Tehran Province

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Tehran Province
استان تهران
Location
Map of Iran with Tehran highlighted.
Info
Admin. Center:
 • Coordinates:		 Tehran
 • 35.7117° N 51.4070° E
Area : 18,814 km²
Population(2005):
 • Density :		 12,150,742
 • 645.8/km²
No. of Counties: 13
Time zone: UTC+3:30
Main language(s): Persian,
Mazandarani and Kurdish,
Azeri,
Other Iranian languages

Tehran Province (Persian: استان تهران; transliterated ostān-e Tehrān) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It covers on area of 18,909 square kilometers and is located to the north of the central plateau of Iran.

Tehran Province borders Māzandarān Province in the north, Qom Province in the south, Semnān Province in the east, and Qazvīn Province in the west. The metropolis of Tehran is the capital city of the province and of Iran. As of June 2005, this province includes 13 townships, 43 municipalities, and 1358 villages.

The province gained importance when Tehran was claimed the capital by the Qajar dynasty in 1778. Today Tehran ranks in the top 20 metropolitan cities of the world in size.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Tehran has been Iran's capital since 1778.
Tehran has been Iran's capital since 1778.
The towering Alborz mountain range in Tehran rises above modern high-rises of Elahiyeh district.
The towering Alborz mountain range in Tehran rises above modern high-rises of Elahiyeh district.

The province of Tehran has over 14 million inhabitants and is Iran's most densely-populated region. [1] Approximately 84.15 percent reside in urban areas and 15.85 percent in rural areas of the province.

The highest point of the province is Mount Damavand, at an elevation of 5678 m above sea level; the lowest point of the province is the plains of Varamin, 790 m above sea level.

The largest rivers of this province are Karaj River and Jajrud River.

Mountain ranges such as The Alborz span the north; Savad Kooh and Firooz Kooh are located in the north east; Lavasanat, Qarah Daq, Shemiranat, Hassan Abad and Namak Mountains are in the southern areas; Bibi Shahr Banoo and Alqadr are situated in the south east and the heights of Qasr-e-Firoozeh being located to the east of the province.

Environmentally speaking, the climate of Tehran province in the southern areas is warm and dry, but in the mountain vicinity is cold and semi-humid, and in the higher regions is cold with long winters. The hottest months of the year are from mid-July to mid-September when temperatures range from 28°-30°C and the coldest months experience 1°C around December-January. Tehran city has moderate winters and hot summers. Average annual rainfall is approximately 200 mm, the maximum being during the winter season.

[edit] History

The Achaemenid collection of The National Museum of Iran in Tehran.
The Achaemenid collection of The National Museum of Iran in Tehran.

Tehran Province has several archeological sites indicating settlements dating back several thousand years old. Until 300 years ago, Ray was the most prominent of the cities of the province. However, the city of Tehran rose to become the larger city and capital of Iran by 1778, and since then has been the political, cultural, economical, and commercial nucleus of Iran.

Tehran has over 1500 historical sites of cultural significance registered with the Cultural Heritage Organization of Iran. The oldest of these in Tehran province are the remains of two sites in Firuzkuh County that date back to the 4th millennium BCE.

[edit] Divisions

  • Counties:
  1. Damavand County
  2. Eslamshahr County
  3. Firouzkouh County
  4. Karaj County
  5. Nazarabad County
  6. Pakdasht County
  7. Ray County
  1. Robat Karim County
  2. Savojbolagh County
  3. Shahriar County
  4. Shemiranat County
  5. Tehran County
  6. Varamin County

[edit] Tehran province today

Tehran is the commercial heart of Iran. Tehran province has over 17,000 industrial units employing 390,000 people, 26% of all units in Iran. The province contains 30% of Iran's economy, and comprises 40% of Iran's consumer market. The province has three hydro dams namely Latiyan, Lar, and Amir Kabir as well as two natural lakes, providing the water supply of Tehran and the province.[1]

The province contains 170 mines, over 330 square kilometres of forests, and over 12800 square kilometres of pasture.[1]

Generally speaking, year round, regions such as the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountains, especially in the mountains, valleys, and rivers and artificial lakes formed behind the great dams of Amir Kabir, Latiyan and Lar along with natural lakes of Jaban and Tarr provide considerable recreation for the province.

Moreover, due to excessive snowfall in the northern areas of the province during the winter season, the Alborz mountains form an excellent environment for winter sports such as skiing. Dizin, Shemshak, and Tochal are the most popular skiing resorts.

[edit] Parks, Recreation and other Attractions

The Niavaran Public Library is nestled snuggly within the Niavaran city park.
The Niavaran Public Library is nestled snuggly within the Niavaran city park.
  • Darband (hiking trail)
  • Chitgar Park
  • Mellat Park
  • Laleh Park
  • Jamshidieh Park
  • Niavaran Park
  • Sa'ei Park
  • Shatranj Park
  • Tangeh Savashi
  • Police Park
  • Darabad hiking trail
  • Darakeh hiking trail
  • Jahan-e Kudak Park
  • Azadi Sports complex
  • Enghelab Sports Complex and Golf course
  • Several caves, springs, and waterfalls outside Tehran.
  • Latyan Lake
  • Lavizan Forest Park
  • Vard-Avard Forest Park
  • Khajeer National Park
  • Kaveer National Park
  • Tar Lake
  • Amir Kabir Lake
  • Lar Protected Natural Habitat
  • Varjeen Protected Natural Habitat

[edit] Religious centers

View of Mount Damavand as seen from the Dizin ski resort.
View of Mount Damavand as seen from the Dizin ski resort.

[edit] Mosques, shrines, mausoleums, and tombs

  • Soltani Mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah
  • Atiq Mosque, built in 1663.
  • Mo'ezz o-dowleh mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah
  • Haj Seyd Azizollah mosque, built by Fath Ali Shah
  • Al-javad mosque, Iran's first modernist design mosque.
  • The Old Sepahsalar mosque, another prominent Qajar era mosque.
  • The new Sepahsalar mosque (Madreseh e Motahari)
  • Filsuf o-dowleh Mosque, Qajar era
  • Moshir ol-Saltaneh Mosque, Qajar era
  • Mo'ayyer ol-Mamalik Mosque, Qajar era
  • Shahr Banu Mausopleum
  • Javan-mard Qassab Mausoleum, a pre-Islamic semi-mythical hero
  • Dozens of Imam-zadeh shrines, hundreds of years old, including that of Imam Zadeh Saleh.
  • Dozens of Saqa Khanehs: traditional places of prayer
  • Several Tekyehs: traditional places for mourning Muharram ceremonies for Husayn ibn Ali.
  • Ibn Babviyeh cemetery, where many Iranian giants such as Takhti and Ali Akbar Dehkhoda are buried.
  • Zahir o-dowleh cemetery, where many Iranian giants of art and culture such as Iraj Mirza, Mohammad Taghi Bahar, Forough Farrokhzad, Abolhasan Saba, Ruhollah Khaleghi, and Darvish-khan are buried.
  • Kordan Tomb, Seljuqi era, Karaj.
  • Maydanak Tomb, 13th century, Karaj
  • The Polish cemetery north of Tehran, where numerous Western Allied soldiers of World War II are buried

[edit] Churches

  • Surep Georg Church, 1790
  • Thaddeus Bartoqimus Church, 1808
  • Tatavus Church, from the Qajar era
  • Enjili Church, 1867
  • Assyrian Church

[edit] Colleges and universities

Click here for videoclip about Tehran University.
Click here for videoclip about Tehran University.

See main list: List of Universities in Tehran Province.

Tehran province's major universities are:

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

See the city of Tehran for further information and links, also: List of the localities around Tehran

[edit] References

[1]: According to the information released by the Office of the provincial governor, linked above.

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Provinces of Iran
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Counties of Tehran Province