Tehran - Iran - page 86

royal residence. Perhaps he had intended to move his capital here, but when Qajar chief-
tain Mohammed Hasan Khan was killed and his young son Agha Mohammed Khan taken
hostage, Karim Khan decided the threat was over and abandoned the unfinished palace to
return to Shiraz.
But things didn't work out quite as Karim Khan would have liked. By 1795 he was long
dead and his one-time prisoner, Agha Mohammed Khan, was shah. The new shah de-
clared this dusty town of 15,000 his capital.
As the centre of Qajar Persia, Tehran steadily expanded. By 1900 it had grown to
250,000 people, and in the 20th century it became one of the most populous cities on
earth. Iran's capital has fomented and hosted two revolutions, two coups d'état and much
intrigue. As the setting for the CIA's first coup in 1953 ( Click here ) , it had a profound im-
pact on post-WWII world politics. And as pronouncements from Tehran have been the
driving force behind the growth of radical Islam since 1979, that influence has not waned.
TEHRAN IN…
Two Days
With two days, start early in the Tehran Bazar watching the hustling, bustling and haggling in the country's biggest
market. Stop in Imam Khomeini Mosque at prayer time to quietly watch Islam in action, then walk up to Park-e
Shahr for some head space and lunch at the Sofre Khane Sonnati Sangalag . Spend the afternoon looking at the
ancient wonders of the National Museum of Iran , then take a shuttle taxi down to Rah Ahan Sq and the Azari
Traditional Teahouse for some well-earned chay (tea) and dizi (stew). On day two, check out the Golestan Palace ,
then after a coffee with the paper at Cafe Naderi , head down for the 2pm viewing of the National Jewels Museum .
Round the day out with coffee and alternative cuisine at the Gandhi Shopping Centre in north Tehran.
Four Days
Follow the two-day plan, then head north to check out the Sa'd Abad Museum Complex , have lunch in Darband
and hike across the side of the mountain to Park-e Jamshidiyeh . Use your last day to take in the relaxed Tehran
Museum of Contemporary Art and Park-e Laleh , perhaps take in an art gallery to meet young Tehranis and chill
out in the House of the Artists in vibrant 'Artists' Park'.
Today it is fascinating to walk in the footsteps of that modern history: you can see the
White Palace at Sa'd Abad ( Click here ) , where the last shah hosted the CIA's Kermit
Roosevelt as they plotted the overthrow of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh; walk
past the former US embassy now called the US Den of Espionage ( Click here ) ; gaze up at
Azadi Tower ( Click here ) , where hundreds of thousands of people gathered to mark the
1979 revolution and, more recently, to protest against the regime the revolution delivered;