Azadi Tower

The Azadi Tower was designed by Iranian architect Hossein Amanat, who was only 24 years old and had recently graduated from the University of Tehran when he won the design competition. The tower was completed in 1971 as part of the celebrations for the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, commissioned by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran.

The Azadi Tower blends elements of Sassanid and Achaemenid Persian architecture with modernist geometry, reflecting Hossein Amanat's intention to connect Iran's ancient imperial heritage with its modern identity. The structure's pointed arches and ribbed vaulting echo Islamic Persian architecture, while its 45-meter height and the surrounding Azadi Square draw on the spatial grandeur of ancient Persian ceremonial spaces like Persepolis.

The tower is clad in approximately 8,000 blocks of white Esfahan marble, which were cut and shaped in Iran and assembled over a reinforced concrete structure. The marble surface gives the monument its distinctive bright white appearance, and the interior includes a museum space that was originally intended to house artifacts from Persian history.

Originally named the Shahyad Tower ('King's Memorial'), the monument was renamed Azadi ('Freedom') Tower following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It has since served as a focal point for public gatherings and demonstrations in Tehran, including large-scale protests, and remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the city and of Iranian national identity.