Azadi Tower

Azadi Tower
Borj-e Āzādi
Azadi Tower Location within Iran
Former names	Shahyad Tower (tr. Shah's Memorial Tower)
Etymology	"Freedom Tower"
General information
Location	Tehran, Iran
Coordinates	35°41′58″N 51°20′16″E / 35.69944°N 51.33778°E / 35.69944; 51.33778
Opened	January 14, 1972
Inaugurated	October 16, 1971
Cost	$6 million
Client	Council of Celebrations
Height
Roof	45 m (148 ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)	Hossein Amanat
Structural engineer	Ove Arup & Partners
Main contractor	MAP Company
Website
azadi-tower.ir?lang=english

The Azadi Tower (Persian: برج آزادی, Borj-e Āzādi; "Freedom Tower"), formerly known as the Shahyad Tower (برج شهیاد, Borj-e Šahyād; "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 Azadi Cultural Complex, which also includes an underground museum.

The tower is about 45 metres (148 ft) tall and is completely clad in cut marble.^[1][2] It was commissioned by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, to mark the 2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire and completed in 1971. It also serves as the country's kilometre zero.

After winning a competition, architect Hossein Amanat was tasked to design the tower. His ideas were based upon classical and post-classical Iranian architecture,^[3] popular influences on art in the 1960s following the White Revolution.