Tehran

The City of Wonderful Museums and Royal Palaces

The modern capital city of the Islamic government and its politicians, Tehran, was originally a small village located in the shadow of the old Rey (once known as Raghā) which was once the capital city of the Seljuq empire in the 11th century but later declined with factional strife between different neighborhoods and the Mongol invasion of 1220. Not much is known of the origin and early history of Tehran. The history of the city may date back to the ninth century AD. However, for the first few centuries of its existence, Tehran was an insignificant village. However, its development is impeded by its accessibility to the larger and thriving Rey (now located roughly 10 km south of Tehran.

In 1786 Tehran became the seat of Āghā Moḥammad Khan, the first shah of the Qājār dynasty, who chose the city for its proximity to his traditional tribal territories and enjoying special importance from the geographical, political, and economical points of view.

The 200th anniversary of Tehran's designation as the capital city was celebrated in 1991. With a variation in elevation of almost 700 meters and an officially announced population of around 8.7 million in the city and 15 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, the present-day megacity is home to nearly 20 percent of the entire population of the country and has expanded chaotically and too fast. Nevertheless, Tehran is located on the northern border of the great central Iranian plateau and at the foot of the mountain range of Alborz.

Despite being a town of the early twentieth century, the current megacity Tehran is becoming a must-stop destination and an established iconic highlight on the travel itineraries for travelers and tourists from abroad because of the traces of antiquity rooting mainly from the Qajar era. It is worth spending a couple of days in Tehran if only to discover some of the priceless treasures that are on display in its museums and palace complexes. In addition to being the political, economic, and intellectual center of Iran, Tehran is also a provincial capital. The province of Tehran extends from the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains into the Dasht-e Kevir desert. It includes several mountain resorts popular with the Tehran is, who are eager to escape the heat and pollution of downtown Tehran.