| Geography |
With
nearly 11 million inhabitants ( one sixth
of the country's total population in less
than 18956 square kilometers, Tehran is
the country's most densely populated province.
The district of Tehran is the most populated
in the province and in the country, in which
the city of Tehran hosts 6,758,845 people,
and the district of Karaj comes in the second
place to accommodate more than a million
inhabitants. In 1996 from the total population
of the province, 84.1 5% were urban dwellers
and 15.85% were registered as villagers.
The province of Tehran includes 9 districts
which are: Tehran, Shemiranat, Rey, Islamshahr,
Shahreyar, Karaj, Jajroud, Lar, Roud-i-Shoor,
Hableh Roud and Taleqan Roud flow across
Tehran province, With the dams of Karaj,
Latian and Lar, these rivers supply Tehran's
drinking water and parts of the country's
electrical power. river-sides and dam-lakes
provide also valuable tourism sites for
visiting and enjoying walking and viewing
beautiful natural sites as well as practicing
various kinds of sports, including water
sports. These are in addition to sports
which could be practiced in the mountainous
areas around Tehran, such as climbing and
skying.
The
Holy Shrine Of Shah Abdol Azim
The
first mention of Tehran in an old geographical
text is made in the 10th century Massalek-al
Mamalek (The Ways of States) by Estakhri.
Yaqoot Hamavi's thirteenth century work.
It was just a village before the Safavid
era. Mojam-al Boldan (A Lexicon of Cities)
discusses the Village of Tehran in detail.
Later, one frequently comes across the name
of this village with many farms, gardens
and orchards, due to its plenty of water
and moderate weather.
By the Mongols' invasion and the consequent
severe devastation the city of Rey received,
most of the Rey's people took refuge to
this village.
This was the start point forth growth of
Tehran, and gradually this village that
was famous for its fine fruits and beautiful
gardens, underwent new developments. Shah
Tahmasb, one of the Safavid kings, chose
Tehran as administrative center for the
Safavid dinastry, which resulted in constructing
many big governmental buildings, castles
and gates.
The
Martyr Motahari Mosque
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A
View Of Tehran
History
Of Tehran
Tehran,
the capital of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is one
of the largest metropolitans of the world, and it
is the country's largest economic center and the base
for its large and small modern
technological and industrial establishments. Located
on the slopes of the mountains and at the foot of
the magnificent Mount Damavand,
it has been the country's capital city for only 200
years now.
With an altitude of 1200 meters above sea level, Tahran
is a city of all four seasons with hot summers, freezing
winters, and brief springs and autumns. The highest
recorded summer temperature in Tehran has been 42
degrees centigrade while the lowest has been registered
at 8 degrees below zero.
The
Carpet Museum
At
the time of the Zand dynasty, it was a small town
that was significant from a military point of view.
The first of the Qajar kings, Agha Mohammed Khan,
named Tehran as the country's capital in 1789. Nevertheless,
the capital's development started at the time of another
Qajar monarch, Fath-Ali Shah. The citadel which Agha
Mohammed Khan had built was developed to include the
new the new royal buildings.
At the same time, the city's population
was redoubled. With the increasing importance of the
city, soon gates, squares and mosques were built and
it was at the time of Nassereddin Shah that the city's
master plan was prepared and modern streets were formed.
later, large central squares like Toopkhaneh (now
Imam Khomeini) square and several military buildings
were
constructed. with the decline of the Qajar dynasty,
Tehran soon took the shape of a modern city. The construction
of large government buildings, new streets, recreation
centers, urban service establishments, and academic
and scientific centers were started, while most of
the old gates and buildings were destroyed and the
city's old architectural fabric replaced by a modern
one.
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