Teheran

or Tehran, the capital city and metropolis of Persia. It is situated on a plain sixty-six miles south of the Caspian. East and west travel, that might otherwise have built up a city at the south end of the Caspian, is thrown to the south by the Elburz mountains and passes through and builds up Teheran instead. Lofty peaks, one of them rising to a height of 20,000 feet, may be seen from the city. Teheran is an ancient center of the caravan trade. The old walls have been leveled to build promenades and new walls have been constructed to inclose an area of about ten square miles. Camel routes enter twelve gates and continue as streets to a central bazaar. The characteristic architectural feature of the city is the Mohammedan mosque. The palace of the shah with extensive grounds, adorned with trees, flowers, and fountains, is connected with a citadel by walls. This royal inclosure is known as "the Ark." Water is brought from the mountains by improved conduits. Gas was introduced in 1902. Tramways connect various suburbs with the city. An east and west railway is expected, in the near future, to connect Teheran with Calcutta and Constantinople. There are manufactures of rugs, silk and cotton goods, and implements. The merchants of the bazaars display a tempting variety of Persian and foreign goods. Coal is mined in the vicinity. Teheran is a market for fruit, wheat, barley, and rice. Teheran is, as Persia goes, a revolutionary center. The citizens have forced the shah to grant a constitution. They take pride in the fact that Harounal-Rashid was born here, and they are not insensible to the marvelous remains of former Persian architecture. In the heated seasons the wealthy reside in a suburb in the foothills of the Elburz range. The British legation occupies a palatial building in the city. The Moslems maintain a celebrated Koran school. There is also a polytechnic college taught by European professors. The German government has subsidized a German school, now attended by 700 students. Europe, particularly Germany, is acquiring an influence that cannot fail to revolutionize Teheran and Persia. The population of the city, 1910, is about 280,000.