The capital of Iran is located in the north of the country on a plateau at the foot of the towering Alborz mountain rang. Mount Damavand, the highest point in Iran, majestically rise up to the northeast side and is visible from Tehran 66 Km away. A height difference of about 600 meters between the northern and the southern edges of Tehran has significant impacts on the social and physical characteristics of the city.
The original settlement of Tehran, north of the ancient city of Rey, may have been founded as early as the 4th century. By the early 13th century it was a small village. Since its establishment as the capital city by the Qajar dynasty more than 200 years ago, Tehran has grown from a small city to a major metropolis with a population of around 9 million in the city and 16 million in the wider metropolitan area. Tehran is Iran’s largest city and one of the most populous cities in the world.
Tehran has a wealth of traditional and modern attractions side by side. On one hand, it is home to many historical collections, such as the royal palaces, traditional bazaars, classic Iranian café and restaurants, old governmental buildings, and historic museums. On the other hand, it is packed with contemporary art museums and galleries, modern shopping malls, cosmopolitan cuisine, pretty gardens and parks, hiking trails, and ski resorts.
Tehran’s most famous landmarks are Azadi Tower combining modern architecture with traditional Iranian influences and the 435-meter-high Milad Tower which is the sixth-tallest tower in the world.
A recent landmark of the city, designed by a young female architect, is the magnificent 270-meter pedestrian overpass of Tabiat Bridge connecting two public parks by spanning one of the main highways in northern Tehran.

Area: 2235 km²
Population: 16,000,378
Province: Tehran
Other ethnicities: Persian, Kurd, Armenian, Georgian, Bakhtyari, Talysh, Baloch, Assyrian, Arab, Jew, Circassians
Language: Persian
Tourist attractions:
– Golestan Palace Compound
– Niavaran Palace Compound
– Sa’ad Abad Palace Compound
– Treasury of National Jewels
– Iran Bastan Museum (National Museum of Iran)
– Abgineh Museum
– Reza Abbasy Museum
– Carpet Museum
– Tehran Museum of Contemporary Arts
– Grand Bazaar of Tehran
– Azadi Tower
– Milad Tower
– Tabiat Bridge (Nature Bridge)
– Toughrul Tower
– Imamzadeh Saleh
– Shah Abdol Azim Shrine
– Ferdows Garden (Cinema Museum)
– Shahid Modarres House
– Masoudiyeh Mansion Complex
– Mashq Square
– Gate of the National Garden
– Hassan Abad Square
– Dar ul-Funun School
– Sepah Salar Mosque and School,
– Khanat Caravansary
– Haft Dokhtaran Shrine
– Park-e Jamshidieh
– Tochal telecabin
– Dizin
Natural Attractions: Kan Village, Kolakchal Castle, Yonjezar (Hayfield) of Tehran, Dochenaran Valley
UNESCO World Heritage site: Golestan Palace Compound