Tehran

Tehran (/tɛəˈræn, -ˈrɑːn, ˌteɪ-/; Persian: تهران Tehrân [tehˈɾɒːn] ⓘ) is the capital and largest city of Iran and also the largest city in Tehran Province. It also serves as the capital of the province, county and the Central District.[6] With a population of around 9.4 million in the city, and 16.8 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and Western Asia,[7] the second-largest metropolitan area in the Middle East after Cairo, and the 24th most populous metropolitan area in the world. Greater Tehran includes several municipalities, including "New Town of Andisheh", "Islam Shahr", "Qods", "Shahryar", "Pakdasht" and "Shamiran". In the classical antiquity, part of the territory of present-day Tehran was occupied by Rhages (now Ray), a prominent Median city destroyed in the medieval Arab, Turkic, and Mongol invasions. Modern Ray was absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran.[8]