Azadi Tower

🕰️When was it built?

Hossein Amanat's design was chosen in a competition in 1966. Construction began in late 1969, and the tower opened as Shahyad in October 1971. It was registered as a national monument in 1974 as number 1008, and after the 1979 revolution its name was changed to Azadi, meaning freedom.

🏛️What was it built for?

The tower was built to commemorate the celebrations of 2,500 years of the Persian monarchy, and the space beneath it was planned for exhibitions and cultural activities. A screening hall, a gallery, a library and a museum are all part of the complex.

👀What you will see

• The main central arch is inspired by the Taq Kasra, and the pointed arch above it refers to Islamic-era architecture.
• The long parallel lines of the legs draw on Achaemenid architecture and run up towards the upper body.
• The stone entrance doors are granite and each leaf weighs several tonnes; the material is part of the design.
• The cone-shaped cap on top is turquoise, inspired by the conical domes of Iranian buildings.
• The cultural spaces lie beneath the square, and the route inside the tower is separate from viewing it in the grounds.

💡Something interesting

Inside the tower, the structure changes from four legs and a square plan into a sixteen-sided shape and then into a dome. That dome can't be seen from outside; you have to go in to see it, so not every detail of the tower shows up in photos of the exterior.

Good to know before you go