Darvazah Tehran

Of the nine original city gates of Qazvin, only two remain today. One of these, the Tehran gate, dates from the Qajar period. It was nearly destroyed during WWII due to the transport of heavy equipment through its portals; although once renovated, most of its missing ornamentation was not replaced.The Tehran gate is composed of a large central arch flanked by two smaller archways. The central, pointed arch is higher and wider than the two secondary round arches; it is ornamented by both brick and tilework. The two flanking archways are also decorated with geometric tilework. Eight small minarets rest atop the entire structure, with four above the main arch and two above each of the side arches.Sources: Hazrati, Mohammad Ali. Qazvin: ayinah-yi tarikh va tabiat-i Iran, 75. Qazvin: Awj-i Ustan-i Qazvin ba hamkari-i Nashr-i Hadis-i Imruz, 2003. "Tehran Gate." Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization. http://www.iranmiras.ir. [Accessed May 30, 2006; inaccessible October 31, 2013]