Iran's Central Post Office (1313 SH / 1934 CE)

On the 7th of Amordad, 1313 in the Solar Hijri calendar (July 29, 1934), the Central Post Office of Iran officially began operations. Postal communication has a very long history in Iran, with its origins reaching back to ancient times. Indeed, the Persians are widely regarded as the pioneers of the postal system in the world. However, Iran's modern postal organization was modeled after European institutions, making the construction of a purpose-built headquarters a necessity. This goal was achieved during the first half of the 1310s (1930s).

In 1254 SH (1875 CE), during the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, an Austrian expert named Gustav Riederer was employed by the Iranian government to reorganize the country's chapar-khaneh (courier stations), which functioned in a manner similar to a postal service. Riederer successfully reformed the system, and within a short time Iran became a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). As a result, the Iranian postal service entered a new era, and the country's first postage stamps were designed, printed, and distributed during his administration.

The development of Iran's postal network was remarkable. By 1295 SH (1916 CE), there were 193 post offices operating across the country. The postal service was capable of handling approximately 4.2 million parcels and mail items annually. This rapid growth prompted the Iranian government, in 1307 SH (1928 CE), to plan the construction of a modern and fully equipped central post office building.

After six years of construction, at a cost of 500,000 tomans, the new Central Post Office of Iran was officially inaugurated on 7 Amordad 1313 SH (July 29, 1934) on Sepah Street (today's Khayyam Three-Way Intersection) in Tehran. The building was also known as the Jalileh Post Office.

It is also worth noting that in 1307 SH (1928 CE), a Telegraph Office building was constructed in Toopkhaneh Square. This structure was demolished in 1349 SH (1970 CE) and replaced by the 14-story Telecommunications Company building.