Hamadan, Ancient capital city in Hamadan Province, Iran.
Hamadan is a large city in Hamadan Province, western Iran, spreading across the northeastern slopes of Mount Alvand at around 1850 meters elevation. Six main avenues radiate from the central Imam Khomeini Square, forming the urban road network that connects residential neighborhoods, markets, and public buildings.
The city was the capital of the Median Empire and later served as a summer residence for Achaemenid rulers, who called it Ecbatana. Over the centuries it was conquered and rebuilt many times, yet it kept its role as an important trade center on the routes between Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau.
Hamadan is known as the city where some of Persia's most influential thinkers lived and worked, including Ibn Sina, whose mausoleum draws visitors every day. The urban landscape combines modern residential areas with old craft markets where artisans still shape copper goods, ceramics, and leather items using age-old patterns.
Visitors reach the city via the main road from Tehran or Kermanshah, both routes passing through mountainous terrain with occasional switchbacks. Most points of interest lie within walking distance from the central square, and a local taxi or bus service connects the farther spots on the city's edges.
The Ganjnameh rock inscriptions on the mountainside still show the script that Achaemenid kings had carved into the stone more than 2000 years ago. These panels once formed part of a royal park path and now stand beside a small waterfall that flows strongly in spring.
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