Hamadān Province

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Hamadān Province استان همدان
Location

Statistics
Capital: • Coordinates:	Hamedan • 34.7982° N 48.5146° E
Area :	19,368 km²
Population(2005): • Density :	1,738,772 • 89.8/km²
Sub-provinces (Shahrestan):	8
Time zone:	UTC+3:30
Main language(s):	Persian Azerbaijani Language Luri Laki Kurdish

Hamadān or Hamedan is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. Its center is Hamedan city. The province of Hamedan covers an area of 19,546 km². In the year 1996, Hamedan province had a population of approximately 1.7 million people.

Golden Rhyton, Achaemenid period, excavated in Hamedan.

Other major cities of Hamedan province are: Tuiserkan, Nahavand, Malayer, Asad Abad, Bahar, Razan, Kabudrahang.

1 Geography
2 Demographics and Languages
3 History
4 Hamedan today
- 4.1 Colleges and universities
- 4.2 Attractions
5 External links

[edit] Geography

The Achaemenid inscriptions of "Ganj-nameh".

The province lies in an elevated region, with the 'Alvand' mountains, running from the north west to the south west. These are part of the Zagros mountain range of Iran.

Hamedan enjoys temperate warm summers and relatively cold winters.

[edit] Demographics and Languages

Kurdish, Azeri, Luri, and Persian language are spoken among people of Hamadan Province, where Azeri is more popular in northern and eastern areas and Kurdish are mostly spoken in the west and south. In Hamadan County and parts of Tooserkan, Persian is more common [1].

[edit] History

Hamedan province is one of the most ancient parts of Iran and its civilization. Relics of this area confirm this fact. Today's Hamedan is what is left of Ecbatana, The Medes' capital before they formed a union with the Persians. The poet Ferdowsi says that Ecbatana was built by King Jamshid.

According to historical records, there was once a castle in this city by the name of Haft Hessar (Seven Walls) which had a thousand rooms and its grandeur equalled that of the Babylon Tower.

The structures of city are related to Diya Aku, a King of the Medes from 700 BC. According to Greek records, this territory was called 'Ekbatan' and 'Hegmataneh' by this King, thus transformed into a huge capital.

During the Parthian era, Ctesiphon became capital of Persia, and Hamedan became the summer capital and residence of the Parthian rulers. After the Parthians, the Sassanids constructed their summer palaces in Hamedan as well.

In the year 633 when the war of Nahavand took place and Hamedan came into the hands of the invading Arabs, at times it thrived and at times it declined and witnessed hardships. During the Buwayhids, it suffered plenty of damages. In the 11th century, the Seljuks shifted their capital from Baghdad to Hamedan once again.

The city of Hamaden which was always assaulted by the rise and fall of powers, was completely destroyed during the Timurid invasion. But during the Safavid era the city thrived once more. Thereafter, in the 18th century , Hamedan surrendered to the Ottomans, but due to the courage and chivalry of Nader Shah Afshari, Hamedan was cleared of the invaders and according to the peace treaty between Iran and the Ottomans, it was thus returned to Iran.

The city of Hamedan lay on the Silk Road and even in recent centuries enjoyed good prospects in commerce and trade being on the main road network in the western region of Iran.

[edit] Hamedan today

[edit] Colleges and universities

1. Bu-Ali Sina University
2. University of Medical Sciences of Hamedan
3. Islamic Azad University of Hamedan
4. payam noor University of Hamedan
5. Hamedan University of Technology
6. payam noor University of Bahar
7. payam noor University of kaboodar Ahang
8. payam noor University of Malayer
9. payam noor University of Toyserkan
10. Islamic Azad University of Toyserkan
11. Islamic Azad University of Malayer

[edit] Attractions

The Cultural Heritage of Iran lists 442 sites of historical and cultural significance located in Hamedan, thus making the province a rich one in terms of historical attractions.

Some of the most popular sites are: