On June 15th 2009, about 2 million Iranians marched at Azadi Square with the Freedom Tower in the background, protesting the recent sham elections. One man climbed the base of the structure, echoing an incident from 2007 when a man celebrating the country’s revolution feel to his death. At least 9 people were shot dead by police.
The Shahyad Tower was built in 1971 to commemorate the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, and became a symbol of freedom after the 1979 revolution. Architect Hossein Amanat uses Sassanid and Islamic styles with symbolism from his Bahá’í religion.
The only lighting in the museum inside come from display cases. Artifacts were selected from different parts of the nation’s history. At forefront is a copy of the Koran and a Declaration of Human Rights.
(iran09– flickr/creative commons license)
(iran09– flickr/creative commons license)
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