Tehran: The Making of a Metropolis (World Cities Series) [Hardcover]

Ali Madani-Pour (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0471957798 | ISBN-13: 978-0471957799 | Edition: 1

This is the first book dedicated to the city of Tehran. Once held to be one of the capitals of the luxurious Orient - the home of the Peacock Throne - the city is now a giant metropolis with great influence across the Muslim world. Tehran's two revolutions have not only shaken the city but have drawn the fault lines between East and West. Tehran traces the capital's social and physical transformation over the last two centuries - from the Persian empire to the Islamic Republic, from a small town at the centre of a loose collection of provinces to a node in the global economy, from a city dominated by the shah's citadel overlooking a maze of winding streets to an open but polarized matrix of people and places, changes which characterize the tensions of globalization and modernity. To the West, Tehran remains a hidden city, structured by an alien political and religious ideology. The author's first-hand experience of both Iranian culture and of the city of Tehran itself allows him to explore the subtleties of this urban environment with a fine-grained insight. Tehran will become an indispensable guide to any interested in the fabric and history of this city, one of the few world cities which has shaped the course of the Twentieth Century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is exceptionally well written and researched. It offers plenty of information about the city and highlights the many challenges that the city has faced in the past. The book is a much-needed addition to the literature on Iranian cities.", , , Urban Studies, Volume 26, Number 11#

"..this is a superb study of a little known city. It is a welcome edition to the sparse literature on the subject." (Progress in Human Geography, 2000)

"..the materials presented in this book are sustainable and not easily debatable. They will stay in use and in discussions in the literature and research arena for decades." (Habitat International, No.25, 2001)

From the Back Cover

This is the first book dedicated to the city of Tehran. Once held to be one of the capitals of the luxurious Orient - the home of the Peacock Throne - the city is now a giant metropolis with great influence across the Muslim world. Tehran's two revolutions have not only shaken the city but have drawn the fault lines between East and West. Tehran traces the capital's social and physical transformation over the last two centuries - from the Persian empire to the Islamic Republic, from a small town at the centre of a loose collection of provinces to a node in the global economy, from a city dominated by the shah's citadel overlooking a maze of winding streets to an open but polarized matrix of people and places, changes which characterize the tensions of globalization and modernity. To the West, Tehran remains a hidden city, structured by an alien political and religious ideology. The author's first-hand experience of both Iranian culture and of the city of Tehran itself allows him to explore the subtleties of this urban environment with a fine-grained insight. Tehran will become an indispensable guide to any interested in the fabric and history of this city, one of the few world cities which has shaped the course of the Twentieth Century.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 302 pages
• Publisher: Academy Press; 1 edition (September 16, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471957798
• ISBN-13: 978-0471957799
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,928,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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