Azadi Tower; Symbol of Iran
About Azadi Tower
Azadi or freedom –in English– Tower before the Islamic revolution in Iran, was known as Shahyad tower and it is the biggest and one of the symbols of Tehran and almost everybody in the world, knows Iran with it. This tower was built in 1349 by Hossein Amanat, an Iranian architect.
Architecture of the tower is a combination of Achaemenid, Sasanian and Islamic architecture. There are several showrooms, galleries, libraries and museums on the ground floor of the tower.
History of Azadi Tower
in the year of 1345, a competition of designing a symbol of Iran was held and at the end, architect Mohammad Hossein Amanat, a twenty-four years old and graduated student from the Faculty of Fine Arts from Tehran, won and he was chosen to build the tower. The construction of Azadi Tower began on November 11 in 1348, and after twenty-eight months of operation, on October 15 in 1350, Shahiyad Tower was utilized.
During the Islamic revolution of Iran, gatherings took place in this field. After the victory of the revolution, people welcome Imam Khomeini in the return from Paris to Tehran in this field, so the name was transformed from Shayad Square to Azadi Square. During the revolution, slogans were written on the bases of the tower.
According to the polls, most of Tehranis introduced Azadi Tower as the symbol of Tehran.
Architecture of Azadi Tower
Architecture of Azadi Tower is a combination of Achaemenid, Sassanid, and Islamic periods. The building consists of three floors, four elevators, two staircases and 286 stairs. There are several showrooms, galleries, libraries, museums and other functional spaces on the ground floor of Azadi Tower. The length of the building is 63 meters, its height is 45 meters and 5 meters above the floor of museum. It is said that for building the tower, forty-six thousand pieces of stone was used.
The interior of the tower is a combination of tradition and modernism, especially the ceiling of the second floor. At the entrance of the tower, each of the stone lobbies of the doors weighs about 3.5 tons. The rocks are made of granite. The tower has two elevators that run from the walls of the tower. The first lift reaches the second floor and the cement roof, then the second lift is used. None of the ceilings are closed and they all come to a higher level.
How to Get There?
After reaching Tehran, you can use subway, taxis and buses because all kinds of transportation go to Azadi Tower.
Address: Iran, Tehran, Azadi Tower
