In 1966, a competition to design a monument, for the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Achaemenid empire under Cyrus the great was held.
Architect Hossein Amanat a 24-year-old graduate of Tehran university, had just learned about the competition, so he decided to abandon his plans to continue studies overseas. Instead he formed a small architecture studio in his bedroom to work on a design for the monument. With the help of a few students, his design won the competition.
The tower was completed in 1971, and originally known as the Shahyad (literally “King’s Memorial”) Tower. the name remained the same until Islamic revolution. In 1979, the Tower got the name we know today – Azadi, or Freedom.
What is the architecture of Azadi Tower?
The design of the tower ingeniously combines modern architecture with traditional Iranian influences. The main archway of the tower combines the parabolic arch of the pre-Islamic ruins at Ctesiphon with the pointed arches of the Islamic period, capturing the passage of time in Iranian Architecture. The inspiration for two arch shapes had come from the beautiful detailed domes found in historical Persian architecture.
This 45-meter tower was constructed of reinforced, poured-in-place concrete. Built with white marbel from Isfahan province, the monument included 8,000 blocks of stone. Because of the complexity of the arches and curves of the tower structure, the shape of nearly every piece of the stone was unique. This project was so complex that they had to used computers, which was very unusual for its time.
The Azadi Tower marks the west entrance to the capital city and stands on a cultural complex known as Azadi square. The square has the principles of a traditional Persian garden. You can see it through its immaculately landscaped lawn, pristine flowerbeds, and streaming fountains.
The Azadi complex, combines the tower and the underground museum. The museum consists of around 50 historical artifacts, representing different periods of the history inside Iran. You can also visit the top of the tower to get a 360 view of the square.
