Azadi Square ( ' meaning "''Freedom Square''" or "''Liberty Square''"), formerly known as Shahyad Square (

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

: میدان شهیاد ''Meydāne Šahyād'' meaning "''Remembrance of heShah Square''"), is a mainly green

city square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Rel ...

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

, Iran. It hosts as its centerpiece the

Azadi Tower The Azadi Tower (, ; "Freedom Tower"), formerly known as the Shahyad Tower (, ; "Shah's Memorial Tower"), is a monument on Azadi Square in Tehran, Iran. It is one of the landmarks of Tehran, marking the west entrance to the city, and is part of ...

. The tower and square were commissioned by

Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...

, the last

Shah Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...

of Iran, to mark the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire.

Design and architecture

It has an area of about 50,000 m², plus adjacent areas and has a very large roundabout within its main confines. Located in the center of the Azadi Square is the

which has a height of 45 m. The design of the tower and the surrounding area is an archetype of Iranian-Islamic architecture and aesthetic geometry. According to Hossein Amanat: "The designs in the square that form the gardens and flower beds are inspired by the interior design of the dome of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan; However, the geometry of the dome has become oval. "There are interesting logarithmic relationships in the geometry and dimensions of the dome of

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (;) is a Shi'ite mosque, located on the eastern side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Isfahan, Isfahan province, Iran. Construction of the mosque started in and was finished in and it is one of the masterpieces of Iranian ...

, which show the deep mathematical knowledge of Iranian architects in previous periods." "The design of water fountains and fountains is also inspired by Iranian gardens. Also, the slope of the square is carefully designed for a specific purpose, the height of the Freedom Tower is 45 meters; Because it is located near Mehrabad airport and can not be built taller than this; But I wanted to go up when you approached the building, when it was not possible to raise the building. In order to solve the problem of height, we created a slope in the field; This means that when you enter the square from the airport, you approach the tower in a downhill manner and reach that circular fountain, and when you approach the building, you go up again. The ground under the tower is perfectly flat. "This smoothness and that slope of the field, when combined, create interesting arc lines." Before the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...

in 1979, it was called the Shahyad Square ( '), meaning "Shah's Memorial Square", and was the site of many of the Revolution's demonstrations leading up to 12 December 1979. Annually many Iranians celebrate the revolution in Shahyad Square.