Tehran Things to Do

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Pix:
1. Mohamad Reza Shah Pahlavi coronation 1967:
The Naderi throne in Background The height of the throne is approximately 225 cm. Among the 26,733 jewels covering the throne, there are four very large spinels on the backrest, the largest of which is 65 cts.; there are also four very large emeralds on the backrest too, the largest of which is approximately 225 cts. The largest ruby on the throne is 35 cts.
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The 15 meter long blue-green velvet cape of the Farah Diba, Iranian empress was worn on the coronation in Tehran 1967. It's densely studded with thousands of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls and other precious gems.

2. The Pahlavi crown:
The crown is studded with 3,380 diamonds, totaling 1,144 carats, of which the largest is a brilliant-cut yellow diamond of 60 carats. Of the 5 emeralds, totaling 200 carats, the largest is approximately 100 carats. The largest sapphire is 20 carats.

3. The Empress's Crown:
The crown is made of green velvet, and white gold. It has more than 38 emeralds, 105 pearls, 34 rubies, 2 spinels, and 1,469 diamonds. The total weight of the crown is 1,481 grams. The largest emerald is located in the center of the sunburst on the front of the crown, and weighs approximately 91.32 cts. The two largest spinels are approximately 83 cts., and the largest pearl is approximately 22 mm. long.

4. The Royal Sword:
Though the picture is only of the sword's handle and hilt, the scabbard is entirely encrusted with approximately 3000 jewels of similar quality.
This sword was worn by Mohammad Reza Shah during his coronation in 1967.

5. The Emerald Belt:
This belt is woven of gold and can be seen in photographs of Nasseridin Shah Qajar from the second half of the 19th century. The belt band is 119 cm.
The oval-shaped emerald on the beltbuckle is surrounded by diamonds, and has been estimated to be 5 cm. tall and weigh 175 cts.

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Our second visit in Tehran was to the Shrine of Imam Khomeini, the supreme leader of Iran 1979–1989.. we had planned it for later in the day but met a nice family on the metro who were going there, to a nearby family grave, and invited us to join them to the Shrine. We thought it was destiny and that we ought to go there.

The shrine is located inside a large (not yet finished) complex which includes several shops, a post office, a bank, restaurants, and snack bars - not the pilgrimage place we were expecting to see. I was very happy with this visit... not only I enjoyed seeing the beautiful blue domes, but I was also impressed by the size of the complex, in particular the esplanade - huge, and with the inclusion of a qibla wall and a maqsura, it really resemble a mosque.

Non-muslims are allowed inside the shrine, and it was really good to mingle in their pilgrimage. There are separate entrances for men and women, and one has to go under a metal detector. Entrance is free and strangely enough, no one is required to wear a chador - which doesn't quite make sense to me.

I had seen many pictures of the Azadi Tower and rejoiced in having the chance to see it in person in Iran - I had thought it would be my first Iranian sight, since it's just so near Merhabad airport... Only later I discovered that we would be landing at Imam khomeini airport.

I still managed to see the 50 metres tall tower, but I could only snap a quick photo from the taxi, as we were driving past. The tower is truly beautiful, and I know that it is a national symbol of Iran, as well as part of the Azadi complex. Azadi means Freedon, I believe, and the tower should present a combination of Islamic and Sassanid architecture style.

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The former USA embassy is the first place we visited in Tehran: firstly because we were intrigued by the murals on the outer walls and secondly because it was so near our hotel - so off we went, to see what it is now called the US Den of Espionage.

Murals were very interesting, some praising the former Imam Khomeini, others describing the USA and Israel as enemies and the Great Satan states. Well drawn murals, I have to say - though not spontaneous - on the spot where the Iran hostage crisis took place. Some writings you can read are:
- Marg-bar Amreeka (Death To America)
- "We Will Make America Face a Severe Defeat"
- Down with the USA
- Portrayal of great Satan from state stroke of 19 August to November 1998

The Iran hostage crisis was, as nearly everyone knows, a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States. Between 4 November 1979 and 20 January 1981 (therefore for 444 days) a group of students took over the US embassy and held captive 52 diplomats.

For more graffiti photos, take a look at my travelogue

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The Golestan Palace is oldest of the historic monuments in Tehran: it means the Palace of Flowers and it is an amazing place. It is a group of former royal buildings dating back (the oldest) to the reign of Tahmasb I (1524-1576) of the Safavid dynasty, and used for many centuries and many rulers, including Reza Pahlavi.

The architecture - in particular the tiles that cover most buildigns - is incredibly beautiful. Days of opening vary, but the majority of buildings is closed Thursday and Sunday. Tickets for each building/attraction have to be bought separetadly at the entrance. One that I warmly recommend is the museum of photography, especially if you are planning to visit (or have visited) a Zoroastrian tower of silence. In this museum there are two pictures of towers of silence with the dead bodies inside, whixh really made sense of our visit in Yazd.

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Park-e Mellat is a beautiful and peaceful park in Tehran North, along the upper part of the very long Valiars avenue, at the foot of the Alborz mountains. In the past it was called Shahanshahi Park (Imperial park).

We really enjoyed this park, the families sitting on the grass with their children playing and the very daring odd young couple strolling about hand-in-hand. One striking feture of this park is one of its fountains, not particularly a ncie one, but which is flanked by delightful sculptures (heads only) of famous Iranian artists, in particular poets and novelists.

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Carpet Museum of Iran held a exhibition of precious illustrted carpets with Shahname scene in Norouz (87/2008)

Shahname is the national epic poem of over 60,000 couplets. Recounts the history of Iran, beginning with the creation of the world & the introduction of the arts of civilization (fire, cooking, metallurgy, law) to the Aryans & ends with the Arab conquest of Persia in the 7th cent.

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Emamzade Zeid has been built during Safavid in ~16th century.
& then developed during Fathali Shah & Naser el-din Shah of Qajar in 19th century.

Interior walls fully decorated with mirrors.

Lotfali Khan-e Zand the last Zandie prince buried in Emamzade.

Emamzadeh means Imam-born, refers to an immediate descendant of a Shi'a Imam.
The word is also used to refer to a shrine that is specific to Shi'a Islam and in which the Emamzadeh is buried.