Hamedan Tour | Hamedan Travel Guide | Hamedan Travel Tips
Written by Iran Travel Agency
Hamedān or Hamadān is the capital
city of Hamadan Province of Iran. It had an
estimated population of 550,284 in 2005.
Hamadan is believed to be among
the oldest Iranian cities and one of the oldest in the world.
Hamadan is a green mountainous
area in the foothills of the 3574-meter Alvand Mountain, in the midwest part of
Iran. The city is 1850 meters above sea level.
The special nature of this old
city and its historic sites attract tourists during the summer to this city,
located approximately 400km southwest of Tehran.
Hamedān or Hamadān is the capital
city of Hamadan Province of Iran. It had an
estimated population of 550,284 in 2005.
Hamadan is believed to be among
the oldest Iranian cities and one of the oldest in the world.
Hamadan is a green mountainous
area in the foothills of the 3574-meter Alvand Mountain, in the midwest part of
Iran. The city is 1850 meters above sea level.
The special nature of this old
city and its historic sites attract tourists during the summer to this city,
located approximately 400km southwest of Tehran.
According to an inscription from the
first Assyrian
king, Hamadan's construction is dated at 1100 BC, but some historians believe
it dates back to 3000 BC.
Hamadan was established by the Medes and was the
capital of the Median empire. It then became one of several capital
cities of the Achaemenid Dynasty.
Hamadan is mentioned in the biblical
book of Ezra as the place where a scroll was found giving the Jews permission
from King Darius to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. (Ezra 6:2). Its ancient
name of Ecbatana is used in the Ezra text. Because it was a mile above sea
level, it was a good place to preserve leather documents.
During the Parthian era, Ctesiphon was
the capital of the country, and Hamadan the summer capital and residence of the
Parthian rulers. After the Parthians, the Sassanids
constructed their summer palaces in Hamadan. In the year 633 the battle of Nahavand took
place and Hamadan fell into the hands of the Muslim Arabs.
During the Buwayhids ,
the city suffered much damage. In the 11th century, the Seljuks shifted
their capital from Baghdad to Hamadan.
The city of Hamadan, its fortunes
following the rise and fall of regional powers, was completely destroyed during
the Timurid
invasion. During the Safavid era the city thrived. Thereafter, in the 18th
century, Hamadan was surrendered to the Ottomans, but
due to the courage and chivalry of Nader Shah
Afshar, Hamadan was cleared of invaders and, as a result of a peace treaty
between Iran and the Ottomans, it was returned to Iran. Hamadan stands on the Silk Road,
and even in recent centuries the city enjoyed strong commerce and trade as a result
of its location on the main road network in the western region of Persia and
Iran.
During World War I,
the city was the scene of heavy fighting between Russian and Turko-German
forces. It was occupied by both armies, and finally by the British, before it
was returned to control of the Iranian government at the end of the war in
1918.
Attractions
Avicenna (Abu
Ali Sina) Ibn Sina mausoleum
Baba
Tahir Mausleum
Ali
Sadr Cave
Gonbad-e Alavian
Ganjnameh
Hamadan Stone Lion
Shrine of
Esther and Mordechai
Estakhr e Abbas Abad
(an over-the-hill lake with a magnificent view to the city.
