Tehran#North Tehran

Various theories on the origin of the name Tehran have been put forward.

Iranian linguist Ahmad Kasravi, in an article "Shemiran-Tehran", suggested that Tehran and Kehran mean "the warm place", and "Shemiran" means "the cool place". He listed cities with the same base and suffix and studied the components of the word in ancient Iranian languages, and came to the conclusion that Tehran and Kehran meant the same thing in different Iranian language families, as the constant "t" and "k" are close to each other in such languages. He also provided evidence that cities named "Shemiran" were colder than those named "Tehran" or "Kehran". He considered other theories not considering the ancient history of Iranian languages such as "Tirgan" theory and "Tahran" theory folk etymology.{{Cite book |last=Yahya |first=Zoka |title=Karvand of Kasravi |publisher=Franklin |year=1978 |location=Tehran |pages=273–283 }}

Another theory is that "Tehran" derives from Tiran/Tirgan, "the abode of Tir", the Zoroastrian equivalent of Hermes. The ancient Parthian town of Tiran had a neighbour, Mehran ("abode of Mehr/Mithra", the Zoroastrian sun/justice angel). Both of these were mere villages in the suburbs of the great city of Ray/Rhages. Mehran still exists as a residential district in Greater Tehran, as well as Ray, which forms the southern suburbs of Tehran. {{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}

The official City of Tehran website says that "Tehran" comes from the Persian words "Tah" meaning "end", or "bottom", and "Ran" meaning "[mountain] slope"—literally, the bottom of the mountain (ته کوه), referring to Tehran's position at the foot of the Alborz mountains.{{Cite web |author1=Behrooz, Samira |author2=Karampour, Katayoun |url=http://universityandheritage.net/SIFU/XII_Hanoi_2009/en/abstracts/html/14.html |title=A Research on Adaptation of Historic Urban Landscapes |date=15 November 2008 |access-date=18 June 2009 |archive-date=24 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724115732/http://universityandheritage.net/SIFU/XII_Hanoi_2009/en/abstracts/html/14.html |url-status=dead }}

In English, it is also spelt "Teheran",{{cite web |title=Tehran: national capital, Iran |website=Britannica.com |date=25 November 2023 |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Tehran |access-date=25 November 2023 |archive-date=13 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813145643/https://www.britannica.com/place/Tehran |url-status=live }} with both variants being used in books since at least 1800, and "Teheran" being the dominant form from after WWII until shortly before the Islamic Revolution.John Allen Gay for The National Interest, 27 May 2014. [https://nationalinterest.org/feature/when-did-peking-become-beijing-persia-become-iran-we-have-10525 "When Did Peking Become Beijing and Persia Become Iran? We Have the Data"], with the Google Books Ngram Viewer graph [https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Tehran%2CTeheran&year_start=1800&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=0&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2CTehran%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2CTeheran%3B%2Cc0 here]. Accessed 12 December 2023.

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Archaeological remains from the ancient city of Ray suggest that settlement in Tehran dates back over 6,000 years.{{Cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Tehran/History |title=Tehrān - History |access-date=1 September 2021 |archive-date=20 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020124806/https://www.britannica.com/place/Tehran/History |url-status=live }}

Tehran is in the historical Media region of ({{langx|peo|𐎶𐎠𐎭}} {{transliteration|peo|Māda}}) in northwestern Iran. By the time of the Median Empire, part of present-day Tehran was a suburb of the prominent Median city of Rhages ({{langx|peo|𐎼𐎥𐎠}} {{transliteration|peo|Ragā}}). In the Avesta's Videvdat (i, 15), Rhages is mentioned as the 12th sacred place created by Ohrmazd.{{Cite encyclopedia |author1=Minorsky, Vladimir |author2=Bosworth, Clifford Edmund |title=Al-Rayy |encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam: New Edition |volume=8 |pages=471–473 }} In Old Persian inscriptions, Rhages appears as a province (Bistun 2, 10–18). From Rhages, Darius I sent reinforcements to his father Hystaspes, who was putting down a rebellion in Parthia (Bistun 3, 1–10). Some Middle Persian texts give Rhages as the birthplace of Zoroaster,{{Citation |author1=Sarkhosh Curtis, Vesta |author2=Stewart, Sarah |title=Birth of the Persian Empire |publisher=I.B. Tauris |date=2005 |page=37 }} although modern historians generally place the birth of Zoroaster in Khorasan province.

Mount Damavand, the highest peak of Iran, which is located near Tehran, is an important location in Ferdowsi's Šāhnāme,A. Tafazolli, "In Iranian Mythology" in Encyclopædia Iranica an Iranian epic poem based on the ancient legends of Iran. It appears in the epics as the homeland of the protoplast Keyumars, the birthplace of King Manuchehr, the place where King Fereydun bound the dragon fiend Aždahāk (Bivarasp), and the place where Arash shot his arrow.

In 641, during the reign of the Sasanian Empire, Yazdgerd III issued his last appeal to the nation from Rhages, before fleeing to Khorasan. Rhages was dominated by the Parthian House of Mihran, and Siyavakhsh—the son of Mehran, the son of Bahram Chobin—who resisted the seventh-century Muslim invasion of Iran. Because of this resistance, when the Arabs captured Rhages, they ordered the town destroyed and rebuilt anew by traitor aristocrat Farrukhzad.

In the ninth century, Tehran was a well-known village, but less so than the city of Rhages, flourishing nearby. Rhages was described in detail by tenth-century Muslim geographers. Despite the interest that Arabian Baghdad displayed in Rhages, the number of Arabs in the city remained insignificant and the population mainly consisted of Iranians of all classes.(Bulddan, Yackubl, 276)

The Oghuz Turks invaded Rhages in 1035, and again in 1042, but the city was recovered under the Seljuks and the Khwarezmians. Medieval writer Najm od Din Razi declared the population of Rhages about 500,000 before the Mongol invasion. In the 13th century, the Mongols invaded Rhages, laid the city to ruins, and massacred many of its inhabitants. Others escaped to Tehran.

In July 1404, Castilian ambassador Ruy González de Clavijo visited Tehran on a journey to Samarkand, the capital of Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur, the ruler of Iran at the time. He described it in his diary as an unwalled region.

Italian traveler Pietro della Valle passed through Tehran overnight in 1618, and in his memoirs called the city Taheran. English traveler Thomas Herbert entered Tehran in 1627, and mentioned it as Tyroan. Herbert stated that the city had about 3,000 houses.{{cite EB1911|wstitle= Teheran (city) |volume= 26 |pages = 506–507: final para |last1= Houtum-Schindler |first1= Albert |author-link= Albert Houtum-Schindler }}

File:Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar, painting, ca. 1840.jpg, at London's V&A Museum]]

In the early 18th century, Karim Khan of the Zand dynasty ordered a palace and a government office built in Tehran, possibly to declare the city his capital; but he later moved his government to Shiraz. Eventually, Qajar king Agha Mohammad Khan chose Tehran as the capital of Iran in 1786.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xdFu7X2UtpAC&pg=PA12 |title=Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896 |access-date=26 December 2014 |first=Abbas |last=Amanat |date=1997 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=9780520083219 |archive-date=1 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101191554/https://books.google.com/books?id=xdFu7X2UtpAC&pg=PA12 |url-status=live }}

Agha Mohammad Khan's choice of his capital was based on a similar concern for the control of both northern and southern Iran. He was aware of the loyalties of the inhabitants of former capitals Isfahan and Shiraz to the Safavid and Zand dynasties respectively, and was wary of the power of the local notables in these cities. Thus, he probably viewed Tehran's lack of a substantial urban structure as a blessing, because it minimized the chances of resistance to his rule by the notables and by the general public. Moreover, he had to remain within close reach of Azerbaijan and Iran's integral northern and southern Caucasian territories—at that time not yet irrevocably lost per the treaties of Golestan and Turkmenchay to the neighboring Russian Empire—which would follow in the course of the 19th century.{{Cite book |author=Dowling, Timothy C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KTq2BQAAQBAJ |title=Russia at War: From the Mongol Conquest to Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Beyond |pages=728–730 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |date=2 December 2014 |isbn=978-1-59884-948-6 |access-date=18 March 2016 |archive-date=12 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012040129/https://books.google.com/books?id=KTq2BQAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}

File:Golestan Palace Album No. 132-31.jpg

After 50 years of Qajar rule, the city still barely had more than 80,000 inhabitants. Up until the 1870s, Tehran consisted of a walled citadel, a roofed bazaar, and the three main neighborhoods of Udlajan, Chale-Meydan, and Sangelaj, where the majority resided.

During the long reign of Naser al-Din Shah (1848-1896), Tehran witnessed Iran's first institute of higher learning, bank, railway line and museum.{{Citation |title=Chisholm, Hugh, (22 Feb. 1866–29 Sept. 1924), Editor of the Encyclopædia Britannica (10th, 11th and 12th editions) |date=1 December 2007 |work=Who Was Who |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u194658 |access-date=26 September 2024 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u194658 |archive-date=10 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200810090706/https://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-194658 |url-status=live }}{{Cite book |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9780230270510 |title=The Statesman's Year-Book |date=25 August 1922 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-27051-0 |editor-last=Scott-Keltie |editor-first=John |location=Basingstoke |doi=10.1057/9780230270510 |doi-broken-date=11 December 2024 |editor-last2=Epstein |editor-first2=Mortimer }}{{Citation |title=IV. KARL BAEDEKER UND SEINE ERBEN – REISE-INFORMATION |work=Baedeker & Cook – Tourismus am Mittelrhein 1756 bis ca. 1914 |date=2010 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.3726/978-3-653-00471-7/6 |access-date=26 September 2024 |publisher=Peter Lang |doi=10.3726/978-3-653-00471-7/6 |isbn=978-3-631-59581-7 }} The city expanded rapidly through multiple development plans{{Cite book |last=Chisholm |first=Hugh |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.18648 |title=Britannica year-book, 1913 - a survey of the world's progress since the completion in 1910 of the Encyclopaedia Britannica |date=1913 |publisher=Encyclopaedia Britannica |location=London |doi=10.5962/bhl.title.18648 }} The first development plan of Tehran in 1855 emphasized traditional spatial structure. The second, under the supervision of Dar ol Fonun in 1878, included new city walls, in the form of a perfect octagon with an area of 19 square kilometers, mimicking the Renaissance cities of Europe.{{cite web |url=http://jph.sagepub.com/content/12/1/49 |author=Vahdat Za, Vahid. |title=Spatial Discrimination in Tehran's Modern Urban Planning 1906–1979 |year=2011 |work=Journal of Planning History vol. 12 no. 1 49–62 |access-date=11 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016094735/http://jph.sagepub.com/content/12/1/49 |archive-date=16 October 2015 }} Tehran was 19.79 square kilometers, and had expanded more than fourfold.Shirazian, Reza, Atlas-i Tehran-i Qadim, Dastan Publishing House: Tehran, 2015, P. 11

File:Poster of Conquest of Tehran in July 1909 by Bakhtiaris.jpg: Sardar Asad II and Sepahsalar e Tonekaboni conquering Tehran in July 1909]]

Growing awareness of civil rights resulted in the Constitutional Revolution and the first constitution of Iran in 1906. On 2 June 1907, the parliament passed a law on local governance known as the Baladie (municipal law), providing a detailed outline of issues such as the role of councils within the city, the members' qualifications, the election process, and the requirements to be entitled to vote. The then-Qajar monarch Mohammad Ali Shah abolished the constitution and bombarded the parliament with the help of the Russian-controlled Cossack Brigade on 23 June 1908. That was followed by the capture of the city by the revolutionary forces of Ali-Qoli Khan (Sardar Asad II) and Mohammad Vali Khan (Sepahsalar e Tonekaboni) on 13 July 1909. As a result, the monarch was exiled and replaced by his son Ahmad, and the parliament was re-established.

During the Persian campaign, Russian forces that were occupying the northwest of Iran marched around Qazvin and approached Tehran, caused a crisis and the dissolution of parliament. Ahmad Shah Qajar and his entourage decided to leave Tehran and move the capital to another place, sparking fears of rebellion in other cities.Bahar, Mohammad Taghi (1992). A brief history of political parties in Iran: the extinction of the Qajar dynasty. J. First. Amir Kabir Publications. {{ISBN|9789640005965 }}

During the Battle of Robat Karim, Iranian forces led by Heydar Latifiyan prevented the Russians from taking Tehran, despite the latter winning the battle.{{Cite web |title=جنگ‌های جهانی |url=https://movarekhpod.com/world-wars/ |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=مورخ |language=fa-IR |archive-date=5 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505181756/https://movarekhpod.com/world-wars/ |url-status=live }} This also allowed government functions to be moved to Qom and then to Isfahan, while the monarchy remained in Tehran.

File:ETH-BIB-Teheran aus 400 m Höhe-Persienflug 1924-1925-LBS MH02-02-0085-AL-FL.tif

After World War I, the constituent assembly elected Reza Shah of the Pahlavi dynasty as the new monarch, who immediately suspended the Baladie law of 1907, replacing the decentralized and autonomous city councils with centralist approaches to governance and planning.

From the 1920s to the 1930s, under the rule of Reza Shah, the city was essentially rebuilt from scratch. Several old buildings, including parts of the Golestan Palace, Tekye Dowlat, and Tupkhane Square, were replaced with modern buildings influenced by classical Iranian architecture, particularly the buildings of the National Bank, the police headquarters, the telegraph office, and the military academy.

Changes to the urban fabric began with the street-widening act of 1933, which served as a framework for changes in all other cities. The Grand Bazaar was divided in half and many historic buildings were demolished and replaced by wide straight avenues,{{cite book |last1=Chaichian |first1=Mohammad |url=https://archive.org/details/towncountryinmid0000chai/page/95/mode/2up |title=Town and Country in the Middle East: Iran and Egypt in the Transition to Globalization |date=2009 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-0-7391-2677-6 |location=New York |pages=95–116 |url-access=registration }} and the traditional texture of the city was replaced with intersecting cruciform streets that created large roundabouts in major public spaces such as the bazaar.

As an attempt to create a network for easy transportation within the city, the old citadel and city walls were demolished in 1937, replaced by wide streets cutting through the urban fabric. The new city map of Tehran in 1937 was heavily influenced by modernist planning patterns of zoning and gridiron networks.

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

The establishment of the planning organization of Iran in 1948 resulted in the first socioeconomic development plan to cover from 1949 to 1955. These plans not only failed to slow the unbalanced growth of Tehran but with the 1962 land reforms that Reza Shah's son and successor Mohammad Reza Shah named the White Revolution, Tehran's chaotic growth was further accentuated.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Tehran developed rapidly under Mohammad Reza Shah. Modern buildings altered the face of Tehran and ambitious projects were planned for the following decades. To resolve the problem of social exclusion, the first comprehensive plan was approved in 1968. The consortium of Iranian architect Abd-ol-Aziz Farmanfarmaian and the American firm of Victor Gruen Associates identified the main problems blighting the city as high-density suburbs, air and water pollution, inefficient infrastructure, unemployment, and rural-urban migration. Eventually, the whole plan was marginalized by the 1979 Revolution and the subsequent Iran–Iraq War.

File:Tehran_IMG_20191219_122637099_(49550671088).jpg was built in 1971]]

Tehran's most famous landmark, the Azadi Tower, was built by the order of the Shah in 1971. It was designed by Hossein Amanat, an architect whose design won a competition, combining elements of classical Sassanian architecture with post-classical Iranian architecture. Formerly known as the Shahyad Tower, it was built to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the Imperial State of Iran.

During the Iran–Iraq War in 1980 to 1988, Tehran was repeatedly targeted by airstrikes and Scud missile attacks.

The 435-meter-high Milad Tower, one of the proposed development projects of pre-revolutionary Iran,{{cite web |last=Vanstiphout |first=Wouter |title=The Saddest City in the World |url=http://www.thenewtown.nl/article.php?id_article=71 |work=The New Town |access-date=1 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219102023/http://www.thenewtown.nl/article.php?id_article=71 |archive-date=19 December 2013 }} was completed in 2007, and has become a famous landmark of Tehran. Tabiat Bridge, a 270-meter pedestrian overpass that was designed by award-winning architect Leila Araghian, was completed in 2014.

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{{See also|Demographics of Tehran}}

{{Further|Ethnicities in Iran}}

File:Tehran Population (1956-2016).png

File:Tehran population pyramid in 2016.svg population pyramid in 2016]]

{{Historical populations

| title = Tehran's Population History

| percentages = pagr

| 1554| 1,000

| 1626| 3,000

| 1797| 15,000

| 1807| 50,000

| 1812| 60,000

| 1834| 80,000

| 1867| 147,256

| 1930| 250,000

| 1940| 540,087

| 1956| 1,560,934

| 1966| 2,719,730

| 1976| 4,530,223

| 1986| 6,058,207

| 1991| 6,497,238

| 1996| 6,758,845

| 2006| 7,711,230

| 2011| 8,244,759

| 2016| 8,737,510

}}

The city of Tehran had a population of 7,711,230 in 2,286,787 households at the time of the 2006 National Census.{{cite report |title=Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006): Tehran Province |language=fa |publisher=The Statistical Center of Iran |website=amar.org.ir |url=http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/23.xls |access-date=25 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920084534/http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/23.xls |format=Excel |archive-date=20 September 2011 }} The following census in 2011 counted 8,154,051 people in 2,624,511 households.{{cite report |title=Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1390 (2011): Tehran Province |language=fa |publisher=The Statistical Center of Iran |website=irandataportal.syr.edu |via=Iran Data Portal, Syracuse University |url=https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/Tehran.xls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120190153/https://irandataportal.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/Tehran.xls |archive-date=20 January 2023 |access-date=19 December 2022 |format=Excel }} The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 8,693,706 people in 2,911,065 households.{{cite report |title=Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1395 (2016): Tehran Province |language=fa |publisher=The Statistical Center of Iran |website=amar.org.ir |url=https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_23.xlsx |access-date=19 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212171617/https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/census/1395/results/abadi/CN95_HouseholdPopulationVillage_23.xlsx |format=Excel |archive-date=12 December 2021 }}

With its cosmopolitan atmosphere, Tehran is home to diverse ethnic and linguistic groups from all over the country. The present-day dominant language of Tehran is the Tehrani variety of the Persian language, and the majority of people in Tehran identify themselves as Persians. However, before, the native language of the Tehran–Ray region was not Persian, which is linguistically Southwest Iranian and originates in Fars, but a now extinct Northwestern Iranian language.{{cite encyclopedia |title=Central Dialects |author-last=Windfuhr |author-first=Gernot L. |author-link=Gernot Windfuhr |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica |editor-last=Yarshater |editor-first=Ehsan |editor-link=Ehsan Yarshater |year=1991 |publisher=Routledge |location=London and New York |pages=242–252 |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/central-dialects |access-date=23 August 2013 |volume=5 |archive-date=5 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905072810/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/central-dialects |url-status=live }}

Iranian Azeris form the second-largest ethnic group of the city, comprising about 10-15% {{cite news |url=http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+ir0052) |title=Iran-Azeris |publisher=Library of Congress Country Studies |date=December 1987 |access-date=13 August 2013 |archive-date=25 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125044513/http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd%2Fcstdy%3A%40field%28DOCID+ir0052%29 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0KOSUrLPC6IC&pg=PA152 |title=Country Study Guide-Azerbaijanis |year=2005 |publisher=STRATEGIC INFORMATION AND DEVELOPMENTS-USA |isbn=9780739714768 |access-date=13 August 2013 |archive-date=4 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904062040/https://books.google.com/books?id=0KOSUrLPC6IC&pg=PA152 |url-status=live }} of the total population, while ethnic Mazanderanis are the third-largest, comprising about 5% of the total population.{{Cite news |url=http://www.irna.ir/fa/News/82021017/ |title=یک و نیم میلیون مازندرانی پایتخت نشین شدند |publisher=IRNA |date=3 April 2016 |language=fa |access-date=30 April 2017 |archive-date=20 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820072730/http://www.irna.ir/fa/News/82021017 |url-status=live }} Tehran's other ethnic communities include Kurds, Armenians, Georgians, Bakhtyaris, Talysh, Baloch, Assyrians, Arabs, Jews, and Circassians.

According to a 2010 census conducted by the Sociology Department of the University of Tehran, in many districts of Tehran across various socio-economic classes in proportion to population sizes of each district and socio-economic class, 63% of the people were born in Tehran, 98% knew Persian, 75% identified themselves as ethnic Persian, and 13% had some degree of proficiency in a European language.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/133668 |title=چنددرصد تهرانی‌ها در تهران به دنیا آمده‌اند؟ |website=tabnak.ir |language=fa |date=3 November 2010 |access-date=18 December 2010 |archive-date=27 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227033705/http://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/133668 |url-status=live }}

Tehran saw a drastic change in its ethnic-social composition in the early 1980s. After the political, social, and economic consequences of the 1979 Revolution and the years that followed, a number of Iranian citizens, mostly Tehranis, left Iran. The majority of Iranian emigrations have left for the United States, Germany, Sweden, and Canada.

With the start of the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988), the second wave of inhabitants fled the city, especially during the Iraqi air offensives on the capital. With most major powers backing Iraq at the time, economic isolation gave yet more reason for many inhabitants to leave the city (and the country). Having left all they had and having struggled to adapt to a new country and build a life, most of them never came back when the war was over. During the war, Tehran also received a great number of migrants from the west and the southwest of the country bordering Iraq.

The unstable situation and the war in neighbouring Afghanistan and Iraq prompted a rush of refugees into the country who arrived in millions, with Tehran being a magnet for many seeking work, who subsequently helped the city to recover from war wounds, working for a far lower pay than local construction workers. Many of these refugees are being repatriated with the assistance of the UNHCR, but there are still sizable groups of Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Tehran who are reluctant to leave, being pessimistic about the situation in their own countries. Afghan refugees are mostly Dari-speaking Tajik and Hazara, speaking a variety of Persian, and Iraqi refugees are mainly Mesopotamian Arabic-speakers who are often of Iranian and Persian ethnic heritage.

{{See also|Religion in Iran|List of religious centers in Tehran}}

The majority of Tehranis are officially Twelver Shia Muslims, which has also been the state religion since the 16th-century Safavid conversion. Other religious communities in the city include followers of the Sunni and Mystic branches of Islam, various Christian denominations, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and the Baháʼí Faith.

In the 2016 "Tehran Survey", when residents of Tehran were asked about the importance of religion in their life, 53.5% considered it to be "very important / important", 31.1% to be "rather important", 10.5% to be "not very important" and 4.8% to be "not at all important."{{Cite journal |last=Asadzade |first=Peyman |date=28 February 2019 |title=Faith or Ideology? Religiosity, Political Islam, and Anti-Americanism in Iran |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogy038 |journal=Journal of Global Security Studies |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=545–559 (see Figure 2) |doi=10.1093/jogss/ogy038 |issn=2057-3170 }}

There are many religious centres scattered around the city, from old to newly built centres, including mosques, churches, synagogues, and Zoroastrian fire temples. The city also has a very small third-generation Indian Sikh community with a local gurdwara that was visited by the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh in 2012.{{cite web |last=Lakshman |first=Nikhil |title=Indian Prime Minister in Tehran |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-how-to-organise-a-summit-the-iranian-way/20120830.htm |website=Rediff.com |access-date=3 September 2012 |archive-date=3 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120903043924/http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/slide-show-1-how-to-organise-a-summit-the-iranian-way/20120830.htm |url-status=live }}

File:Tehran district map (blank).svg

The metropolis of Tehran is divided into 22 municipal districts, each with its own administrative center. Of the 22 municipal districts, 20 are located in Tehran County's Central District, while districts 1 and 20 are respectively located in the counties of Shemiranat and Ray.

|}

|}

Northern Tehran is the wealthiest part of the city,{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/05/09/iran-lightens-up-on-western-ways/ |title=Iran Lightens Up On Western Ways |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=9 May 1993 |access-date=6 August 2017 |archive-date=6 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806210515/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-05-09/features/9305090413_1_islamic-revolution-islamic-codes-tehran |url-status=live }} consisting of various districts such as Zafaraniyeh, Jordan, Elahiyeh, Pasdaran, Kamranieh, Ajodanieh, Farmanieh, Darrous, Niavaran, Jamaran, Aghdasieh, Mahmoodieh, Velenjak, Qeytarieh, Ozgol and Ekhtiarieh.Buzbee, Sally. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/04/AR2007100401405_pf.html "Tehran: Split Between Liberal, Hard-Line"] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806141930/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/04/AR2007100401405_pf.html |date=6 August 2017 }}. Associated Press via The Washington Post. Thursday 4 October 2007.Hundley, Tom. [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-8331982_ITM "Pro-reform Khatami appears victorious after 30 million Iranians cast votes"]. Chicago Tribune. 8 June 2001. While the center of the city houses government ministries and headquarters, commercial centers are located further north.

File:Tehran Profile, Level 1, 2012.jpg Cities Programme]]

Most of Tehran has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk, according to the Köppen climate classification). The climate is BSh (hot semi-arid) in the region of the Mehrabad International Airport and cold semi-arid in higher areas, with a borderline Mediterranean climate (Csa) in the northern area of the city, with hot, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Tehran's climate is largely defined by its geographic location, with the towering Alborz mountains to its north and the country's central desert to the south.

As the city has a large area, with significant differences in elevation among various districts, the weather is often cooler in the hilly north than in the flat southern part of Tehran. For instance, the {{cvt|17.3|km}} Valiasr Street runs from Tehran's railway station at {{cvt|1117|m}} elevation above sea level in the south of the city to Tajrish Square at 1712.6 m (5612.3 ft) elevation above sea level in the north.{{Cite web |url=https://www.freemaptools.com/elevation-finder.htm |title=Elevation Finder |last=Tools |first=Free Map |website=Freemaptools.com |language=en |access-date=2 February 2017 |archive-date=16 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516040306/https://www.freemaptools.com/elevation-finder.htm |url-status=live }} However, the elevation can even rise up to {{cvt|2000|m}} at the end of Velenjak in northern Tehran. The sparse texture, the existence of old gardens, orchards, green spaces along the highways and the lack of industrial activities in the north of the city have helped the air in the northern areas to be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius cooler than the southern areas of the city.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cgie.org.ir/fa/article/27105/تهران--جغرافیا--شیوا-جعفری |title=Tehran Geography |language=fa |access-date=11 October 2018 |archive-date=11 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911143144/https://www.cgie.org.ir/fa/article/27105/تهران--جغرافیا--شیوا-جعفری |url-status=live }}

The main direction of the prevailing wind in Tehran is northwest to southeast.[https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/photo/173606/آشنایی-با-دریاچه-شهدای-خلیج-فارس-چیتگر-تهران/Chitgar lake (in Persian)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221209054656/https://www.hamshahrionline.ir/photo/173606/%D8%A2%D8%B4%D9%86%D8%A7%DB%8C%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%AF%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%DA%86%D9%87-%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AC-%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3-%DA%86%DB%8C%D8%AA%DA%AF%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86 |date=9 December 2022 }}. hamshahrionline.ir Other air currents that blow in the area of Tehran are:

1. Tochal breeze: With the rapid cooling of the Alborz mountain range at night, a local high-pressure center is formed on Mount Tochal, and this cold current flows down the mountain due to its weight and high pressure; Thus, a gentle breeze blows into the city from the north at night.
2. Southern and southeastern regional winds: these winds blow from the desert plains in the hot months of the year.
3. Western winds: These winds are among the planetary winds that affect the city of Tehran more or less throughout the year and can be called the prevailing wind.

Air currents have a great effect on Tehran's weather. The prevailing wind blowing from the west causes the west of the city to always be exposed to fresh air; Although this wind brings smoke and pollution from the western industrial areas, its strong wind can take the polluted air out of the city of Tehran.

In most years, winter provides half of Tehran's total annual rainfall. March is the rainiest month of the year and about one-fifth of the annual rainfall occurs in it. Summer is also the least rainy season and September is the driest month of the year in Tehran. The average annual rainfall of the city is sometimes very different in the north and south regions. There are between 205 and 213 days of clear to partly cloudy weather in Tehran.[https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143424/http://atlas.tehran.ir/Default.aspx?tabid=171/ Climate and air pollution of Tehran (in Persian)]. atlas.tehran.ir

One of the most intense rains in Tehran happened on 21 April 1962 and this rain lasted for 10 hours. Meteorology also announced that the amount of rainfall on that one day in Tehran was equivalent to six years.{{Cite web |url=https://www.iichs.ir/p/history.aspx?id=2 |title=Institute for Iranian Contemporary Historical Studies |language=fa |access-date=11 June 2018 |archive-date=21 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121001916/http://www.iichs.ir/p/history.aspx?id=2 |url-status=live }}

Summer is hot and dry with little rain, but relative humidity is generally low. Average high temperatures are between {{cvt|31|C}} and {{cvt|38|°C}} during summer months, and it can sometimes rise up to {{cvt|40|C}} during heat waves. Average low temperatures in summer are between {{cvt|18|C}} and {{cvt|25|°C}}, and it can occasionally drop to below {{cvt|14|C}}  in the mountainous north of the city at night.

Winter is cold and occasionally snowy, with an average of 12.3 snow days annually in central Tehran and more than 23.7 snow days annually in northern Tehran. During the winter months, average high temperatures are between {{cvt|3|C}} and {{cvt|11|°C}} and average low temperatures are between {{cvt|-5|C}} and {{cvt|1|°C}}, and it can occasionally drop to below {{cvt|-10|C}}  during cold waves.

Most of the annual precipitation occurs from late autumn to mid-spring. March is the wettest month with an average precipitation of {{cvt|39.6|mm}}. The hottest month is July, with a mean minimum temperature of {{cvt|24|°C}} and a mean maximum temperature of {{cvt|36.7|°C}}, and the coldest is January, with a mean minimum temperature of {{cvt|-0.4|°C}} and a mean maximum temperature of {{cvt|7.9|°C}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.irantour.org/Iran/Climate.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030610002354/http://www.irantour.org/Iran/Climate.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=10 June 2003 |title=Climate of Tehran |website=Irantour.org |access-date=12 November 2010 }}

The highest recorded temperature was {{cvt|43|°C|0}} on 3 July 1958 and the lowest recorded temperature was {{cvt|-15|°C|0}} on 8 January 1969.

{{Weather box

|metric first= Yes |single line= Yes |location= Tehran Mehrabad, altitude: 1191 m (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1951-present){{efn-la|Rainy days from parameter codes 46 and 71 from the NOAA source}}

|Jan record high C = 19.6

|Feb record high C = 24.4

|Mar record high C = 30.3

|Apr record high C = 33.4

|May record high C = 37.0

|Jun record high C = 42.2

|Jul record high C = 43.0

|Aug record high C = 42.4

|Sep record high C = 38.4

|Oct record high C = 33.4

|Nov record high C = 26.4

|Dec record high C = 21.0

|Jan high C = 8.5

|Feb high C = 11.1

|Mar high C = 16.2

|Apr high C = 22.3

|May high C = 28.2

|Jun high C = 34.3

|Jul high C = 36.9

|Aug high C = 35.8

|Sep high C = 31.6

|Oct high C = 24.6

|Nov high C = 15.7

|Dec high C = 10.2

|Jan mean C = 4.7

|Feb mean C = 7.0

|Mar mean C = 11.8

|Apr mean C = 17.6

|May mean C = 23.2

|Jun mean C = 28.8

|Jul mean C = 31.4

|Aug mean C = 30.5

|Sep mean C = 26.3

|Oct mean C = 19.6

|Nov mean C = 11.6

|Dec mean C = 6.5

|Jan low C = 1.3

|Feb low C = 3.0

|Mar low C = 7.2

|Apr low C = 12.6

|May low C = 17.6

|Jun low C = 22.5

|Jul low C = 25.2

|Aug low C = 24.6

|Sep low C = 20.7

|Oct low C = 14.8

|Nov low C = 7.8

|Dec low C = 3.2

|Jan record low C = -15.0

|Feb record low C = -13.0

|Mar record low C = -8.0

|Apr record low C = -4.0

|May record low C = 2.4

|Jun record low C = 5.0

|Jul record low C = 14.0

|Aug record low C = 13.0

|Sep record low C = 9.0

|Oct record low C = 2.8

|Nov record low C = -7.2

|Dec record low C = -13.0

| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days= 4.8

|Feb precipitation days= 5.4

|Mar precipitation days= 5.9

|Apr precipitation days= 5.2

|May precipitation days= 3.7

|Jun precipitation days= 0.8

|Jul precipitation days= 0.5

|Aug precipitation days= 0.3

|Sep precipitation days= 0.2

|Oct precipitation days= 2.5

|Nov precipitation days= 4.9

|Dec precipitation days= 5.3

|precipitation colour=green

|Jan precipitation mm = 31.7

|Feb precipitation mm = 32.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 42.5

|Apr precipitation mm = 34.8

|May precipitation mm = 14.0

|Jun precipitation mm = 2.3

|Jul precipitation mm = 2.3

|Aug precipitation mm = 1.4

|Sep precipitation mm = 0.9

|Oct precipitation mm = 13.6

|Nov precipitation mm = 30.9

|Dec precipitation mm = 31.8

|Jan sun = 176.0

|Feb sun = 178.0

|Mar sun = 208.0

|Apr sun = 232.0

|May sun = 284.0

|Jun sun = 339.0

|Jul sun = 344.0

|Aug sun = 344.0

|Sep sun = 305.0

|Oct sun = 254.0

|Nov sun = 181.0

|Dec sun = 164.0

|Jan humidity = 57

|Feb humidity = 51

|Mar humidity = 43

|Apr humidity = 39

|May humidity = 31

|Jun humidity = 25

|Jul humidity = 25

|Aug humidity = 26

|Sep humidity = 28

|Oct humidity = 36

|Nov humidity = 50

|Dec humidity = 58

| Jan snow cm = 24.0

| Feb snow cm = 11.6

| Mar snow cm = 1.7

| Apr snow cm = 0.1

| May snow cm = 0.0

| Jun snow cm = 0.0

| Jul snow cm = 0.0

| Aug snow cm = 0.0

| Sep snow cm = 0.0

| Oct snow cm = 0.0

| Nov snow cm = 0.0

| Dec snow cm = 7.3

| year snow cm =

| Jan rain days =6

| Feb rain days =7.1

| Mar rain days =10.3

| Apr rain days =9.8

| May rain days =6.9

| Jun rain days =2

| Jul rain days =1.6

| Aug rain days =0.9

| Sep rain days =0.7

| Oct rain days =5.3

| Nov rain days =8.6

| Dec rain days =7.8

| year rain days =

|Jan snow days= 5.1

|Feb snow days= 2.9

|Mar snow days= 1.1

|Apr snow days= 0.1

|May snow days= 0.0

|Jun snow days= 0.0

|Jul snow days= 0.0

|Aug snow days= 0.0

|Sep snow days= 0.0

|Oct snow days= 0.0

|Nov snow days= 0.4

|Dec snow days= 2.7

| Jan uv = 2

| Feb uv = 3

| Mar uv = 3

| Apr uv = 5

| May uv = 6

| Jun uv = 7

| Jul uv = 7

| Aug uv = 7

| Sep uv = 5

| Oct uv = 4

| Nov uv = 3

| Dec uv = 2

|source 1 = NOAA NCEI{{cite web |title=World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1991-2020: TehranMehrabadAirport-40754 |url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Iran/CSV/TehranMehrabadAirport_40754.csv |website=ncei.noaa.gov |publisher=NOAA |access-date=17 March 2024 |format=CSV |archive-date=30 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330141518/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/2.2/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Iran/CSV/TehranMehrabadAirport_40754.csv |url-status=live }} (snowfall 1981-2010){{cite web |title=WMO Climate Normals for 1981-2010: Tehran (Mehrabad airport) |url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-II/Iran/WMO_Normals_Excel_IRAN_060719.xls |website=ncei.noaa.gov |publisher=NOAA |access-date=28 March 2024 |format=XLS |quote=WMO number: 40754 |archive-date=20 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120051914/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1981-2010/RA-II/Iran/WMO_Normals_Excel_IRAN_060719.xls |url-status=live }}

|source 2 = Iran Meteorological Organization (records* {{cite web |url=http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/7.asp |title=Highest record temperature in Tehran by Month 1951–2010 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=11 March 2018}} {{dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}

• {{cite web |url=http://www.data.irimo.ir/ |title=Highest Record temperatures in Tehran by Month 2011–2020 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=27 October 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529100320/https://data.irimo.ir/ |url-status=dead}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/6.asp |title=Lowest record temperature in Tehran by Month 1951–2010 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=5 February 2020 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205221146/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/6.asp |url-status=dead}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.data.irimo.ir/ |title=Lowest record temperatures in Tehran by Month 2011–2020 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=27 October 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529100320/https://data.irimo.ir/ |url-status=dead }}), (snow/sleet days 1951-2005{{cite web |url=http://www.chaharmahalmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/32.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816025748/http://www.chaharmahalmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/32.asp |archive-date=16 August 2012 |access-date=28 March 2024 |title=Form 32: No. Of days with snow or sleet Station: Tehran Mehrabad(40754) |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization }}), Weather Atlas (UV){{Cite web |url=https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/iran/tehran-climate |title=Tehran, Iran - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast |access-date=10 October 2022 |archive-date=16 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171116075251/https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/iran/tehran-climate |url-status=live }}

|date=October 2022

}}

{{Weather box |metric first= Yes |single line= Yes |location= Tehran-Shomal (north of Tehran), altitude: 1549.1 m (1988–2010, temperature normals, precipitation, and snow days 1988-2020, records 1988-present)

|Jan record high C = 17.2

|Feb record high C = 23.5

|Mar record high C = 29.0

|Apr record high C = 32.4

|May record high C = 34.6

|Jun record high C = 40.4

|Jul record high C = 41.8

|Aug record high C = 42.0

|Sep record high C = 36.9

|Oct record high C = 31.2

|Nov record high C = 23.6

|Dec record high C = 19.6

|Jan high C = 6.9

|Feb high C = 9.1

|Mar high C = 14.3

|Apr high C = 20.2

|May high C = 26.1

|Jun high C = 32.2

|Jul high C = 34.9

|Aug high C = 33.9

|Sep high C = 29.8

|Oct high C = 22.9

|Nov high C = 14.3

|Dec high C = 9.0

|Jan mean C = 3.0

|Feb mean C = 4.8

|Mar mean C = 9.6

|Apr mean C = 15.0

|May mean C = 20.3

|Jun mean C = 26.1

|Jul mean C = 28.9

|Aug mean C = 27.8

|Sep mean C = 23.7

|Oct mean C = 17.3

|Nov mean C = 9.8

|Dec mean C = 5.0

|Jan low C = -1.0

|Feb low C = 0.5

|Mar low C = 4.8

|Apr low C = 9.8

|May low C = 14.5

|Jun low C = 19.9

|Jul low C = 22.9

|Aug low C = 21.6

|Sep low C = 17.5

|Oct low C = 11.6

|Nov low C = 5.2

|Dec low C = 1.0

|Jan record low C = -13.0

|Feb record low C = -11.0

|Mar record low C = -8.0

|Apr record low C = -2.4

|May record low C = 0.0

|Jun record low C = 12.0

|Jul record low C = 15.4

|Aug record low C = 10.6

|Sep record low C = 8.8

|Oct record low C = 2.6

|Nov record low C = -8.3

|Dec record low C = -9.6

|Jan precipitation days= 12.3

|Feb precipitation days= 10.9

|Mar precipitation days= 12.3

|Apr precipitation days= 10.0

|May precipitation days= 8.9

|Jun precipitation days= 3.3

|Jul precipitation days= 3.4

|Aug precipitation days= 1.6

|Sep precipitation days= 1.3

|Oct precipitation days= 5.8

|Nov precipitation days= 8.6

|Dec precipitation days= 10.7

|precipitation colour=green

|Jan precipitation mm = 56.6

|Feb precipitation mm = 64.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 70.1

|Apr precipitation mm = 54.9

|May precipitation mm = 25.6

|Jun precipitation mm = 3.9

|Jul precipitation mm = 5.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 3.9

|Sep precipitation mm = 3.7

|Oct precipitation mm = 24.5

|Nov precipitation mm = 53.8

|Dec precipitation mm = 61.1

|Jan sun = 135.8

|Feb sun = 146.4

|Mar sun = 185.1

|Apr sun = 215.0

|May sun = 274.6

|Jun sun = 322.8

|Jul sun = 331.8

|Aug sun = 327.5

|Sep sun = 292.6

|Oct sun = 245.5

|Nov sun = 171.5

|Dec sun = 135.8

|Jan humidity = 67

|Feb humidity = 59

|Mar humidity = 53

|Apr humidity = 44

|May humidity = 39

|Jun humidity = 30

|Jul humidity = 31

|Aug humidity = 31

|Sep humidity = 33

|Oct humidity = 44

|Nov humidity = 57

|Dec humidity = 66

|Jan snow days= 7.3

|Feb snow days= 5.6

|Mar snow days= 2.3

|Apr snow days= 0.1

|May snow days= 0.1

|Jun snow days= 0

|Jul snow days= 0

|Aug snow days= 0

|Sep snow days= 0

|Oct snow days= 0

|Nov snow days= 1.0

|Dec snow days= 4.0

|source 1 =[http://www.chaharmahalmet.ir/iranarchive.asp I.R. of Iran Shahrekord Meteorlogical Organization (in Persian)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829024954/http://www.chaharmahalmet.ir/iranarchive.asp |date=29 August 2017}}. 1988–2020

|date=1988–2010

|source 2 =[http://www.data.irimo.ir/ I.R. of Iran Shahrekord Meteorlogical Organization (in Persian)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529100320/https://data.irimo.ir/ |date=29 May 2020}}. 1988–2020}}

{{Weather box

| collapsed = yes

| metric first = Yes

| single line = Yes

| location = Tehran Geophysic, altitude: 1418.6 m (1991–2010, temperature normals and precipitation 1991-2020, records 1991-2022)

| Jan record high C = 17.0

| Feb record high C = 22.7

| Mar record high C = 28.4

| Apr record high C = 32.0

| May record high C = 36.0

| Jun record high C = 40.6

| Jul record high C = 41.6

| Aug record high C = 40.9

| Sep record high C = 37.3

| Oct record high C = 32.0

| Nov record high C = 24.0

| Dec record high C = 19.6

| Jan high C = 7.4

| Feb high C = 9.7

| Mar high C = 14.8

| Apr high C = 20.7

| May high C = 26.5

| Jun high C = 32.6

| Jul high C = 35.3

| Aug high C = 34.2

| Sep high C = 30.1

| Oct high C = 23.3

| Nov high C = 14.6

| Dec high C = 9.1

| Jan mean C = 4.2

| Feb mean C = 6.2

| Mar mean C = 10.7

| Apr mean C = 16.3

| May mean C = 21.9

| Jun mean C = 27.8

| Jul mean C = 30.5

| Aug mean C = 29.5

| Sep mean C = 25.4

| Oct mean C = 18.8

| Nov mean C = 10.8

| Dec mean C = 6.0

| Jan low C = 0.8

| Feb low C = 2.5

| Mar low C = 6.6

| Apr low C = 11.7

| May low C = 16.5

| Jun low C = 22.1

| Jul low C = 25.1

| Aug low C = 24.1

| Sep low C = 20.2

| Oct low C = 14.3

| Nov low C = 7.3

| Dec low C = 2.7

| Jan record low C = -11.7

| Feb record low C = -8.2

| Mar record low C = -6.0

| Apr record low C = -1.8

| May record low C = 4.5

| Jun record low C = 11.8

| Jul record low C = 15.4

| Aug record low C = 13.6

| Sep record low C = 10.0

| Oct record low C = 6.4

| Nov record low C = -7.9

| Dec record low C = -7.2

| Jan precipitation days = 10.0

| Feb precipitation days = 9.1

| Mar precipitation days = 11.2

| Apr precipitation days = 9.3

| May precipitation days = 8.5

| Jun precipitation days = 2.7

| Jul precipitation days = 1.6

| Aug precipitation days = 0.9

| Sep precipitation days = 1.2

| Oct precipitation days = 4.1

| Nov precipitation days = 8.4

| Dec precipitation days = 10.1

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation mm = 47.4

| Feb precipitation mm = 38.7

| Mar precipitation mm = 51.9

| Apr precipitation mm = 40.5

| May precipitation mm = 17.3

| Jun precipitation mm = 3.6

| Jul precipitation mm = 3.2

| Aug precipitation mm = 2.5

| Sep precipitation mm = 2.0

| Oct precipitation mm = 17.2

| Nov precipitation mm = 36.1

| Dec precipitation mm = 39.5

| Jan sun = 157.3

| Feb sun = 172.3

| Mar sun = 198.1

| Apr sun = 213.8

| May sun = 279.1

| Jun sun = 342.4

| Jul sun = 345.2

| Aug sun = 346.7

| Sep sun = 308.4

| Oct sun = 257.1

| Nov sun = 180.1

| Dec sun = 146.8

| Jan snow days = 5.1

| Feb snow days = 3.3

| Mar snow days = 2.0

| Apr snow days = 0.0

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.1

| Nov snow days = 0.3

| Dec snow days = 2.9

| source 1 = Iran Meteorological Organization (records (temperatures* {{cite web |url=http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/3.asp |title=Average Maximum temperature in Tehran by Month 1951–2010 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=6 September 2014}} {{dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}

• {{cite web |url=http://www.data.irimo.ir/ |title=Average Maximum temperatures in Tehran by Month 2011–2020 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=27 October 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529100320/https://data.irimo.ir/ |url-status=dead}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/5.asp |title=Average Mean Daily temperature in Tehran by Month 1951–2010 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=5 February 2020 |archive-date=5 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205222350/http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/5.asp |url-status=dead}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/2.asp |title=Average Minimum temperature in Tehran by Month 1951–2010 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=20 March 2016}} {{dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}
• {{cite web |url=http://www.data.irimo.ir/ |title=Average Minimum temperatures in Tehran by Month 2011–2020 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |access-date=27 October 2022 |archive-date=29 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529100320/https://data.irimo.ir/ |url-status=dead }}), (precipitation{{cite web |url=http://www.chaharmahalmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/JEOPHYSI/25.asp |title=Monthly Total Precipitation in Tehran(Jeophysics by Month 1991–2005 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization |archive-date=20 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320085246/http://www.chaharmahalmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/JEOPHYSI/25.asp |url-status=dead |access-date=28 March 2024 }}), (humidity{{cite web |url=http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/14.asp |title=Average relative humidity in Tehran by Month 1951–2010 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization}} {{dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}), (days with precipitation{{cite web |url=http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/30.asp |title=No. Of days with precipitation in Tehran by Month 1951–2010 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization}} {{dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}), (sunshine{{cite web |url=http://www.chbmet.ir/stat/archive/iran/teh/TEHRAN/42.asp |title=Monthly total sunshine hours in Tehran by Month 1951–2010 |publisher=Iran Meteorological Organization}} {{dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }})

| date = October 2022

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In February 2005, heavy snow covered all parts of the city. Snow depth was recorded as {{cvt|15|cm|0}} in the southern part of the city and {{cvt|100|cm|0}} in the northern part of city. One newspaper reported that it had been the worst weather in 34 years. Ten thousand bulldozers and 13,000 municipal workers were deployed to keep the main roads open.{{Cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4250831.stm/ |author=Harrison, Frances |title=Iran gripped by wintry weather |date=19 February 2005 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=20 August 2012 |archive-date=11 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011190509/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4250831.stm |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.chn.ir/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=74960&Serv=0&SGr=0/ |title=Heavy Snowfall in Tehran |language=fa |access-date=30 March 2018 |archive-date=26 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426100918/http://www.chn.ir/NSite/FullStory/News/?Id=74960&Serv=0&SGr=0%2F |url-status=dead }}

On 5 and 6 January 2008, a wave of heavy snow and low temperatures covered the city in a thick layer of snow and ice, forcing the Council of Ministers to officially declare a state of emergency and close down the capital from 6 January through 7 January.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080208071157/http://www1.irna.com/fa/news/view/line-2/8610166477213215.htm/ Heavy Snowfall in Tehran (in Persian)]. irna.com

On 3 February 2014, Tehran received heavy snowfall, specifically in the northern parts of the city, with a depth of {{convert|2|m|ft}}. In one week of successive snowfalls, roads were made impassable in some areas, with the temperature ranging from {{cvt|−8|°C|0}}  to  {{cvt|−16|°C|0}}.{{Cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26061662/ |title=Rare snow blankets Iran's capital Tehran |publisher=BBC News |access-date=3 June 2014 |archive-date=22 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522130824/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26061662 |url-status=live }}

On 3 June 2014, a severe thunderstorm with powerful microbursts created a haboob, engulfing the city in sand and dust and causing five deaths, with more than 57 injured. This event also knocked down numerous trees and power lines. It struck between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., dropping temperatures from {{cvt|33|C}}  to {{cvt|19|C}}  within an hour. The dramatic temperature drop was accompanied by wind gusts reaching nearly {{cvt|118|km/h|mph}}.{{Cite web |url=http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deadly-dust-storm-blasts-tehra-1/28046154/ |title=Deadly Dust Storm Engulfs Iran's Capital |date=3 June 2014 |website=AccuWeather.com |access-date=3 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140603084845/http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deadly-dust-storm-blasts-tehra-1/28046154 |archive-date=3 June 2014 |url-status=dead }}

{{See also|Environmental issues in Tehran|Environmental issues in Iran|List of earthquakes in Iran}}

File:Air pollution of Tehran - 5 January 2013 06.jpg

A plan to move the capital has been discussed many times in prior years, due mainly to the environmental issues of the region. Tehran is one of the world's most polluted cities and is also located near two major fault lines.

The city suffers from severe air pollution, 80% of it due to cars.{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/09/jan/1007.html |title=Car exhaust fumes blamed for over 80% of air pollution in Tehran |website=Payvand.com |date=22 November 2006 |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=29 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629091518/http://www.payvand.com/news/09/jan/1007.html |url-status=live }} The remaining 20% is due to industrial pollution. Other estimates suggest that motorcycles alone account for 30% of air and 50% of noise pollution in Tehran.{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/10/oct/1239.html |title=Motorcycles Account for 30% of Air Pollution in Tehran |website=Payvand.com |date=22 November 2006 |access-date=12 November 2010 |archive-date=7 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110107063229/http://www.payvand.com/news/10/oct/1239.html |url-status=live }} Tehran is also considered one of the strongest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the Middle East. Enhanced concentration of carbon dioxide over the city (that are likely originated from the anthropogenic urban sources in the city) is easily detectable from satellite observations throughout the year.{{Cite journal |last=Labzovskii |first=Lev |date=2 August 2019 |title=Working towards confident spaceborne monitoring of carbon emissions from cities using Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034425719303785 |journal=Remote Sensing of Environment |volume=233 (2019) 11359 |doi=10.1016/j.rse.2019.111359 |bibcode=2019RSEnv.23311359L |access-date=27 January 2020 |archive-date=27 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127042353/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0034425719303785 |url-status=live }}

In 2010, the government announced that "for security and administrative reasons, the plan to move the capital from Tehran has been finalized."{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/10/may/1322.html |title=For Security and Administrative [sic] Reasons: Plan to Move Capital From Tehran Finalized |website=Payvand.com |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=3 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100603033101/http://www.payvand.com/news/10/may/1322.html |url-status=live }} There are plans to relocate 163 state firms and several universities from Tehran to avoid damages from a potential earthquake.{{cite web |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jul/1064.html |title=Iran Moots Shifting Capital from Tehran |website=Payvand.com |date=22 November 2006 |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=10 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100710192546/http://www.payvand.com/news/10/jul/1064.html |url-status=live }}

The officials are engaged in a battle to reduce air pollution. It has, for instance, encouraged taxis and buses to convert from petrol engines to engines that run on compressed natural gas. Furthermore, the government has set up a "Traffic Zone" covering the city centre during peak traffic hours. Entering and driving inside this zone is only allowed with a special permit.

There have also been plans to raise people's awareness of the hazards of pollution. One method that is being employed is the installation of Pollution Indicator Boards all around the city to monitor the level of particulate matter (PM2.5/PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and carbon monoxide (CO).

{{See also|Economy of Tehran|Industry of Iran|Communications in Iran}}

File:Tehran Stock Exchange 3513534.jpg]]

Tehran is the economic centre of Iran.{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/585619/Tehran/276311/Economy |title=Tehran (Iran) : People – Britannica Online Encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=21 May 2012 |date= |archive-date=23 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123001337/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/585619/Tehran/276311/Economy |url-status=live }} About 30% of Iran's public-sector workforce and 45% of its large industrial firms are located in the city, and almost half of these workers are employed by the government.{{cite web |url=http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/081006_iran_nuclear.pdf |author=Cordesman, Anthony H. |title=The US, Israel, the Arab States and a Nuclear Iran. Part One: Iranian Nuclear Programs |date=23 September 2008 |work=Center for Strategic and International Studies |access-date=25 September 2010 |archive-date=6 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100806042511/http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/081006_iran_nuclear.pdf |url-status=live }} Most of the remainder of workers are factory workers, shopkeepers, laborers, and transport workers.

Few foreign companies operate in Tehran, due to the government's complex international relations. But prior to the 1979 Revolution, many foreign companies were active in Iran.{{cite book |last1=Chaichian |first1=Mohammad |title=Town and Country in the Middle East: Iran and Egypt in the Transition to Globalization |date=2009 |publisher=Lexington Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7391-2677-6 |pages=98–103 }} Tehran's present-day modern industries include the manufacturing of automobiles, electronics and electrical equipment, weaponry, textiles, sugar, cement, and chemical products. It is also a leading centre for the sale of carpets and furniture. The oil refining companies of Pars Oil, Speedy, and Behran are based in Tehran.

Tehran relies heavily on private cars, buses, motorcycles, and taxis, and is one of the most car-dependent cities in the world. The Tehran Stock Exchange, which is a full member of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and a founding member of the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges, has been one of the world's best-performing stock exchanges in recent years.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3129995.stm |title=Iran blocks share price gains |work=BBC News |date=6 August 2003 |access-date=21 May 2012 |archive-date=11 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111172836/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3129995.stm |url-status=live }}

Design, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, retail, advertising and other sectors of the fashion industry in Tehran have been able to grow significantly according to the needs of the country. In particular, a large number of male and female models are working in Tehran's fashion advertising and promotion sections. Despite the lack of adequate laws to support models, payments to female models have been considered high. Also, modeling of children is usually prohibited in Tehran. Clothing manufacturers are closely related to other fashion sectors in Tehran. For example, the manufacturers of women's boots and bodysuits have strengthened their exports and branding in other countries by using this connection.{{Cite book |title=تاریخچه صنعت مد، پوشاک و شبکه توزیع وابسته در جهان و ایران (چاپ نخست) |year=2020 |pages=34, 35 |language=Persian }}

{{See also|List of shopping malls in Iran}}

Tehran has a wide range of shopping centers, and is home to over 60 modern shopping malls.{{Cite web |url=http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/hopes-for-shopping-revolution-as-malls-sprout-in-iran-1.1585877 |title=Hopes for shopping revolution as malls sprout in Iran |author=Gulf News |date=9 June 2017 |author-link=Gulf News |access-date=12 June 2017 |archive-date=18 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171018145219/http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/hopes-for-shopping-revolution-as-malls-sprout-in-iran-1.1585877 |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293999-Activities-c26-t143-Tehran_Tehran_Province.html |title=THE 10 BEST Tehran Shopping Malls (with Photos) |website=Tripadvisor.com |language=en |access-date=30 November 2019 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807223641/https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g293999-Activities-c26-t143-Tehran_Tehran_Province.html |url-status=live }} The city has a number of commercial districts, including those located at Valiasr, Davudie, and Zaferanie. The largest old bazaars of Tehran are the Grand Bazaar and the Bazaar of Tajrish. Iran Mall is the largest mall in the world in area.{{Cite web |url=https://infos10.com/biggest-shopping-malls-in-the-world/ |title=Top 10 Biggest Shopping Malls In The World 2022 |date=27 September 2021 |website=Infos10.com |access-date=23 February 2022 |archive-date=24 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124074058/https://infos10.com/biggest-shopping-malls-in-the-world/ |url-status=live }}

Most of the international branded stores and upper-class shops are in the northern and western parts of the city. Tehran's retail business is growing with several newly built malls and shopping centres.

Tehran is a center for the production of women's clothing in Iran. Shoe (Mostly women's boots) manufacturing companies in Tehran can be reached in the malls.{{Cite book |title=کتابشناسى و راهنماى صناىع دستى کشور - Page 177, 180 }}

{{Main|Tourism in Tehran}}

File:کاخ گلستان 6.jpg, One of the oldest historic monuments in the city. UNESCO World Heritage Site]]

Tehran, as one of the main tourist destinations in Iran, has a wealth of cultural attractions. It is home to royal complexes of Golestan, Saadabad and Niavaran, which were built under the reign of the country's last two monarchies.

There are several historic, artistic, and scientific museums in Tehran, including the

• National Museum
• Malek Museum
• Cinema Museum at Ferdows Garden
• Abgineh Museum
• Museum of the Qasr Prison
• Carpet Museum
• Reverse Glass Painting Museum (vitray art)
• Safir Office Machines Museum

Also the Museum of Contemporary Art, which hosts works of famous artists such as Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. The Iranian Imperial Crown Jewels, one of the largest jewel collections in the world, are also on display at Tehran's National Jewelry Museum.

A number of cultural and trade exhibitions take place in Tehran, which are mainly operated by the country's International Exhibitions Company. Tehran's annual International Book Fair is known to the international publishing world as one of the most important publishing events in Asia.{{cite web |url=http://www.tibf.ir/ |title=Tehran International Book Fair |website=Tibf.ir |access-date=15 June 2009 |archive-date=10 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510232545/http://www.tibf.ir/ |url-status=live }}

{{See also|List of Expressways in Tehran}}

File:Fajr Bridge Tehran2.jpg]]

Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the political system changed from constitutional monarchy to Islamic republic. Then the construction of political power in the country needed to change so that new spectrums of political power decision-making centers emerged in Iran. Motives, desires and actions of these new political power decision-making centers in Iran, made them rename streets and public places throughout the country, especially Tehran. For example Shahyad square changed to Azadi square and Pahlavi street changed to Valiasr street.{{Cite journal |last=M |first=Badiei Azandehi |date=1 January 2009 |title=The Discourse of Streets' Naming in Tehran After Islamic Revolution |url=https://www.sid.ir/en/journal/ViewPaper.aspx?ID=176278 |language=En |journal=Geopolitics Quarterly |volume=5 |issue=114 |pages=72–101 |access-date=20 August 2021 |archive-date=20 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820103646/https://www.sid.ir/en/journal/ViewPaper.aspx?ID=176278 |url-status=live }}

The metropolis of Tehran is equipped with a large network of highways and interchanges.

{{See also|Automotive industry in Iran}}

According to the head of Tehran Municipality's Environment and Sustainable Development Office, Tehran was designed to have a capacity of about 300,000 cars, but more than five million cars are on the roads.{{cite web |url=http://gp.se/nyheter/varlden/1.2933333-smogglarm-i-manga-varldsstader |title=Smogglarm i många världsstäder |work=Göteborgs-Posten |date=19 December 2015 |access-date=19 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102065656/http://www.gp.se/nyheter/varlden/1.2933333-smogglarm-i-manga-varldsstader |archive-date=2 January 2016 |url-status=dead }} The automotive industry has recently developed, but international sanctions influence the production processes periodically.{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028145438/http://www.payvand.com/news/10/oct/1194.html |archive-date=28 October 2010 |url=http://www.payvand.com/news/10/oct/1194.html |title='Tehran's overpopulation will cause ecological ruin' |website=Payvand.com |date=22 November 2006 |access-date=4 March 2016 }}

According to local media, Tehran has more than 200,000 taxis plying the roads daily,{{cite web |url=https://livingintehran.com/2017/12/19/getting-cab-tehran-airport-taxis |title=Getting a cab in Tehran: Airport Taxis |date=19 December 2017 |work=Living in Tehran |access-date=24 December 2017 |archive-date=1 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101191558/https://livingintehran.com/2017/12/19/getting-cab-tehran-airport-taxis/ |url-status=live }} with several types of taxi available in the city. Airport taxis have a higher cost per kilometer as opposed to regular green and yellow taxis in the city.

{{See also|Trolleybuses in Tehran|Tehran Bus Rapid Transit}}

File:BRT in Tehran, Iran (cropped).jpg]]

Buses have served the city since the 1920s. Tehran's transport system includes conventional buses, trolleybuses, and bus rapid transit (BRT). The city's four major bus stations include the South Terminal, the East Terminal, the West Terminal, and the northcentral Beyhaghi Terminal.

The trolleybus system was opened in 1992, using a fleet of 65 articulated trolleybuses built by Czech Republic's Škoda.Murray, Alan (2000). World Trolleybus Encyclopaedia, pp. 57 and 99. Yateley, Hampshire, UK: Trolleybooks. {{ISBN|0-904235-18-1}}. This was the first trolleybus system in Iran. In 2005, trolleybuses were operating on five routes, all starting at Imam Hossein Square.Trolleybus Magazine No. 265 (January–February 2006), pp. 16–17. National Trolleybus Association (UK). {{issn|0266-7452}}. Two routes running northeastwards operated almost entirely in a segregated busway located in the middle of the wide carriageway along Damavand Street, stopping only at purpose-built stops located about every 500 metres along the routes, effectively making these routes trolleybus-BRT (but they were not called such). The other three trolleybus routes ran south and operated in mixed traffic. Both route sections were served by limited-stop services and local (making all stops) services. A 3.2-kilometer extension from Shoosh Square to Rah Ahan Square was opened in March 2010.Trolleybus Magazine No. 298 (July–August 2011), pp. 89–90. National Trolleybus Association (UK). Visitors in 2014 found that the trolleybus system had closed, apparently sometime in 2013.Haseldine, Peter (March–April 2015). "Tehran Closure". Trolleybus Magazine No. 320, pp. 40–43. National Trolleybus Association (UK). {{issn|0266-7452}}. However, it reopened in March 2016, operating on a single 1.8-km route between Meydan-e-Khorasan (Khorasan Square) and Bozorgrah-e-Be'sat.Trolleybus Magazine No. 328 (July–August 2016), pp. 118–119. National Trolleybus Association (UK).{{cite web |url=https://old.trolleymotion.eu/index.php?id=38&L=3&n_ID=2524 |title=Teheran: Trolleybuses return! |last=Budach |first=D. |date=11 July 2016 |website=TrolleyMotion |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702121933/https://old.trolleymotion.eu/index.php?id=38&L=3&n_ID=2524 |archive-date=2 July 2018 |url-status=dead |access-date=23 January 2022 }} Around 30 vehicles had been refurbished and returned to service. Extensions were planned.

Tehran's bus rapid transit (BRT) was officially inaugurated in 2008. It has 10 lines with some 215 stations in different areas of the city. {{As of|2011}}, the BRT system had a network of {{convert|100|km|0|abbr=off}}, transporting 1.8 million passengers on a daily basis.

{{See also|Islamic Republic of Iran Railways|label 1=Iranian Railways|Tehran Metro}}

File:02 Tehran Metro Line 3 4.jpg is the largest metro system in the Middle East]]

Tehran has a central railway station that connects services round the clock to various cities in the country, along with a Tehran–Europe train line also running.

The feasibility study and conceptual planning of the construction of Tehran's subway system were started in the 1970s. The first two of the eight projected metro lines were opened in 2001.

{{See also|Airlines of Iran}}

Tehran is served by the international airports of Mehrabad and Imam Khomeini. Mehrabad Airport, an old airport in western Tehran that doubles as a military base, is mainly used for domestic and charter flights. Imam Khomeini Airport, located {{convert|50|km|0|abbr=off}} south of the city, handles the main international flights.

{{See also|List of Tehran metropolis parks}}

There are over 2,100 parks within the metropolis of Tehran,{{Cite web |publisher=IRNA |url=http://www.irna.ir/en/News/81506819/ |title=Mokhtari: There are over 2,100 parks in Tehran |date=15 February 2015 |access-date=9 November 2015 |archive-date=2 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102065657/http://www.irna.ir/en/News/81506819/ |url-status=live }} with one of the oldest being Jamshidie Park, which was first established as a private garden for Qajar prince Jamshid Davallu, and was then dedicated to the last empress of Iran, Farah Pahlavi. The total green space within Tehran stretches over 12,600 hectares, covering over 20 percent of the city's area. The Parks and Green Spaces Organization of Tehran was established in 1960, and is responsible for the protection of the urban nature present in the city.{{Cite web |publisher=Municipality of Tehran |url=http://parks.tehran.ir/default.aspx?tabid=356 |title=About Tehran Parks & Green Space Organization |access-date=9 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029135406/http://parks.tehran.ir/default.aspx?tabid=356 |archive-date=29 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}

Tehran's Birds Garden is the largest bird park in Iran. There is also a zoo located on the Tehran–Karaj Expressway, housing over 290 species within an area of about five hectares.{{Cite web |publisher=ITTO |url=http://www.itto.org/tourismattractions/?sight=64 |title=The Tehran Zoological Garden |access-date=9 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102065655/http://www.itto.org/tourismattractions/?sight=64 |archive-date=2 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}

In 2009, the Ab-o-Atash Park ("Water and Fire park") was founded. Its main features are an open water fountain area for cooling in the hot climate, fire towers, and an amphitheatre.{{Cite web |url=https://www.tishineh.com/touritem/897/Ab-o-Atash-Park-(-Water-and-fire-Park---Ibrahim-Park-) |title=Ab-o Atash Park (Water and Fire Park - Ibrahim Park) |website=Tishineh.com |access-date=23 February 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326024223/https://www.tishineh.com/touritem/897/Ab-o-Atash-Park-(-Water-and-fire-Park---Ibrahim-Park-) |url-status=live }}

{{See also|Energy in Iran}}

{{Pie chart|caption=Fresh water resources of Tehran province in 2017|label1=Groundwater|value1=37|color1=#3F0|label2=Sewage treatment|value2=63|color2=#F33}}{{See also|Water supply and sanitation in Iran}}

Greater Tehran with its population of more than 13 million is supplied by surface water from the Lar dam on the Lar River in the Northeast of the city, the Latyan dam on the Jajrood River in the North, the Karaj River in the Northwest, as well as by groundwater in the vicinity of the city.

The city experiences stark water supply inequalities: impoverished districts struggle with inadequate water provision and hazardous water quality, while affluent areas are largely exempt from these hardships.{{Cite web |last=Roodsari |first=Nasri |date=2022 |title=An assessment of the correlation between urban green space supply and socio-economic disparities of Tehran districts—Iran. Environment, Development and Sustainability |doi=10.1007/S10668-021-01970-4 }}

Solar panels have been installed in Tehran's Pardisan Park for green electricity production, said Masoumeh Ebtekar, head of the Department of Environment.

According to the national energy roadmap, the government plans to promote green technology to increase the nominal capacity of power plants from 74 gigawatts to over 120 gigawatts by the end of 2025.{{Cite web |url=https://financialtribune.com/articles/energy/51647/tehran-park-gets-solar-panels |title=Tehran Park Gets Solar Panels |date=16 October 2016 |website=Financial Tribune |language=En |access-date=30 November 2019 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807223516/https://financialtribune.com/articles/energy/51647/tehran-park-gets-solar-panels |url-status=live }}

{{See also|Education in Iran|List of colleges and universities in Tehran|Science in Iran}}File:University of Tehran at night 2021 (1).jpg is the oldest modern university of Iran]]

Tehran is the largest and most important educational center in Iran. There are a total of nearly 50 major colleges and universities in Greater Tehran.

Since the establishment of Dar ol Fonun by the order of Amir Kabir in the mid-19th century, Tehran has amassed a large number of institutions of higher education. Some of these institutions have played crucial roles in the unfolding of Iranian political events. Samuel M. Jordan, whom Jordan Avenue in Tehran was named after, was one of the founding pioneers of the American College of Tehran, which was one of the first modern high schools in the Middle East.

Among major educational institutions located in Tehran, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), University of Tehran, Sharif University of Technology, and Tehran University of Medical Sciences are the most prestigious. Other major universities located in Tehran include Tehran University of Art, Allameh Tabatabaei University, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Shahid Beheshti University (Melli University), Kharazmi University, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, Iran's Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, Shahed University, and Tarbiat Modarres University. Sharif University of Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran University of Science and Technology and K. N. Toosi University of Technology also located in Tehran is nationally well known for taking in the top undergraduate Engineering and Science students; and internationally recognized for training competent undergraduate students. It has probably the highest percentage of graduates who seek higher education abroad.

Tehran is also home to Iran's largest military academy, and several religious schools and seminaries.

{{Main|Culture of Tehran}}

The culture of Tehran concerns the arts, music, museums, festivals, many Persian entertainments and sports activities in Tehran, the capital city of Iran. Iranian festivals are held in Tehran along with regional and western festivals. Nowruz, Chaharshanbe Suri, Sizdah Be-dar, Yaldā Night, Valentine's Day and Halloween have been popular festivals in recent decades.{{Cite book |title=فرهنگ عامه مردم تهران - ۹۸ }}

{{See also|Architecture of Tehran}}

The oldest surviving architectural monuments of Tehran are from the Qajar and Pahlavi eras. In Greater Tehran, monuments dating back to the Seljuk era remain as well; notably the Toqrol Tower in Ray. Rashkan Castle, dating back to the ancient Parthian Empire, of which some artifacts are housed at the National Museum;{{cite book |title=Ancien Rey |first=Hossein |last=Karimian |chapter=Anjomane Asare Melli}}{{full citation needed|date=January 2020 }} and the Bahram fire temple, which remains since the Sassanian Empire.

Tehran only had a small population until the late 18th century but began to take a more considerable role in Iranian society after it was chosen as the capital city. Despite the regular occurrence of earthquakes during the Qajar period and after, some historic buildings remain from that era.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Iran/Tehran-Capital-City-of-Iran/128 |title=A guide to Iran – etiquette, customs, clothing and more… |website=Kwintessential.co.uk |access-date=16 December 2007 |archive-date=17 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017070645/http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Iran/Tehran-Capital-City-of-Iran/128 |url-status=live }}

Tehran is Iran's primate city, and is considered to have the most modernized infrastructure in the country. However, the gentrification of old neighbourhoods and the demolition of buildings of cultural significance have caused concerns.{{cite web |last=Urschel |first=Donna |url=https://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0408/iran.html |title=The Style of Tehran – Library of Congress |website=Loc.gov |access-date=21 May 2012 |archive-date=19 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819051336/http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0408/iran.html |url-status=live }}

File:02 hasan abad Sq..jpg|Hasanabad Square

File:Tehran City Theater 1.jpg|A view of the building of the City Theater of Tehran

File:Iranian Foreign Affaire Ministry.jpg|Police House,
the National Garden

Previously a low-rise city due to seismic activity in the region, modern high-rise developments in Tehran have been built in recent decades in order to service its growing population. There have been no major quakes in Tehran since 1830.{{cite news |work=The Guardian |title=Women to blame for earthquakes, says Iran cleric |date=19 April 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/apr/19/women-blame-earthquakes-iran-cleric |access-date=17 December 2016 |archive-date=25 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225093212/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/apr/19/women-blame-earthquakes-iran-cleric |url-status=live }}

Tehran International Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Iran. It is 54-stories tall and located in the northern district of Yusef Abad.

The Azadi Tower, a memorial built under the reign of the Pahlavi dynasty, has long been the most famous symbol of Tehran. Originally constructed in commemoration of the 2,500th year of the foundation of the Imperial State of Iran, it combines elements of the architecture of the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras with post-classical Iranian architecture. The Milad Tower, which is the sixth tallest tower{{cite web |url=http://www.nbn.ir/viewer.php?id=15 |publisher=NBN (Nasl Bartar Novin) |title=Milad Tower, a perfect product for a perfect project |access-date=10 September 2009 |date=n.d. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091117010931/http://www.nbn.ir/viewer.php?id=15 |archive-date=17 November 2009 }} and the 24th-tallest freestanding structure in the world,Andrew Burke, Mark Elliott. Iran (Lonely Planet Country Guide). p. 114. Lonely Planet Publications, 5th Edition, 2008. {{ISBN|978-1-74104-293-1}}. is the city's other famous landmark tower. Leila Araghian's Tabiat Bridge, the largest pedestrian overpass in Tehran, was completed in 2014 and is also considered a landmark.

{{See also|Fashion in Iran|Women's rights in Iran}}

The city has produced many notable Iranian design houses and clothing companies. Fashion events are also held in some areas of the city.{{Cite news |title=ششمین نمایشگاه ایران مد از فردا آغاز می‌شود |url=https://www.ilna.ir/بخش-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%87%D9%86%DA%AF-%D9%87%D9%86%D8%B1-6/697899-%D8%B4%D8%B4%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%86-%D9%86%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%81%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%A7-%D8%A2%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D9%85%DB%8C-%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%AF |access-date=16 September 2019 |website=خبرگزاری ایلنا |language=fa }} Many famous Iranian models were born in Tehran, including Nazanin Afshin-Jam, Cameron Alborzian, Sahar Biniaz, Elnaaz Norouzi, Shermine Shahrivar and Sadaf Taherian.

Women of Tehran widely used over-the-knee and leather boots after 2000s.{{Cite book |title=Fashion Fads History V2 -Persia-, p.171,172,176. }}

File:RudakiHall.jpg, Tehran]]

Under the reign of the Qajars, Tehran was home to the royal theatre of Tekye Dowlat, located to the southeast of the Golestan Palace, in which traditional and religious performances were observed. It was eventually demolished and replaced with a bank building in 1947, following the reforms during the reign of Reza Shah.

Before the 1979 Revolution, the Iranian national stage had become the most famous performing scene for known international artists and troupes in the Middle East,{{Cite book |author=Kiann, Nima |date=2015 |title=The History of Ballet in Iran |publisher=Reichert Verlag |place=Wiesbaden, Germany }} with the Vahdat Hall, formerly known as Rudaki Hall, constructed to function as the national stage for opera and ballet. The hall was inaugurated in October 1967 and named after prominent Persian poet Rudaki. It is home to the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, the Tehran Opera Orchestra, and the Iranian National Ballet Company.

The City Theater of Tehran, one of Iran's biggest theatre complexes, which contains several performance halls, was opened in 1972. It was built at the initiative and presidency of empress Farah Pahlavi, and was designed by architect Ali Sardar Afkhami, constructed within five years.

One of the gathering centers of cabarets in old Tehran was Laleh-Zar Street. Famous Persian cabarets were active in the city until 1979. They also introduced many domestic artists. In common language, cabaret was sometimes called "home of dance" or "dancing place".{{Cite web |last=Entekhab.ir |first=پایگاه خبری تحلیلی انتخاب {{!}} |date=29 May 2023 |title=گزارشی از شب های تهران ۴۷ سال پیش / آمارهای قابل توجه درمورد تهرانی ها و خرج هایی که صرف خوشگذرانی می کردند |url=http://www.entekhab.ir/fa/news/657920 |access-date=29 May 2023 |website=fa |language=fa }}

The annual events of Fajr Theater Festival and Tehran Puppet Theater Festival take place in Tehran.

The first movie theater in Tehran was established by Mirza Ebrahim Khan in 1904.{{Cite web |url=http://www.massoudmehrabi.com/articles.asp?id=1414606616 |title=The history of Iranian cinema |author=Mehrabi, Massoud. |access-date=9 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623113213/http://www.massoudmehrabi.com/articles.asp?id=1414606616 |archive-date=23 June 2018 |url-status=dead }} Until the early 1930s, there were 15 theaters in Tehran province and 11 in other provinces.{{Cite web |url=https://offscreen.com/view/iran2?/new_offscreen/preiran.html |title=Iranian Cinema: Before the Revolution |website=offscreen.com |date=November 1999 |access-date=9 November 2015 |archive-date=26 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226080233/http://www.horschamp.qc.ca/new_offscreen/preiran.html |url-status=live }}

In present-day Tehran, most of the movie theatres are located downtown. The complexes of Kourosh Cinema, Mellat Gallery and Cineplex, Azadi Cinema, and Cinema Farhang are among the most popular cinema complexes in Tehran.

Several film festivals are held in Tehran, including Fajr Film Festival, Children and Youth Film Festival, House of Cinema Festival, Mobile Film and Photo Festival, Nahal Festival, Roshd Film Festival, Tehran Animation Festival, Tehran Short Film Festival, and Urban Film Festival.

There are a variety of concert halls in Tehran. An organization like the Roudaki Culture and Art Foundation has five different venues where more than 500 concerts take place this year. Vahdat Hall, Roudaki Hall, Ferdowsi Hall, Hafez Hall and Azadi Theater are the top five venues in Tehran, where classical, pop, traditional, rock or solo concerts take place.{{Cite web |url=https://hipersia.com/en/news.cfm?id=580 |title=Tehran Day Tour {{!}} Concert in Tehran - HiPersia |website=hipersia.com |access-date=30 November 2019 |archive-date=8 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808060336/https://hipersia.com/en/news.cfm?id=580 |url-status=live }}

Erotic dancers were active and trained in Tehran until the 1979 revolution. But after this date, due to the policies of the new government, these activities were completely banned.

{{See also|Sport in Iran}}

Football and volleyball are the city's most popular sports, while wrestling, basketball, and futsal are also major parts of the city's sporting culture. Ice hockey and rugby are also popular in Tehran.

12 ski resorts operate in Iran, the most famous being Tochal, Dizin, and Shemshak, all within one to three hours from the city of Tehran.

Tochal's resort is the world's fifth-highest ski resort at over {{convert|3730|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} above sea level at its highest point. It is also the world's nearest ski resort to a capital city. The resort was opened in 1976, shortly before the 1979 Revolution. It is equipped with an {{convert|8|km|mi|0|adj=mid|-long}} gondola lift that covers a huge vertical distance.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tochal.org/en/telecabin_introduction.asp |title=Lines of Telecabin |website=tochal.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121200006/http://www.tochal.org/en/telecabin_introduction.asp |archive-date=21 November 2008 }} There are two parallel chair ski lifts in Tochal that reach {{convert|3900|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} high near Tochal's peak (at {{cvt|4000|m|ft|disp=x|/}}), rising higher than the gondola's seventh station, which is higher than any of the European ski resorts. From the Tochal peak, there are views of the Alborz range, including the {{convert|5610|m|ft|0|adj=mid|-high}} Mount Damavand, a dormant volcano.

Tehran is the site of the national stadium of Azadi, the biggest stadium by capacity in West Asia, where many of the top matches of Iran's Premier League are held. The stadium is a part of the Azadi Sport Complex, which was originally built to host the 7th Asian Games in September 1974. This was the first time the Asian Games were hosted in West Asia. Tehran played host to 3,010 athletes from 25 countries/NOCs, which was at the time the highest number of participants since the inception of the Games.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ocasia.org/7AG.asp |title=TEHRAN 1974 |website=Olympic Council of Asia |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060711210717/http://www.ocasia.org/7AG.asp |archive-date=11 July 2006 }} That followed hosting the 6th AFC Asian Cup in June 1976, and then the first West Asian Games in November 1997. The success of the games led to the creation of the West Asian Games Federation (WAGF), and the intention of hosting the games every two years.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesw/westasiagames.html |title=West Asian Games |website=RSSSF |author=Stokkermans, Karel |date=22 January 2015 |access-date=16 December 2007 |archive-date=4 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604140852/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesw/westasiagames.html |url-status=live }} The city had also hosted the final of the 1968 AFC Asian Cup. Several FIVB Volleyball World League courses have also been hosted in Tehran.

File:Esteghlal Edges Past Persepolis 3-2 to Claim Tehran Derby-33.jpg|Tehran derby in Azadi Stadium. The match is considered one of the world's most intense derbies.

File:Iran men's ice hockey league in Tehran.jpg|Iran's ice hockey league in Tehran

File:Fitness training women M2 (babaea maryam Tehran 2018) 5.jpg|Horse riding in the west of the city

File:مژگان بختیاری تی ار اکس ترینر و بدنساز حرفه ای بین المللی ایرانی در تمرینات استاندارد در باشگاه (5).jpg|One of the health clubs in the city

File:Dizin, Iran.jpeg|Dizin, Iran's largest ski resort, is located near Tehran.

{{See also|Iranian cuisine}}

There are many restaurants and cafes in Tehran, both modern and classic, serving both Iranian and cosmopolitan cuisine. Pizzerias, sandwich bars, and kebab shops make up the majority of food shops in Tehran.{{Cite web |url=http://thecitylane.com/where-to-eat-in-tehran-food-guide |title=Tehran Food Guide |publisher=The City Lane |date=27 July 2015 |access-date=26 July 2015 |archive-date=28 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150728235411/http://thecitylane.com/where-to-eat-in-tehran-food-guide/ |url-status=live }}

{{Main|Graffiti in Tehran}}

Many styles of graffiti are seen in Tehran. Some are political and revolutionary slogans painted by governmental organizations,{{Cite web |url=https://www.equaltimes.org/the-fleeting-freedom-of-street-art |title=The fleeting freedom of street art in Tehran |author=Cheragh Abadi, Mehrnoush. |date=10 February 2017 |publisher=Equal Times |access-date=14 June 2017 |archive-date=6 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706113011/https://www.equaltimes.org/the-fleeting-freedom-of-street-art |url-status=live }} and some are works of art by ordinary citizens, representing their views on both social and political issues. However, unsanctioned street art is forbidden in Iran, and such works are usually short-lived.

During the 2009 Iranian presidential election protests, many graffiti works were created by people supporting the Green Movement. They were removed from the walls by the paramilitary Basij forces.{{Cite web |url=http://observers.france24.com/content/20100302-tehran-graffiti-war-green-movement-basij-militia-spray-paint-tags |title=Tehran's graffiti war |publisher=France 24 |date=2 March 2010 |access-date=19 November 2014 |archive-date=21 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321154539/http://observers.france24.com/content/20100302-tehran-graffiti-war-green-movement-basij-militia-spray-paint-tags |url-status=dead }}

In recent years, Tehran Municipality has been using graffiti in order to beautify the city. Several graffiti festivals have also taken place in Tehran, including the one organized by the Tehran University of Art in October 2014.{{Cite web |url=http://mediacenter.dw.de/persian/pictures/item/687955/%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B4%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87_%D9%87%D9%86%D8%B1_%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%B2%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%81%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%8C%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84_%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81%DB%8C%D8%AA%DB%8C/ |title=دانشگاه هنر میزبان فستیوال گرافیتی |publisher=Deutsche Welle |language=fa |date=24 October 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130911080951/http://mediacenter.dw.de/persian/pictures/item/687955/دانشگاه_هنر_میزبان_فستیوال_گرافیتی/ |archive-date=11 September 2013 |access-date=30 March 2018 }}

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Iran}}{{Needs more references|section|date=September 2023}}

Tehran is twinned with:{{cite web |title=گذری بر خواهرخوانده تهران در شرق اروپا |url=https://www.isna.ir/news/96122915736/%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%BE%D8%A7 |website=isna.ir |publisher=Iranian Students' News Agency |language=fa |date=21 March 2018 |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-date=28 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528203620/https://www.isna.ir/news/96122915736/%DA%AF%D8%B0%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%AE%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%82-%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%BE%D8%A7 |url-status=live }}

{{div col|colwidth=18em}}

• {{flagicon|TUR}} Ankara, Turkey
• {{flagicon|IRQ}} Baghdad, Iraq
• {{flagicon|CHN}} Beijing, China
• {{flagicon|KGZ}} Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
• {{flagicon|BRA}} Brasília, Brazil
• {{flagicon|HUN}} Budapest, Hungary
• {{flagicon|VEN}} Caracas, Venezuela
• {{flagicon|TJK}} Dushanbe, Tajikistan
• {{flagicon|PSE}} East Jerusalem, Palestine
• {{flagicon|CUB}} Havana, Cuba
• {{flagicon|AFG}} Kabul, Afghanistan
• {{flagicon|SUD}} Khartoum, Sudan
• {{flagicon|GBR}} London, England, United Kingdom{{cite web |title=The Twin Cities of Oxford, Cambridge and London |url=https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/twin-cities-oxford-cambridge-london/ |website=oxford-royale.com |publisher=Oxford Royale Academy |date=16 February 2017 |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-date=19 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200619210923/https://www.oxford-royale.com/articles/twin-cities-oxford-cambridge-london/ |url-status=live }}
• {{flagicon|USA}} Los Angeles, United States{{cite web |url=https://sistercities.lacity.org/ |website=Sister Cities of Los Angeles |access-date=8 March 2025}}{{flagicon|}}
• {{flagicon|PHL}} Manila, Philippines
• {{flagicon|BLR}} Minsk, Belarus{{cite web |title=Twin towns of Minsk |url=https://minsk.gov.by/en/city/ |website=minsk.gov.by |publisher=Minsk |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-date=9 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909212350/https://minsk.gov.by/en/city/ |url-status=live }}
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Moscow, Russia
• {{flagicon|RSA}} Pretoria, South Africa
• {{flagicon|YEM}} Sanaa, Yemen
• {{flagicon|BIH}} Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina{{cite web |title=Gradovi pobratimi: Spisak |url=https://www.sarajevo.ba/bs/article/5778/gradovi-pobratimi-spisak |website=sarajevo.ba |publisher=Sarajevo |language=bs |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219160015/https://www.sarajevo.ba/bs/article/5778/gradovi-pobratimi-spisak |url-status=live }}
• {{flagicon|GEO}} Tbilisi, Georgia
• {{flagicon|ARM}} Yerevan, Armenia

{{div col end}}

• {{flagicon|KOR}} Seoul, South Korea{{cite web |title=Sister and Friendship Cities |url=http://english.seoul.go.kr/policy-information/international-exchange/sister-cities/ |website=seoul.go.kr |publisher=Seoul |access-date=18 June 2020 |archive-date=5 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705231232/http://english.seoul.go.kr/policy-information/international-exchange/sister-cities/ |url-status=live }}

• Iran International Exhibitions Company
• Islamic City Council of Tehran
• List of people from Tehran
• Tehran City Council (1968–1979)

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{See also|Timeline of Tehran#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Tehran}}

• Emerson, Charles. 1913: In Search of the World Before the Great War (2013) compares Tehran to 20 major world cities; pp. 309–24.

{{Commons}}

{{Wikivoyage|Tehran}}

{{EB1911 Poster|Teheran (province)}}

{{EB1911 Poster|Teheran (city)}}

• [https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Tehran%20Google%20maps&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&um=1&sa=N&tab=wl Google Map: Tehran]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20170503163727/http://en.tehran.ir/ Tehran Municipality website]
• [http://www.tehrangis.com/ Tehran Geographic Information Center]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20121114074909/http://tehranimages.org/ Tehranimages.] A photographic project focusing on neglected pieces of architecture in downtown Tehran, Iran.
• [https://www.letsvisitpersia.com/must-see-in-tehran/ Must see in Tehran]

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