Azadi Stadium

History

The Azadi Stadium (Persian: ورزشگاه آزادی, romanized: Varzeshgâh-e Âzâdi, pronounced [væɹzeʃˈɡɒːhe ɒːzɒːˈdiː]), opened and also well known as the Aryamehr Stadium (Persian: ورزشگاه آریامهر, romanized: Varzeshgâh-e Âryâmehr), is an all-seater football stadium in Tehran, Iran. The stadium was designed by Abdol Aziz Mirza Farman-Farmaian Architects and Associates (AFFA), with other parts of the sports complex based on plans by American architectural and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It currently has a capacity of 78,116 spectators, as a result of conversion to an all-seater stadium. 'Light of the Aryans') after the title of the Shah, the stadium was inaugurated on 17 of October 1971 by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the late Shah of Iran, as part of the greater Aryamehr Sport Complex.