Tajrish: A Great Neighbourhood in North Tehran

Tajrish, the capital of Shemiranat Country in northern Tehran, has long been regarded as a cool  summer resort for the citizens of the Iranian capital, however in recent years it has been heavily urbanised.

Tajrish neighbourhood, which is located in northern Tehran at an altitude of 1,612 metres above sea level, has a cold climate thanks to its proximity to Alborz Mountain range and this is the reason many people choose to live uptown where the summers are cooler and in winter snow falls often.

During the early Qajar period, Tehran was chosen as the capital of Iran because of its abundance of water from the mountains. Prior to being called Tehran, it was Rey, now in the south of the capital, which stood as the major urban area.

History of Tajrish

Tajrish became the summer resort of Tehran residents. Many of gentry built gardens there for their summer residence with the Imperial Russians, British and French, buying land for their summer residences in the north.

There are several Qanats (underground water channels) in the district. Some of them still have water supplies. As people moved from other parts of the country to Tehran and its suburbs, some of them settled in Tajrish. At the time people thought them mad but the low land costs in Tajrish village made the northern areas outside the city favourable to newcomers.

Development of Tajrish

As a result, the region became a part of the city and was not a summer resort and the urbanisation process kicked off.

Today, the only thing left from the old Tajrish neighbourhood is its traditional Tajrish Bazaar and Imamzadeh Saleh, a religious centre and mosque tucked behind the bazaar on the square. The Tajrish Bazaar is also a great place to do the food shopping with some of the best fruit and vegetables, spices and other items brought to the upscale neighbourhood.

A few old buildings remain but these have mostly been destroyed by multi-story buildings others have been turned into little shops and boutiques.

Top bookstores in Tehran

Tajrish Square, located at the end of Tehran’s Vali-e Asr Avenue, is one of the city’s busiest commercial centres and a nightmare to cross on foot or even drive round at certain times of the day.

The old market, the great Tajrish Tekiyeh (a place where Shiites gather for mourning of Muharram) and Imamzadeh Saleh are among the most beautiful attractions of this neighbourhood. There are several modern malls situated around the area, as well as a dozen restaurant and cafes.

From Tajrish Square you will find a taxi up to Darband, (Gate of the mountain) where you can enjoy a walk in the hills through the old village or eat out at many of the eateries scattered along the streams from the hills.  You are also not far from Tochal, which is great throughout the year, with winter being a great period to go skiing or snowboarding.

Metro connection

Tajrish is served by Line 1 of the brilliant Tehran Metro, and is often one of the better ways to get downtown considering the headache which is driving around

Tehran. Tajrish Metro Station is one of the deepest in the world, if not the deepest with several escalators needed to reach the metro tracks.

Unfortunately, this is not an accessible station for people with mobility issues or wheelchair bound.