One of Iran’s oldest cities, located in the Central Zagros Range, Hamadan was once the Median capital Hagmatana, and was also known in its Greek form Ecbatana.

As an important Achaemenian capital, Hamadan was graced with great palaces and temples, the remains of which now lie beneath the modern town. Excavations now being carried at the Hagmatana hills reveal remains of Median and Achaemenian administrative buildings on an extensive level. There is also a museum at the site displaying artifacts found at this and other sites in the region. Ganj-Nameh (Treasure Book), the area’s oldest Achaemenian rock carving, is located on the slopes of Mount Alvand.

Engraved on two stone panels, the inscriptions in old Persian record the achievements of Darius the Great and Xerxes I. A rare Median relic is the Sang-e-Shir (Stone Lion), a huge statue of a lion believed to have guarded the city gate in Median and Parthian times. Among Hamadan’s Islamic structures is that built over the tomb of Esther and Mordecai, surrounded by a charming garden. According to legend, Esther, Queen of Xerxes, helped establish a Jewish colony near Hamadan, and for this reason the mausoleum is a place of pilgrimage for many Jewish people.

The Alavyan Tomb Tower, a 12th century structure is regarded by students of architecture as the finest example of Saljuq art in Iran. The Tomb of Avicenna, Iran’s celebrated philosopher-physician-scientist, who died here in 1034 A.D., and the final resting place of Baba Taher Uryan, the 11th century mystic poet, are among other sites worth a visit.