the discovery and exploitation of oil in the country, although the Shah was also responsible for destroying many of the city's oldest buildings and landmarks in the name of creating a more modern city. This modern age of growth and expansion endured in the city, notwithstanding the economic downturn during the Iran-Iraq War. There was a period, however, when dissatisfaction with Pahlavi erupted into violence. After riots broke out in 1978 that resulted in the army firing on the populace, Tehran instituted martial law that lasted until 1980. Beginning in 1980, the Iran-Iraq War resulted in numerous Scud missile attacks on the city and considerable civilian casualties. Thousands died in the eight-year war, and millions of refugees migrated to the city.

In the twenty-first century, Tehran has found itself at odds with the United States and other members of the UN, who seek to limit Iran's nuclear programs. Officials in Tehran have repeatedly claimed that the nuclear programs are being used for energy, rather than weapons, but their Western counterparts have denied Iran participation in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which allows countries to "develop research, production, and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes." In September 2005, officials in Tehran passed a resolution to economically punish countries that voted in favor of resolutions that limit Tehran's nuclear activities. The following year, the UN began issuing sanctions against Iran as it refused to suspend enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.

Such sanctions were not lifted until after Tehran representatives reached an international agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2015 in which Iran's nuclear program would be curtailed and submitted to regular inspections. However, US president Donald Trump ultimately announced in 2018 that the United States was withdrawing from the deal.

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