Built in 1971 in commemoration of the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire, this "Gateway into Iran" was named the Shahyad Tower, meaning "Remembrance of the Shahs (Kings)", but was dubbed Azadi (Freedom) after the Iranian Revolution of 1979. The architect, Hossein Amanat Iranian-Canadian Bahá'í , won a competition to design the monument, which combines elements of Sassanid and Islamic architecture. During the 2009 Iranian election protests following the Iranian Presidential Election, protesters scaled the tower and spray-painted slogans of support for candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi in Farsi.

... Payvand News - 09/02/09 ... --