
World's most expensive party ever took place in…, hosted by…, had 18 tonnes food, 25000 wine bottles, 2700….; cost more than Mukesh Ambani's parties
Before the Ambanis established new benchmarks for extravagance by hosting weddings costing in the billions of rupees, there was a king of Iran who threw a party so indulgent that it is still in the record books as the most expensive party ever hosted! It featured 18 tonnes of food, 25,000 bottles of wine, and over 100 planes involved! It made headline news worldwide. It was considered a benchmark that has never been beaten. But who was this king?
Who Was the Ruler Behind the World's Most Expensive Party?
Fifty years ago, Iran was an entirely different country. During the early 1970s, women walked freely in Western attire; Iran was considered modern, progressive, and friendly to the rest of the world. Then came the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The overthrow of the Pahlavi monarchy and the rise of the Islamic Republic brought about radical changes to nearly every aspect of political, cultural, and social life, particularly concerning women's rights and personal freedoms.
Iran went through a dramatic change after the revolution of 1979 that saw the downfall of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. This gave rise to Ayatollah Khomeini. One of the key events that set off public anger was a lavish celebration hosted by the Shah—the party was perhaps the most extravagant celebration ever thrown.
To showcase the richness of Iranian culture and an increase in global stature, the celebration inadvertently showed the disconnect between the monarchy and the people. When citizens were struggling to meet their basic needs, the extravagance of the Shah's party was viewed as insensitive and hurtful, and only intensified public anger. The open inequality fostered by the celebration helped catalyze the revolution that brought down a 2,500-year-old monarchy.
Who was Mohammad Reza Shah?
Mohammad Reza Shah was crowned as king in 1941. He was a man of considerable wealth and ambition, and planned to modernize Iran and remake it into a modern, progressive state. Seeking to adopt Western values, he implemented liberal reforms, modernized, and made systematic attempts to destroy tradition, which of course included the hijab. This zealous form of Westernization provoked strong resistance among religious clerics and conservative groups, who felt that he was threatening the cultural and spiritual integrity of Iran. Mohammad Reza had no tolerance for dissent. Punishment for critics, whether vocal or nonvocal, who attacked his reformist values was met with censorship, imprisonment, or simply being banned, which instilled in people's minds fear and totalitarianism.
Why Was the World's Most Expensive Party So Controversial in Iran?
In 1971, the ruler of Iran, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, threw what many still believe to be the most extravagant party in human history: a quest to commemorate 2,500 years of existence of the Persian Empire. In the archaeological ruins of Persepolis, it gathered royalty and representatives from 65 nations, all flown in to see a concert and spectacle the world had never seen – and would likely never see again.
Who Were the VIP Guests at This Once-in-a-Lifetime Event?
However, underlying the gold-tasseled tents and bedecked chandeliers was a different story: thirst for power and growing disquiet. The media put the price of the party at around $100 million; outrage rose in Iran. With many citizens dealing with poverty and inequality, the ostentatiousness became a metaphor of the gap between the monarchy and its people, and the moment of revolt against the object of revolution.

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