Editing Azadi Tower (section)

==History==
===Name===
The first name associated with this monument was ''Darvāze-ye Kuroš'' ("Gate of Cyrus"), and at the time of the Centenary Celebrations, [[Asadollah Alam]], who chaired the Council of Celebrations, referred to the monument as ''Darvāze-ye Šāhanšāhi'' ("Imperial Gate"). The monument's ultimate official name was decided before the announcement of the competition for the monument's design in September 1966. Bahram Farahvashi, a scholar and professor of ancient Iranian languages who worked with the Council of Celebrations, came up with the officially designated name of the structure, ''Šahyād Āryāmehr''.<ref name="Khashayar">{{Cite web| url = http://summit.sfu.ca/item/15619| title = A Monument of Destiny: Envisioning A Nation's Past, Present, and Future Through Shahyad/Azadi| last = Khashayar| first = Hemmati| date = 2015-08-20| website = summit.sfu.ca| access-date = 2016-02-28}}</ref> Built in 1971 in commemoration of the [[2,500 year celebration of the Persian Empire|2,500th year of the foundation of the Persian Empire]], this "gateway into Tehran" was named the ''Šahyād'' ("Shah's Memorial") in honor of the [[Shah]] ([[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]]), but was later renamed ''Āzādi'' ("Freedom") following the [[Iranian revolution|1979 revolution]].

===Construction===
[[File:Shahyad Tower Plans.jpg|left|thumb|Plans of the Shahyad Tower.]]
During the 1960s, Iran became a [[OPEC|major oil-exporting country]], and using the newly-found wealth, the Shah launched programs to modernize and industrialize the country. This followed a cultural growth that architect [[Hossein Amanat]] describes as "a mini renaissance".<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Riazati|first1=Rozita|title=The man behind Iran's most famous tower|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-35295083|website=BBC News|access-date=22 February 2017|date=14 January 2016}}</ref> In 1966, Amanat won a competition to design the building.

Due to governmental concerns, Amanat was required to sign underneath contracts "on condition of the approval of the Council of Celebrations", which would serve as the client. Amanat planned to contract the British company of [[Arup Group|Arup]] to assist in the structural design of the tower, as he was impressed by their contributions towards the design and construction of the [[Sydney Opera House]]. He initially faced opposition from the head of the council, as well as several conservative and nationalistic Iranian engineers, as he was turning to a foreign engineer for assistance. Despite that, the Shah supported Amanat, sending a letter to the council which would leave the decision to the architect. [[Shahbanu]] [[Farah Pahlavi]] was also supportive of Amanat's decisions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hossein Amanat with Benjamin Tiven|url=http://www.bidoun.org/magazine/28-interviews/hossein-amanat-with-benjamin-tiven/|publisher=Bidoun|access-date=24 May 2015}}</ref>

Amanat told the [[BBC World News]] in an interview that "overall, the building starts from the base and moves up towards the sky." He states that he was inspired to design the tower in this way because he felt that Iran "should be moving towards a higher level." According to him, the main [[Vault (architecture)|vault]] is a [[Sasanian architecture|Sassanian]] arch representing the classical era, while the broken arch above it is a popular medieval form of arch representing the post-classical era. The "network of [[Rib vault|ribs]]", which connects the arches together, would represent the connection between classical and post-classical Iran.<ref>{{cite interview|last=Amanat|first=Hossein|subject-link=Hossein Amanat|title=The Freedom Tower in the name Ayush patel Tehran|work=Witness|publisher=BBC World Service|date=January 14, 2016|interviewer=Rozita Riazati}}</ref>

Built with white [[marble]] from [[Isfahan province]], the monument includes 8,000 blocks of stone. The stones were all located and supplied by Ghanbar Rahimi, who was well known for his extensive knowledge of quarries, often known as the ''Soltān-e Sang-e Irān'' ("Iran's Sultan of Stone"). Computers were used to "define its complex woven surfaces," which, at the time, was a new technological technique.<ref>{{cite web|title=AMANAT ARCHITECT – SHAHYAD MONUMENT|url=http://www.amanatarchitect.com/shahyad/index.php?lang=english|website=amanatarchitect.com|access-date=20 February 2017}}</ref> The main contractor for the construction of the tower was the MAP Company, supervised by Ghaffar Davarpanah Varnosfaderani, a renowned Iranian stonemason.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Grigor|first1=Talinn|title=Of Metamorphosis Meaning on Iranian Terms|journal=Third Text|date=2003|volume=17|issue=3|pages=207–225|doi=10.1080/0952882032000136858|s2cid=144973612 }}</ref> The project was mainly funded by a group of five hundred Iranian industrialists. According to a report by [[MEED]], the construction cost about six million dollars.<ref>{{cite journal|title=MEED|journal=Middle East Economic Digest|date=29 October 1971|volume=15}}</ref>

On October 16, 1971, the inauguration of the tower took place.<ref>{{cite web|title=Iran Travel Photos. Tourism pictures from Iran – CountryReports|url=http://www.countryreports.org/travel/Iran/pictures.htm#!shahyad-tower-tehran|website=countryreports.org|access-date=20 February 2017|language=en}}</ref> However, it was not until January 14, 1972, that the tower was open to the public.<ref name=":0" />