Tehran Province (Persian: استان تهران) is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Tehran, the national capital of Iran.
Tehran Province covers an area of 18,814 square kilometres (7,264 sq mi) and is located to the north of the Central Plateau of Iran. It was made a part of the First Region with its secretariat located in Tehran, upon the division of the provinces into 5 regions, solely for coordination and development purposes on June 22, 2014.
Tehran is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is also the capital of Tehran province and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District. With a population of around 9 million in the city, and 15 million in the metropolitan area, Tehran is the most populous city in Iran and West Asia, 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 but not limited to Karaj, Eslamshahr, Shahriar, Qods, Malard, Golestan, Pakdasht, Qarchak, Nasimshahr, Parand, Pardis, Andisheh and Fardis.
In classical antiquity, part of the territory of present-day Tehran was controlled by Rhages/Rey/Ray). Modern Ray was absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran. Tehran was 1st chosen as the capital of Iran in 1786 by Agha Mohammad Khan of the Qajar dynasty, because of its proximity to Iran's territories in the Caucasus—which were contested in the Russo-Iranian Wars—and to avoid the vying factions of prior ruling Iranian dynasties; the capital of Iran had been moved several times throughout its long history, with Tehran becoming the 32nd. Under (1848-1896), Tehran witnessed Iran's first institute of higher learning, bank, railway line, and museum. Large-scale construction works began in the 1920s, and Tehran became a destination for mass migrations from all over Iran especially in the 20th century.
Shahr-e Ray (Persian: شهر ری) (Nick name: Mother of Tehran) is the capital of Ray County, Tehran province, Iran. Formerly a distinct city, it has now been absorbed into the metropolitan area of Greater Tehran as the 20th district of municipal Tehran, the capital city of the country.
In historical sources also known as Rhages (/ˈreɪdʒiːz/), Rhagae, and Arsacia, Ray is the oldest existing city in Tehran province. In the classical era, it was a prominent city belonging to Media, the political and cultural base of the Medes. Ancient Persian inscriptions and the Avesta (Zoroastrian scriptures), among other sources, attest to the importance of ancient Ray. Ray is mentioned several times in the Apocrypha. It is also shown on the fourth-century Peutinger Map.
Tehran County (Persian: شهرستان تهران) is in Tehran province of Iran. Its capital is the city of Tehran. Greater Tehran is situated mostly in the county, the most populous in Iran.
The Central District of Tehran County (Persian: بخش مرکزی شهرستان تهران) is in Tehran province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Tehran.
Eslamshahr (Persian: اسلامشهر) is a city in the Central District of Eslamshahr County, Tehran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
Shahriar (Persian: شهريار; ) is a city in the Central District of Shahriar County, Tehran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
Qods (Persian: قدس) is a city in the Central District of Qods County, Tehran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
Malard (Persian: ملارد) is a city in the Central District of Malard County, Tehran province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is also the administrative center for Malard-e Shomali Rural District. In 1995, the village of Malard merged with the village of Sar Asiab-e Malard (سرآسیاب ملارد) to become the city of Malard.
Golestan (Persian: گلستان) is a city in, and the capital of, Golestan District in Baharestan County, Tehran province, Iran. It also serves, with Nasimshahr, as one of the two capitals of the county. The village of Soltanabad was converted to the city of Golestan in 1996.