Hamedan City | One of the ancient cities in Iran
Iran is a vast country with a rich history. There are plenty of cities in this country which their establishment dates back to thousands of years ago; Hamedan city is one of them. This ancient city is located in west of Iran; and has been residence for many nations during the history.
The city is located in the foot of Zagros mountains; where was first the habitation of Medes and founded by Dioecos king in the 7th century B.C because of the continental situation. You can see variation of tourism attractions and ancient monuments starting from paleolithic period in Hamedan. Hamedan stone lion, Ecbatana fort, Ganjname Hamedan, Alavi’s vault and Ali-saadr cave are some of these attractions.
Hamedan was also the 3rd capital of Achaemenids; and also, the hunting-ground of young Kings who sometimes spent all the summer long in Hegmataneh(Ekbatan). As a sign of appearance, they have left Ganjnameh which is an inscription from Daruis and Xerxes l in 3 languages; and it’s located in 5 kilometers west of Hamedan.
Hamedan tourism attractions | Where should you visit first?
Every year many people travel to Hamedan to visit it’s well-known attractions. The world’s largest water cave, Ali Saadr cave is located in this city; and we highly recommend you to put it on your list. Hamedan was also home to a lot of Iranian poets and scientists such as Avicenna, Baba Taher and Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani. So, if you are a fan, you can visit their tombs in Hamedan city; and if you travel with a guide, you get to hear their amazing life story. In the rest of this article we are going to introduce some of the most popular Hamedan tourism attractions. So, keep reading!
Ali Saadr Cave | The most famous and popular tourism attraction in Hamedan
About 11 kilometers north of Hamedan, there is an alluring water cave where you can sit in a boat and watch the view. You can review every word you have read in “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules Verne and get excited how your view is similar to what you you pictured in your mind.
The water in the cave stems from a spring in Sarab. The cave’s walls can extend up to 40 meters tall and it contains lots of lakes. More than 11 kilometers of the lake has been discovered and the first entrance of the cave has to be in Darius’s time, the Achaemenian king.
Archeologists have found some ancient artworks such as animals, bows and arrows and hunting scenes which return to 12000 years ago. This paintings shows that the primitives may have used this cave as an aboard.
Hamedan Stone lion | A famous tourism attraction in Hamedan, dating back to the Parthian era
The stone lion, which was a part of the lion’s gate, is one of the historical monuments of Hamedan city. The monument is on Iran national heritage list since 1931. The lion was built by Parthians and put on one side of the lion’s gate. The other lion on the gate was destroyed through time, but this one survived; and now it is located in a square in Hamedan. This historical monument was considered as protector for the city and a spell to ward off disease during Islamic periods. Also in some time during history, young women thought if they kiss the lion’s nose, they will get married; And that’s why the nose of this statue is pulverized.
Ganjnameh Hamedan | The sign of kings in Hamedan city
Ganjnameh (means: treasure book) is an inscription created by the order of Darius The Great, one of the Achaemenid’s kings. This inscription is actually carved in two panels; and each of them measure 2 × 3 m. They wrote the inscription in three languages: 1. Old Persian 2. Neo-Elamite and 3. Neo-Babylonian. The site received its name from local natives, who believed that the inscriptions contained the secret code to a hidden treasure.
Traveling to Hamedan will be so much fun for you; and if you like history and nature we recommend you to put this city as a destination. Hamedan city is located in the mountains so the weather will be pleasant in late Spring and Summer. You can go sightseeing, maybe mountain climbing and lying in alluring plain fields. If you want someone to give you a vivid plan for your trip to Hamedan, it is better to travel with a guide. Traveling with a guide will also give you the advantage of hearing interesting stories about monuments you visit in the city. You can book our 3 days trip to Hamedan just by clicking on the picture below!
