Tehran

Tehran (also transcribed Teheran) (تهران in Persian), population 9,000,000 (metropolitan: 14,000,000), and a land area of 254 square miles, the capital of Iran (Persia) and the center of Tehran Province. Tehran is located at {{coor dm|35|40|N|51|25|E|type:city(9000000)_region:IR}}. http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/cntry_files.html

History

Excavations place the existence of settlements in Tehran as far back as 6000BC. Tehran was well known as a village in the 9th century, but was less well-known than the city of Rages which was flourishing nearby in the pre-Mongol era. In the 13th century, following the destruction of Rages by Mongols, many of its inhabitants fled to Tehran. In some sources of the Mongol era the city is mentioned as "Rages's Tehran" (طهرانِ ری). The city is later mentioned in Hamdollah Mostowfi's Nezhat ol-Gholoob (written in 1340) as a famous village.

Related Topics:
9th century - Rages - 13th century - Mongols - Hamdollah Mostowfi - 1340

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tehran became a residence of the Safavid rulers in the 17th century. Tahmasp I built a bazaar and a wall around the city, but it somewhat fell out of favour after Abbas I turned sick when he was passing the city to go to a war with the Uzbeks.

Related Topics:
Safavid - 17th century - Tahmasp I - Bazaar - Abbas I - Uzbeks

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the early 18th century, Karim Khan Zand ordered a palace, a harem, and a government office to be built in Tehran, possibly to declare the city his capital, but later moved his government to Shiraz. Tehran finally became the capital of Persia in 1795, when the Qajar king Agha Mohammad Khan was crowned in the city. It remains the capital to this day.

Related Topics:
18th century - Karim Khan Zand - Palace - Harem - Shiraz - Persia - 1795 - Qajar - Agha Mohammad Khan

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During World War II, British and Soviet troops entered the city. Tehran was the site of the Teheran Conference in 1943, attended by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin.

Related Topics:
World War II - British - Soviet - Teheran Conference - 1943 - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Winston Churchill - Joseph Stalin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On September 8 1978, demonstrations against the Shah led to riots. The army reportedly opened fire on the demonstrating mob. Martial law was installed in the wake of the ensuing revolution, from 1978-80.

Related Topics:
September 8 - 1978

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, Tehran was the scene of repeated Scud missile attacks and air strikes against random residential and industrial targets within the city, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~