Gholhak Garden
Gholhak Garden (alternatively Qolhak Garden or Gulhak Garden;
History
The Qajar monarchy gave the land for Gholhak Garden to the British in the 19th century at the height of their imperial power for their ambassador to use as a summer residence. At the time, Gholhak was a small village outside of Tehran.[1]
Gholhak Garden is separate from the historic British embassy several miles south in central Tehran, where British ambassadors have now lived for decades. Today, several British diplomats and their families as well as some Iranian embassy staff reside in the Gholhak complex.[1][2]
Built in 1962, the Tehran War Cemetery is also located on the site,[3] and is where over 500 British and Commonwealth soldiers who perished in the First and Second World wars are buried.[1] The Gholhak grounds also contain the Tehran British Council and a school.[2]
Facilities
The École Française de Téhéran, the French school, is on the property of Gholhak Garden.[4]
Disputes and incidents
Ownership
The
In 2007, government hardliners in Iran held a conference on Gholhak, arguing that British ownership was acquired illegally during the reign of
Responding to these charges in 2007, the British embassy spokesman said that Iran had not officially challenged Britain's ownership of Gholhak and stated, "As far as we're concerned, there is no question about their ownership."[2]
In July 2009, amid increased tensions between Iran and Britain following the disputed
In October 2011, Tehran's mayor
Protests
Gholhak Garden and the British embassy in central Tehran have been subject to periodic anti-Western demonstrations orchestrated by the Iranian government since the defunct American embassy has no longer been the central target after being taken over in 1979 during the Iran hostage crisis.[1]
On December 29, 2008, Iranian students stormed Gholhak Garden in protest of Israel's bombardment of the
On November 29, 2011, Iranian protesters stormed the British embassy in downtown Tehran and Gholhak Garden. The incident came amid rising tensions over Iran's nuclear program. Earlier in the month, Britain enacted new sanctions against Iran while the Iranian government retaliated by passing legislation to expel the British ambassador. The protesters broke into Gholhak and briefly seized six British embassy staff before being released by the Iranian police. Britain expressed outrage at the riots and warned of "serious consequences."[8]
Environmental
In late October 2011, Iranian authorities accused the British of "environmental vandalism" for cutting down and burning over 300 trees in the Gholhak complex.[6] Britain responded that it had only removed a "small number" of trees that died of "natural causes and become dangerously unstable", as the extension of the nearby Tehran Metro had disrupted the water supply.[1]
In November 2011, the Tehran municipality announced that it had fined the British embassy US$1.23 million for the offence.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Michael Theodoulou (22 November 2011). "Iran fines British embassy for 'environmental vandalism' in Tehran compound". The National. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Robert Tait (17 July 2007). "Iranian militants demand return of British diplomatic compound". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
- ^ "Tehran War Cemetery". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2011.
- AEFE. 17 October 2005. Retrieved on 18 September 2015. "Téhéran École française Avenue Shariati n°1553 - Résidence de l'Ambassade de Grande-Bretagne, Gholhak - Téhéran 1939613663"
- ^ "Iran closes in on British diplomatic compound in Tehran". The Scotsman. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
- ^ a b Damien McElroy (31 October 2011). "Tehran mayor plotting to seize British ambassador's residence and gardens". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
- ^ Leily Lankarani (31 December 2009). "Iranian Gaza Protesters Storm U.K. Embassy". CBS News. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
- ^ Robin Pomeroy (29 November 2011). "Iranian protesters storm UK diplomatic compounds". Reuters. Retrieved 29 November 2011.