The central core of each city is what gives the city its identity. It is also an attraction not only for tourists but also for the citizens, especially when the city is the capital of an ancient country with precious heritage, and where the bazaar is” more beautiful than many bazaars in Orient, included the bazaars in Shiraz, Isfahan, and Tabriz”[ Lord Curzon], and where the Gate of the National Garden is still standing, together with many other historical monuments, houses, hammams, and schools. Also where you can still find such attractions in the wave of an old neighborhood, and a corner of paradise in the gardens which have survived in the middle of today’s caotic city. Tehran’s historic center is thus, an important part of the city where still persist signs of Safavi and Qajar Tehran, and where our present and future generations can recognize the historical values of its history. Unfortunately, what is be- ing done to the old center of Tehran is gravely harming this wealth and heritage, just to give way to mediocre speculative ambitions of the private sector. It is since some decades ago that the Organization of cultural Heritage has put the old neighborhoods of Tehran in its lists; 10 years that the municipality of Tehran has hired a special consultant to make a special regeneration Plan for the historical district; it is 6 years that the city council and the municipality both approve of regulations for its conservation. But inspite of all this, Old Tehran continues to vanish fastly in front of everybody’s eyes.An old Qajar complex in the bazaar,Saraye Delgosha, was destructed overnight. Another historical building and garden, where a famous TVserial, Daii Jan Napoleon was filmed, is almost out of the heritage list, to make space for a new commercial center; the historical building of Flags, of Iran Sreen company, a very special Art Deco monument was destructed to give way to a quite high commercial center that ruins the view to the beautiful mosque of Fakhreddowleh, designed by Andre Godard in 1940. There are some old iconic cinemas in Laleh-zar and Jomhuri streets that will soon become commercial passages. Cinema Eram[ex-Mayak] where the first talking Iranian film was shown, cinema Laleh[ex-Rex],etc… It is more than 10 years that we are the consultants of the municipality for historical Tehran, but we have not succeeded in stopping these destructions. How can regeneration take place when this cannot be stopped? It is absolutely possible to regenerate the old fabrics, to bring in new activities such as tourism, cultural spaces, educational and commercial buildings, and the presence of younger generations to give life and zest to the public spaces. But this has not yet been implemented. The new regeneration Plans exist. The condition is to persuade the stakeholders, and to guarantee them profit and bright quality perspectives.
* Shahrzad Mahdavi has collaborated since 1991 with Abadi Magazine and has since published articles in other specialized magazines in the Architecture and City Planning, such as Memar, Haft Shahr, Art and Architecture. She is working with Bavand Consulting Engineers since 14 years ago.
بازار تهران، سراي دلگشاTehran Bazaar, Delgosha Central Court yard
خانة اتحاديه سينما ارمEttehadieh house in Tehran Eram Cinema