Imam Khomeini Square (Tehran)
The Imam Khomeini Square (Persian: میدان امام خمینی) also known as Toopkhaneh Square (Persian: میدان توپخانه) is a major town square in Central Tehran, Iran.
| Toopkhaneh Square | |
 The Square in 1967 | |
| Former name(s) | Sepah Square |
|---|---|
| Location | Tehran, Iran |
History
The city square that is known as Imam Khomeini was built in 1867 after the expansion of Tehran during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, 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 the many cannons (In Persian, توپ, pronounced Toop) and soldiers there, protecting the main residence of the Qajar Shah (see Golestan Palace).
After the 1921 coup, it was renamed Sepah Square, after the building that Reza Khan worked as War Minister on one corner of the area. After the fall of the Qajars and emergence of the Pahlavis, the name remained Sepah Sq, this time with a huge statue of Reza Shah in the center. During the 1979 Iranian 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 the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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 can 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.
Gallery
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Snow covered Toopkhaneh Square, Qajar era -
The Dowlat Gate, Qajar era -
Imperial Bank of Persia, Qajar era -
The Square after reconstructions during the reign of Reza Shah, 1946 -
_Sq._-_panoramio.jpg)
The Square in 2015 -
The current Imperial Bank building, 2024
See also
References
- ^ It is pronounced as Tupkhuneh (توپخونه, [tʰupxuˈne]) in Tehrani accent.
- ^ "میدان امام خمینی". کتاب اول. Archived from the original on 19 August 2011. Retrieved 31 Mar 2011.
35°41′09″N 51°25′17″E / 35.68583°N 51.42139°E
