HAMADAN

Radiating with six straight avenues from a central square (Imam Khomeini), Hamadan is one of the oldest continually inhabited towns, centers of civilization, and numerous capitals of different dynasties that have ruled Iran through the ages. Capital of the province of Hamadan, at the foot of Mount Alvand, and located at an altitude of 1,829 m above sea level, it is 400 km to the southwest of Tehran by road via Qazvin, and can be reached by air as well. It is a trade center for a fertile farm region where fruit and grain are grown.

In the modern Hamadan which is built on the plans prepared by the German architect Karl Fritsch, nothing is left to be seen of ancient Ecbatana or the Medes’ capital before they formed a union with the Persians. It was the residence of Achaemenian Kings, and the summer resort of the Parthian and Sassanian dynasties due to its strategic vicinity to Ctesiphon. In the 7th century AD Hamadan was passed to the Arabs, and it was later held by the Seljuk Turks (12th-13th centuries) and the Mongols (13th-14th centuries).

Hamadan’s climate is mild and delightful in summers, and cold in winters. Early spring and late autumn are the rainy seasons for the region. To this day Hamadan is a very popular retreat with Iranians during the warmer months when the climate in autumn and spring is one of the most pleasant in the country, but winters are long and sever.

Hagmatana

Before going into a description of the historical monuments of Hamadan, and regarding the town’s rather prolonged history, the reader is reminded of two hills on which some of the most ancient remains can be seen even today, however not that much interesting: 1) Hagmatana Hill, with ruins of the walls and ramparts of the Median and Achaemenian periods. Located in Ekbatan Street (north of Ekbatan Square), which is presently under archaeological excavations and 2) Mosalla Hill (now a park), situated in the east of Ayatollah Mofatteh Avenue, which is said to be the ancient site of Anahita Temple. According to some archaeologists, the site had been a Parthian stronghold, the remains of which could be seen until a few years ago, with parts of its ramparts visible even today.

The ruins of ancient Hagmatana, on the site of which the present Hamadan stands, date from the period of Median monarchs (7th and early 6th centuries BC) who had made the city their capital. Hagmatana was further developed under the Achaemenian and Parthian rulers and was known as the first capital of the ancient Persian Empire. Scientific excavations and accidental diggings for construction works have resulted in the discovery of numerous objects, including some gold and silver tablets, in the region. This indicates that the treasury of the Achaemenian monarchs was kept in Hagmatana and that the present Hamadan has been constructed upon a part of the site of the ancient city. In the old Sar Qal’eh, Qal’eh Shah, and Darab quarters, one could see the remains of a thick wall that once enclosed the Achaemenian Darius’ palace (521-486 BC). Some traces of the Haft Hissar Palace and the historic ancient rampart, sparsely found in the old citadel of Hamatana bear witness to the grandeur of this capital of the Median and the Achaemenian periods. However, an adequate appreciation of this grandeur will only be possible when systematic scientific excavations are carried out in this area. So far, the discovery of the heads of a stone statue in the hillock Mosalla has proved the earlier existence of an Ashkanian fort on that hill. At all events, Hagmatana has been one of the important military centers of the Sassanian period and has retained the same position in the Islamic era. There exists ample evidence in the history of Islamic period concerning its prosperity.

Avicenna’s Mausoleum and Museum

Hamadan has been the land of great heroes and scientists; Cyrus the Great grew up here, Pharaortes was executed here, and after thousands of years the vestiges of the mythological walls surrounding the beautiful town of Daiakku (Deioces), the Medes’ King, still can be seen there. The world-famous Iranian scientist, philosopher, and physician Abu Ali Sina known to the West of Avicenna, a prodigy who knew Koran by heart, lived in Hamadan for several years. He died in 1307. A large mausoleum built over his tomb in 1952, together with a library (which contains approximately 8,000 volumes of books) and a small museum devoted to his works are visited by most local and foreign tourists. A magnificent view of the city and the Mount Alvand can be seen from the roof of this museum.

Avicenna was above all a mathematician whose theories were taught in Europe until the 19th century. Today he would have been called a "pluridisciplinary" scientist. His works as a poet and philosopher are still studied by Iranians and Orientalists.

On the left side gallery of the mausoleum there is a grave which is attributed to Abu Sa’id Dakhdukh. The grave of Aref-e Qazvini, a famous early-twentieth century Iranian poet is also situated in an open yard close to the entrance of the building.

Actually, mausoleums are the best historical monuments of Hamadan for a tourist to visit. Like the whole city, the exterior of historic sites and mausoleums have been renewed in most cases by constructions inspired by spindle-shaped structure of Mongol towers, to the exclusion of all other features of these towers.

Visiting Hours: everyday 08:00 am to 13:00 pm and 14:00-16:00 pm.

Mausoleum of Baba Taher

The 20th century Mausoleum of Baba Taher (another modernist atrocity), situated near the northern entrance of the city from Tehran Highway and at the end of Baba Taher Street in a square named after him, is a rocket-like monument to a mystic poet contemporary of Avicenna, Baba Taher, who died in 1019 AD. The mausoleum was reconstructed in 1970. Baba Taher, living in the first half of the 11th century AD, was one of the great gnostics of Ahl-e Haq (Dervish or Follower of Truth) sect to which the gnostic order of mountainous Iran belonged. Baba Taher’s songs and maxims were originally read in Fahlavi, Lurish, Kurdish and Hamadani dialects, taking their present form in the course of time.

At least more interesting than the monument are the magnificent flowers and winding paths that surround it at the center of a rather large hilltop square.

Gonbad-e Alavian

Gonbad-e Alavian (or Masjid-e Alavian) is a four-sided interesting 12th century mausoleum belonging to the late Seljuk period. On the exterior, it resembles the Gonbad-e Sorkh of Maragheh. Inside this Dervish Monastery, taken over by the powerful Alavi Family ruling Hamadan for two centuries, is decorated by the same type of gypsum moldings of Heydarieh Mosque of Qazvin. The Alavi Family tombs (two in all) are in the crypt and can be reached by a spiral staircase inside the tower. As regards its architectural merits, the stucco ornamentation of its mirhab with intricate geometric designs and whirling floral motifs on the exterior walls and several inscriptions in Kuffic and Thulth styles, this monument ranks among the most beautiful in its kind in Iran.

The most noteworthy monument in Hamadan, the dome may at one time have been intended as a mosque. It is notable for the outstanding quality of its stucco ornamentation, with whirling floral motifs on the exterior walls and intricate geometric designs on its mirhab. The shrine stands in the vicinity of Eyn ol-Qazat Square.

Stone Lion

The Stone Lion or Sang-Shir, as the Hamadanis call it, is a tremendous stone statue of a lion in the square of the same name in the south-east Hamadan. It is 2.5 m long, 1.50 wide and 1.20 m high. Today, the area surrounding this square is a city park. Formerly attributed to Parthian, Achaemenian, and Parthian periods, it is in fact the handiwork of Alexander’s craftsmen, built probably in commemoration of one of the Macedonia’s fallen generals, Hephaestion. It now rests upon a stone base that was provided for it in 1949 AD. During the Parthian period the statue was placed near one of the entrance gates to the town, which was thus called Bab ol-Asad or the Gate of the Lion.

Some Hamadanis believe that their city has been spellbound by the presence of this statue. In 931 AD when Mard Avij of Ziar captured the city, he had the statue’s hand broken. After that incident not much attention was paid to the monument until 1959 when the Archaeological Department arranged a suitable granite pedestal from Mount Alvand for the statue in its new location. To the northeast of the statue is the Musalla Hill, where the ramparts of a Parthian fortress have been found.

Shrine of Esther and Mardocai

Mausoleum of Esther and Mardocai in a small walled garden on Shari’ati Street 200 m west of Imam Khomeini Square, is traditionally believed to be the place where Esther, the Jewish Queen of Susa and Xerxes’ wife, and Mardocai, her uncle, have been buried. It is considered as the most important Jewish pilgrimage site in Iran, and used to be visited by Jewish pilgrims from all over the world. Inside the brick dome and upon the plaster work of the walls there are some Hebrew inscription. The experts now say Esther was in fact buried in Susa, and this tomb probably belongs to another Jewish Queen, the wife of Sassanian king Yazdgird I (339-420 AD), Shushan Dokht.

There has been a Jewish colony at Hamadan according to Herfeld since the latter’s time. The simple brick building, constructed in the 13th century on the site of an earlier (probably a 5th-century tomb), is entered through a rough stone door, which swings open into a large assembly room, a vestibule, an elevation, and a Shah Neshin. Actually, it has nothing to speak about from the architectural point of view. The exterior form of this mausoleum, built of brick and stone, resembles Islamic constructions. Another smaller chamber facing the twin tombs is used for prayers aided by an ancient Torah on vellum. The two ebony tombs are covered with a striking collection of colorful clothes.

Borj-e Qorban

Located in the eastern part of the city, Borj-e Qorban is a twelve-sided brick tower and a place of pilgrimage, and said to contain the grave of Hafez Abol Ala of Hamadan (12th century AD). The tomb stone inside the dome is from the Safavid period, but the building itself with its pyramidal cupola cannot be attributed to periods later than the 13th century.

Apparently, there is no relation between the tombstone and the main building which is a plain brick structure without any inscriptions, stuccoes and adornments.

Bazaar

The Hamadan bazaar is a sprawling affair which extends across several streets. The fruit bazaar displaying the region’s famous produce, and the pottery and leather sections are worth visiting. Visitors are likely to find Hamadan’s thick carpets an added attraction to a leisurely stroll through the bazaar.

Modern Hamadan is rapidly developing into an industrial base, with a good number of factories, plus many smaller workshops engaged in washing and spinning wool for carpet weaving industry. The only exceptions are the town’s beautiful countryside:

EXCURSION AROUND HAMADAN

MORAD BEG VALLEY

Situated in the outskirts of a village by the same name, the valley is used as a recreational and amusement center during the summer and mid autumn. Its foothills and gardens are very popular with the Hamadanis and frequently visited by Iranians.

ABBAS ABAD VALLEY

This is a beautiful valley situated in a distance of 1 km from the city. It is used mainly during the summer days because of having a nice and pleasant weather.

GANJ NAMEH

Hamadan’s oldest Achaemenian rock carvings consisting of two huge inscribed panels (twenty lines) carved on two rock faces of some two meters in height are located 5 km west of the city on the slopes of Mount Alvand. The site is known as Ganj Nameh (Treasure Book, or Treasure Inventory), because for a long time it was believed that the lengthy cuneiform inscriptions contained a clue to the whereabouts of the fabulous treasures accumulated by the Medes and Achaemenians. In fact the Old Persian, Neo-Elamite, and Neo-Babylonian texts of the inscriptions belonging to Darius I and Xerxes I, consist of a genealogical account of the Achaemenian monarchs and the adoration of Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian God, as well as their conquests. Almost at eye-level, they are reached via a bridge over a river lined with tea-houses. The texts are translated into Persian and English and posted on two billboards. The English translation reads as follows:

The Great God Ahura Mazda, greatest of all the gods, who created this earth and the sky and the people; who gave happiness to the people; who made Xerxes king; an outstanding king among many kings, an outstanding ruler among many rulers; I (am) the great king Xerxes, king of kings, king of lands with numerous inhabitants, king of this vast kingdom with far away territories, son of the Achaemenian monarch Darius."

ALI SADR CAVE

The wonderfully beautiful Alisadr Cave among the low hills of Kabudar Ahang 75 km to the north-west of Hamadan near a village by this same name and in the heights of Sari Qay’ah is one of the strangest natural sights and probably the only water cave in Iran. In fact, it is an endless network of caves full of clear water. Historically, the Alisadr Cave and two other nearby caves were used by Safavid army as secure refugees.

The Alisadr Cave was discovered in the first half of ‘70’s by a group of mountaineers from Hamadan, and waves of local and foreign tourists flooded to visit the site since 1975. The width of the cave varies between 1.5 and 60 meters. In some sections the caves’ ceiling, more than 15 meters high, is covered with most beautiful cabbage-like stalactites hanging downward. Stalagmites soaring toward the roof can be seen in certain parts of the cave invert. There are some dry spots along the network, which are called islands. Fluctuations of water level (50-100 cm) can be seen from the marks left on the surrounding internal rock surface. Tourist development of the area started in 1991 with the establishment of Alisadr Tourism Company, which led to the construction of various facilities such as a hotel (24-room, accommodating 100 passengers), a guesthouse (with 7 rooms) and a restaurant, erection of camping tents, and provision of parking lots, 1- and 2-bedroom wooden villas, playing grounds, cinema and theater, all equipped with hygienic services, as well as the creation of sound and lighting systems inside the cave and telecommunication facilities in the residences. There are plans for the construction of an airfield for domestic and international flights. Here, you can take special boats and make a memorable tour of the underground network of the lake for yourself.

Address (in Hamadan): 33 Mirzadeh Eshghi Street, Azadi Square. Tel: (081) 54360. Fax 31016. (in the Site): Alisadr Tourist Complex: (08262) 3342.

LALEJIN

In Lalejin village, all households are involved in the production of fine ceramic works with particularly original designs. These art works are highly favored by tourists and have a considerable exports market.

NAHAVAND

THE SELEUCID TEMPLE

On the hillock in the center of the town of Nahavand, there is a ruined temple from the Seleucid period, where an 85 by 46 cm slab of stone with 32-line inscription (royal decree) in old Greek, belonging to the reign of Antiochos, was discovered during the excavations undertaken in 1943. According to this inscriptions, Antiochos empowers her sister Queen Laodice, with certain powers. The inscription is composed of two parts: 1. A letter from Mendomos, a government functionary in Nahavand; and 2. Text of a decree from Antiochos addressed to Mendomos in connection with the king’s decision to appoint his own sister as the priestess of the town of Laodicia. Some archeologists believe Laodicia to have been built on the site of the present Nahavand. The stone tablet which belongs to 193 BC, is at present being preserved in the National Museum of Iran, Tehran.

ADDRESSES AND TELEPHONE NUMBERS

ACCESS AND DISTANCES:

343 km to Tehran. 177 km to Kermanshah. 227 km to Qazvin. 275 km to Zanjan. 492 km to Esfahan. 404 km to Rasht.

ACCIDENTS:

115
AIR AGENT:

Iran Air, Khajeh Rashid Blvd 26232
Aseman Air, Khajeh Rashid Blvd 224460

AIRPORT:

Tehran Road, Basij Blvd 222117

BANK MELLI IRAN:

On the north side of Imam Khomeini Square.

BUS TERMINAL:

Cooperatives No 7 and No 9, Ekbatan Ave 24362 and 27477, respectively.

CITY DIALING CODE NUMBER:

The dialing code for Hamadan is 081

DRUG STORE (24-HOUR):

Takht-e Jamshid 24142
Imam Khomeini 23371

EMERGENCIES:

Pasteur Ave 115, 28888

FIRE STATION:

Baba Taher Square 24444-5

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE:

Ostandari, on the west side of Bu Ali Sina Square 26070-1. Farmandari 954468

MEDICAL SERVICES:

Bu-Ali Hospital 25011-3
Ekbatan Hospital, Taleghani Street 23017-9.
Imam Khomeini Hospital, Mir Zadeh Eshghi Street 33014-5
Mobasher Hospital, Mahdieh Street 39051

MUNICIPALITY:

On the south side of Bu Ali Sina Square 23437-9.

POLICE:

Mirzadeh Eshghi Street 30111. Road Police 23817, 23095

POST AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS:

The main post office is on the east side of Bu Ali Sina street, 200 meters south of Bu Ali Sina Square, and the main telephone and telegraph office is on the south side of Mahdieh street, two km southwest of Imam Khomeini Square 20555.

RESTAURANTS:

Felestin, Ghodss (Shokri) 30-m Street.
Gol, Bu-Ali Street 26113
Golha, Bu Ali Sina Street 240028
Javanan, Janbazan Street 240028
Kactus, Bu Ali Sina Square 27070
Khaneh Mo’allem, Mahdieh Street 32465
Majlesi, Mahdieh Street 37884

Payvand, Abbas Abad Street 244508
Qassr-e Sina, Khajeh Rashid Blvd 31631
Shamshiri, Imam Square 224653
There is a quiet and reasonably good restaurant in the cellar of Bu Ali Hotel (33071-2), but its menu is minimalist. There are several chelo kababis nearby and around the bazaar. There are also quite a few pleasant cafes and restaurants at Ganj Nameh, 35 km away, that are very popular with Hamadanis.

TAXI AGENT:

Pasteur Ayatollah Madani Street 33366.
Sina, Bu-Ali Street 33682
TOURIST MAP:

Available in English and Persian
TOURIST OFFICE:

Takhti Street 35065-6, 20093, 27022

Sina Tourist Information Company 61111
HORMOZ:

See under Khuzestan, the Persian Gulf, and Oman Sea Coast.

JOLFA:

See under Esfahan.