Elahieh (also spelt Elahiyeh) is an affluent and upper-class district in northern Tehran. The area is a residential and commercial locale and is filled with the homes and businesses of many politicians, diplomats, expatriates, and artists. Prior to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Elahiyeh was home to a large community of Persian Jews, senators, ministers during the time of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, members of royal circle, as well as famous scientists, artists, and writers. A large number of them fled to United States, namely New York City, Los Angeles, South Florida and Israel when quotas on minority land ownership were issued during the administration of Ayatollah Khomeini.[1]
The most famous part of the area, the heart of Elahieh is Fereshteh Street, which has been the most expensive street in Tehran. This is where the newest buildings and many fashionable locales, including top-end shops and chichi cafes, can be found. Fereshteh used to be one of the most quiet and peaceful part of northern Tehran but following attentions from real state investors after the Islamic revolution, notably during construction era (1990s, when Karbaschi was appointed mayor of Tehran), many of the huge gardens and nicely designed houses were replaced with the most fashionable high rises which has increased the population of this area significantly. This has caused problems for narrow alleys around this area; the traffic often gets gridlocked on summer nights, and the atmosphere is rather snobbily affected. Many of members of today's high ranking clergy members have been investing since after 1979 revolution and notably since 1990 on developing this area by building highly expensive and lavish high rises that have been replacing old beautiful gardens of this area.
In the book The Ayatollah Begs to Differ Hooman Majd says that Elahieh is one of Tehran's "most fashionable districts" in Tehran, since this area included big gardens and mansions with eye catching architecture designs. It was perhaps the greenest part of northern Tehran as it was receiving most of mountain waters. The highest part of Elahieh had the most beautiful and scenic garden view in northern Tehran.
Elahiyeh is an upper class district in Northern Tehran, actually a part of Shemiran. It is home to Tehran's most expensive real estate as well as the clubhouses of the Russia, Turkey, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium, Iceland, Cuba and Finland embassies.
Before Shemiran was officially incorporated into the city of Tehran, the area consisted of expansive residences and gardens used as summer homes for wealthy residents of Tehran. Today however residential towers and upscale penthouses have replaced them for good and few of those gardens have actually escaped development.
The great Master of Persian Classical Music Esmaiel Mehrtash was living in Koohyar street in Fereshteh Avenue. Esmail Mehrtash, a tar player and musician, established Jame'eh Barbod in 1926, where operettas such as "Leili & Majnoun", "Khosrow & Shirin" as well as "Khayyam" went on stage.
Dr. Mahmoud Hessaby (1903–1992) a prominent Iranian scientist, researcher and distinguished professor of University of Tehran also lived in Elahieh on Hessaby Street. He was the receiver of the medal of the commandeur de la Légion d'honneur, France's highest scientific medal in 1957 for his achievements, including his classic paper on "Continuous particles" and his model of "Infinitely extended particles".
The house of the former military leader and Cabinet Minister of Iran during Reza Shah Lieutenant General Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi (1884–1974) (now a museum) is in Elahieh on Hessabi Street, and is the newly-opened Iranian Art Garden Museum, which is home to some replicas of Iran's best known historical monuments, an art gallery, and a nice outdoor cafe. Sepahbod Ahmad Amir-Ahmadi was the first Iranian lieutenant General in Iran. He was appointed as the minister of interior (1942) and minister of war (1948) during Reza Shah dynasty. He was also appointed a senator to the first senate and held it for sixteen years.
Most of the land in this district once belonged to Mrs. Fakhr ol dowleh, a daughter of Mozaffareddin Shah Qajar, known to be the richest woman in Iran during her life.
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