摘要: Justification of Outstanding Universal ValueGenerally, citizens' affection for an urban space originates from their good memories. In fact, the city acts like a vessel in which such memoirs take shape

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

Generally, citizens' affection for an urban space originates from their good memories. In fact, the city acts like a vessel in which such memoirs take shape. Vali-e Asr Street is one of these spaces and probably the most prominent of them all in Iran.

　　Vali-e Asr Street is a place of which all Tehran residents have at least one sweet memory whether in their childhood or in older age. Vali-e Asr sidewalk remains the widest of them all after so many years overshadowing the importance of its roadway. As a result, from the beginning of its formation Vali-e Asr served not as a path in order to reach a certain destination but was itself a destination, which answers different needs of citizens. Moreover, Vali-e Asr is the place for forgetting your sorrows, a place for worshipping, purchasing and window shopping, studying, a place for seclusion and solitude or vice versa, socialization with friends and enjoying the company of other people and to remember that you are in your own hometown.

　　The intellectual people enjoy it more than anyone else but common people also like frequenting its shopping centers and businessmen are vigorously active in certain parts of the street. The largest park of the country as well as several cinemas, theaters and music centers, also the book market of Tehran which is located close to Vali-e Asr intersection with Enqelab Street, several universities, so on and so forth are located in the vicinity of Vali-e Asr Street. The idea of creating a gardenstreet which originates from Safavide era, had a great impact in the town-planning and urban design of the street, where broad sidewalks, tall plane trees, flowing streams as well as the attractive and charming Alborz foothills all have made Vali-e Asr a vital and green urban space.

　　Vali-e Asr has a length of 17.2 km extending from plane to mountain, this consideres as on of the longest streets in the World and the longest in the middle east, which prove it as of outstanding Universal Values. The deliberate choice of location, as it is located on the flat plains of the south

　　and ascend to the mountainous area of Alborz Mountrange create a slight difference in the climatic condition of the neighborhoods which is a unique quality in similar cities in the World. The old part in the south section has a historic structure with tokens belonging to Qajar era until the modern

　　times found in it where each respect the identity of the other and the street as a whole. But the old part in the north section has a dominantly natural structure (Parkway junction as far as Tajrish Square) enjoying lush gardens and abundant Qanats that feed the streams flowing along the street

　　sides. Benefiting from both underground water and precipitations is of other unique qualities of Tehran city within the semi- arid and arid land of Iran, providing a mild weather and a setting for a comfort zone, rarely be found in the region. The younger parts of the axis contain signs of cultural developments that have taken place during the recent 90 years.

　　Criterion (ii): Vali-e Asr street is the best example which witnesses the persistent exercises of creating the concept of Garden- street as a destination of an urban area form Safavid era up to the modern time. Variety of Architectural styles from traditional to modern and eclectic is a representation of eastern and western values synthesis in a specific geographical point, which carries a true definition of an architectural and spatial place. Currently, Vali-e Asr street is considered as one of the unique urban areas within the Iranian and Islamic cities in the World.

　　Criterion (iii): The idea of linking a plain within the urban fabric of Tehran downtown to the summer countries of the city within the mount foots by use of a long linear urban street, along with the deliberate and creative choice of the location conforming with the natural and topographical qualities of the area, historic infrastructures such as Qanat, natural backgrounds and landscapes, valuable architectural landmarks and historic monuments, creation of a linear plane tree route (so-called Chenarestan), as well as its lengthy dimensions are of the unique qualities of the street, transforming the area to one of the unique and distinctive urban areas in the World.

　　Criterion (iv): Vali-e Asr is a magnificent sample of a Historic Architectural Museum, where sets of exquisite Architectural Monuments, from Qajar era to the present time are embraced. Qajar era is a significant initiation in the structural development of the street. Variety of Architectural Styles, i.e.

　　Qajar, Pahlavi, internationally inspired styles, modern, postmodern, etc. in the different sequences of the street are established deliberately and designedly on the natural topographical structure of the city with respect to the wholesome identity of the urban fabric and social qualities, which

　　provide a unique significance that can be found in the region and throughout the World.