Imam Khomeini Square (Tehran)

History

The city square that is known as Imam Khomeini was built in 1867 after the expansion of Qajari Tehran during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah, on the north of the former site of Dowlat Gate. First, it was called ToopKhāneh (Persian: توپخانه; which literally means "Artillery Barracks"),^[1] because of many cannons (In Persian, توپ, pronounced Toop) and soldiers there, protecting the main residence of Qajar Sultan (see Golestan Palace). After 1921 coup, it was renamed Sepah Square, after the building that Reza Khan Mirpanj worked as War Minister on one corner of the area. After the fall of Qajars and emergence of Pahlavis, the name remained Sepah Sq, this time with a huge statue of Reza Shah in the middle. During the 1979 Revolution, the statue was brought down by the revolutionaries. The square took its current name, Imam Khomeini Square (میدان امام خمینی), after the first leader of the revolution, like many other city squares in Islamic Republic of Iran.

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Layout

The square has a distinctive rectangular shape, with six streeets ending at its four corners. Those streets are: Amir Kabir (formerly Cheragh Gaz and Cheragh Bargh), Naser Khosrow (Naserieh), Bob Homayoun, Imam Khomeini (Sepah), Ferdowsi and Lalé Zar.^[2] This layout of a city square be found in the more recent Republic Square of Yerevan, there with oval buildings facing the plaza.

Famous sites

Buildings like Telegraphkhane, Municipality Palace and the Imperial bank building once surrounded the square. The Telegraphkhane and the Municipality Palace were demolished in 1970 and 1969 respectively. the former was replaced by a huge brutalist building, housing Mokhaberat-e Iran. the latter's site was a flat parking lot for nearly five decades, and as of now (August 2025), a replica of the Municipality Palace is being built there which is going to host art galleries, cafes and a conference hall.

Imam Khomeini Square (Tehran)

History

Layout

Famous sites

See also

References

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