Tehran Metro: A New Opportunity to Discover the Capital's Attractions
Deputy for Cultural and Social Affairs of the Tehran and Suburbs Metro Operating Company, at the fourth National Cultural Heritage and Tourism Forum of Tehran, outlined the metro's cultural, artistic, and tourism initiatives. He said 44 art galleries operate in 42 stations, tourist maps have been installed in 24 stations, and the plan is to increase this to 40 stations.
The deputy of cultural and social affairs of Tehran and Suburbs Metro Operation Company informed
The vice president of cultural and social affairs of the Tehran and Suburbs Metro Operating Company in the fourth national dialogue on cultural heritage and tourism of Tehran, explaining the cultural, artistic and tourism measures of the metro, announced the activity of 44 art galleries in 42 stations, the installation of tourism maps in 24 stations and the plan to increase this number to 40 stations.
According to Ambassador Arjan's report, Mustafa Musa Pasandi, referring to the vast capacity of Tehran's subway network, said: "Tehran's subway currently has 7 lines and 163 stations, and the implementation of tunnels for new lines 8, 9, 10, and 11 has also begun." The placement of the stations of these lines has been done and the development of the network can increase the capacity of the metro to provide services and implement cultural and social programs.
He added: The vastness of the metro network and the daily presence of a large number of citizens in the stations has made this complex a suitable platform for introducing Tehran's historical, cultural, artistic and touristic attractions. A capacity that can be used alongside the main mission of the metro, i.e. passenger transportation.
Changing the view of the cultural role of the metro
Referring to the cultural approach in the metro, Musa Pasandi stated: In the past, since the establishment of the metro, the dominant view was that the metro is a means of transportation and has no duty beyond the movement of passengers, but gradually efforts were made to develop cultural and social activities in this complex.
Referring to the history of cultural activities in the metro, he said: The first metro station was put into operation in 1379, and culture houses were operating in the metro since 1385. In the following, it was tried to expand this approach and make the stations a ground for the presence of art and culture in addition to the transportation function.
Attention to Iranian-Islamic architecture in new stations
The vice president of cultural and social affairs of the Tehran and Suburbs Metro Operating Company considered the architecture of the stations as one of the manifestations of the city's cultural identity and said: During the last two years, attention has been paid to Iranian-Islamic architecture in new stations.
Pointing to Maryam Magdas station as one of the examples of this approach, he added: Takhti station is also designed with completely Iranian architecture. Hazrat Abd al-Azeem (a.s.) shrine station is one of the other interesting projects in this field, which will most likely be unveiled in the fall season.
Musa Pasandi emphasized: Designing stations and paying attention to architectural and cultural features can be effective in forming the identity of urban spaces and make the experience of using the subway beyond a mere transportation trip.
Installation of tourist maps in 24 metro stations
He further mentioned the plan to install tourism maps in metro stations and said: Currently, tourism maps have been installed in 24 stations and the goal is to increase the number of stations equipped with these maps to 40 stations.
Accordingly, 16 more stations should be added to this plan. Tourism maps are designed with the aim of introducing historical, cultural and tourist attractions around the stations and helping citizens and tourists to access these places more easily.
This plan is followed in cooperation with Tehran municipality's tourism-related collections and tries to use the capacity of the metro network to introduce the sights of the capital and facilitate Tehran tourism.
The activity of 44 art galleries in 42 stations
Describing the artistic activities of the metro, Musa Pasandi said: Currently, 44 art galleries are active in 42 metro stations. In these spaces, frames with dimensions of 100 x 70 cm are used to display works, and the number of frames considered for this collection is about 880.
He added: On average, about 10 exhibitions are held in metro art spaces every month, and each exhibition is displayed in four stations. These programs provide a good opportunity to present the works of artists and introduce travelers to artistic activities.
According to him, the use of station spaces to display works of art allows a wide range of citizens to access cultural activities, especially people who may not have the opportunity to go directly to galleries and art centers.
Introduction of Iran Art Museum, Book Garden and Carpet Museum
Referring to the measures taken to introduce the cultural and touristic attractions of the city, the vice president of cultural and social affairs of the Tehran and Suburbs Metro Operating Company said: In some stations, information and advertising capacities have been used to introduce cultural and artistic places.
In this context, he pointed to the station of Imam Ali (AS) University and said: Promotional measures have been taken to introduce the Iranian Art Museum at this station so that passengers can get to know this cultural and artistic complex.
Musa Pasandi also mentioned Haqqani station as one of the points of interest for introducing urban attractions and added: In this station, the capacities of Tehran Book Garden have been introduced to familiarize passengers with this collection.
Referring to the area of Khayyam Station, he also mentioned the introduction of the Carpet Museum; A cultural complex that, along with other attractions of the city, can form a part of the proposed Tehran tour routes.
According to Musa Pasandi, the purpose of these measures is that metro stations, in addition to their role in transporting passengers, become a platform for citizens to familiarize themselves with historical, artistic and touristic places and to strengthen the connection between public transportation and urban tourism.
Examining the subway experience in world cities
Musa Pasandi also pointed to conducting studies on the cultural and social aspects of the subway in different cities of the world and said: In these studies, the experience of cities like Moscow, Tokyo, Dubai and London have been examined in addition to Tehran.
He added: The purpose of these researches is to know the methods of using the metro capacity in cultural and social fields and to examine the experiences of different cities to make appropriate use of them in Tehran.
According to him, part of this research collection has been compiled and some parts are in the stages of editing and preparation. These studies can provide the basis for a better understanding of the subway capacities and planning for the expansion of cultural activities in the stations.
Reflection of metro activities in social networks
The vice president of cultural and social affairs of the Tehran and Suburbs Metro Operating Company, referring to the reflection of activities related to the subway in the virtual space, said: daily about 100 to 150 contents related to the subway and urban destinations are published by users or in connection with this collection.
Referring to the communication capacity of the metro, he said: The network's expansion and its continuous communication with citizens has created a good opportunity to introduce urban attractions and provide information about cultural and artistic programs.
In the end, Musa Pasandi emphasized: Development of tourism maps, activity of art galleries, introduction of museums and cultural centers and attention to Iranian-Islamic architecture in new stations are among the measures that can expand the role of the metro in urban life and use the capacity of this network to strengthen Tehran's culture and tourism.