Azadi Tower Photo by Ondřej Žváček |
By Heidi Noroozy
Every great city
needs a symbol. Or so Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi might have been thinking when
he commissioned the construction of Borj-e Shahyad Aryamehr (King’s Memorial
Tower) in 1971. Built to mark the 2,500th anniversary of the founding
of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great, the tower was also a tribute to the
shah himself. The second half of its name, Aryamehr, or “Light of the Aryans,” was
one of Shah Mohammed Reza’s titles. (He was also called “Shahanshah, or “King
of Kings.”) After the 1979 Islamic Revolution that deposed him, the tower was
renamed Borj-e Azadi (Freedom Tower).
Shaped like an
upside-down Y, the tower stands 164 feet above the peaceful oasis of a green
park vast enough to shield it from the maelstrom of the city’s relentless
traffic. The structure is covered by 8,000 blocks of white marble from Isfahan
Province in central Iran. The complex today houses a Koran museum and audiovisual
exhibition center. A fountain bubbles forth at the base of the tower, and a
viewing platform at its top affords magnificent views of the city (at least
when smog doesn’t get in the way). From certain angles, the building even looks
a bit like a headless sphinx.
Under the arches |
Azadi Tower was
designed by Hossein Amanat, a 24-year-old architect who won the commission in a
competition. He incorporated ancient Persian styles with Islamic and modern
architecture. The chahar taq (four
arches) design dates back to the pre-Islamic Sassanid period (205–261 AD), and the
pointed vault in the center is an Islamic element that represents the mihrab, or prayer niche in the wall of a
mosque. And the park that fills the vast square with trees, flower beds, and
fountains is fine example of a Persian garden.
Amanat, a Baha’i, may
have even incorporated symbols of his religious faith in the form of the
auspicious number nine: The sides of the structure each bear nine grooves, and
there are nine windows in the tower’s high walls. Whether or not he added this
symbolism intentionally is the subject of much speculation.
During the Islamic
Revolution, Azadi Tower became a focus of anti-government demonstrations, when
crowds of dissatisfied citizens gathered under its arches to call for an end to
the monarchy. That tradition was taken up again in 2009, when supporters of
Iran’s defeated presidential candidate, Mir Hossein Mousavi, congregated in the
square to protest what they saw as a stolen election.
Azadi Tower at night Photo by Alireza Javaheri |
But Iran’s theocracy
also claims the tower as its own, an enduring symbol of their victory over the
monarchy. Pro-government demonstrations are held there, as are important
national celebrations such as anniversaries of the Islamic Revolution.
On my first few
trips to Iran, before a new international airport was built south of Tehran,
Azadi Tower was always my first glimpse of Tehran on the road from Mehrabad
Airport to my in-laws’ house. With its unusual architecture bathed in ethereal light,
it stood like a beacon against the night sky, welcoming me to a city filled
with exotic sights, sounds, and tastes, waiting to be explored.
What a stunning building. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Patricia.
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