Built in 1971 to mark 2,500 years since the Persian Empire, the Azadi Tower is now Tehran’s most iconic landmark. Over 8,000 white marble blocks from Esfahan make up the 45-metre high tower. The architect, Hossein Amanat, used historical events as inspiration for the design. The main archway combines the arch of the pre-Islamic ruins at Ctesiphon with the pointed arches of the Islamic period, encapsulating a millennia of Persian history.