The Encyclopaedia of Great Tehran

The Encyclopaedia of Great Tehran is a detailed and specialized encyclopaedia designed to compile a comprehensive, reliable reference on all aspects of the material and spiritual life of Great Tehran. The rapid developments of Tehran in the past few decades, especially after the Islamic Revolution and massive migration to Tehran, have changed the face of this city so much that it has taken considerable distance from its identity a few decades ago. These transformations are such that the atmosphere of Tehran a few decades ago should be sought in the words of the elders. For this reason, the Centre for the Great Islamic Encyclopaedia decided to compile a detailed and specialized encyclopaedia on Great Tehran to record its shifting identity for future generations. 

What is called the metropolis of Tehran or Great Tehran today is the result of the physical expansion of Tehran, especially from the 1960s onwards. By examining the censuses of 1956, 1966 and 1976, it is concluded that in two decades, 108 villages have been merged in the Tehran metropolis and turned into neighbourhoods of this city. In terms of dependence, these villages depended on the three districts of Shemiran, Kan and Ray, which were separate units from Tehran until the 1960s and had their own cultural and economic characteristics. Therefore, to record the identity of each of these areas, The Encyclopaedia of Great Tehran is compiled in three sections: Shemiran, Tehran, and Ray. Each of these three sections has its entries arranged in alphabetical order. It is expected that The Encyclopaedia of Great Tehran will include about 12,000 articles on various topics of the political, social and cultural life of Great Tehran, especially in the last 200 years.