Hamadān Province

Infobox Iran Province
province_name = Hamadān
ostan_name = همدان
loc_

---

capital = Hamedan
latd = 34.7982
longd = 48.5146
area = 19,368
pop = 1,738,772
pop_year = 2005
pop_density = 89.8
sub_provinces = 8
languages= Persian Azeri Luri Laki Kurdish

Hamadān or Hamedan ( _fa. استان همدان) 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.

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

Geography

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.

Demographics and Languages

Malayer country has a population of around 330,000 people, Nahavand county has a population of 200,000 people, Hamadan County has a population of 700 thousand people, Tooserkan and Asadabad each have a population of around 150,000, Kabutare ahang, Razan, and Bahar each have a population of between 120,000 - 140,000 people.
Kurdish, Azeri, Luri, and Persian language are spoken amongst the people of Hamadan Province, where Azeri is more popular in northern and eastern areas and Kurdish are mostly spoken in the west. In the central parts likeHamadan County and parts of Tooserkan, Persian is more common. Luri is spoken in southern parts of Malayer country and all of Nahavand [http://www.hamedanmiras.ir/en_site/mardom-zaban.htm] .Most of the residents are of Persian and Azeri origin, but a big minority are of Luri and Kurdish origin.

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.

According to local Jewish traditions, the City of Hamedan is mentioned in the Bible, as the capital of Ancient Persia in the days of King Ahasuerus in the Book of Esther. It was then known as Shushan. The Tombs of Mordecai and Esther are located in modern-day Hamedan.

Hamedan today

Administrative Divisions

The province has a population of just over 2 million. (As of 2008)The province is divided into 8 Shahrestans (≈counties), which in turn are divided into 23 Bakhshs (≈districts) in total. These divisions are shown on the map as well as the center of each county and the neighbor provinces.

Colleges and universities

*# Bu-Ali Sina University
*# [http://www.hut.ac.ir/ Hamedan University of Technology]
*# [http://www.umsha.ac.ir University of Medical Sciences of Hamedan]
*# [http://www.iauh.ac.ir/ Islamic Azad University of Hamedan]
*# Payam Noor University of Hamedan
*# Payam Noor University of Bahar
*# Payam Noor University of Kabootar Ahang
*# Payam Noor University of Malayer
*# Payam Noor University of Toyserkan
*# Payam Noor University of Nahavand
*# Payam Noor University of razan
*# Islamic Azad University of Toyserkan
*# Islamic Azad University of Malayer
*# Islamic Azad University of Nahavand

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:

#Tomb of Baba Taher the poet
#Ganj Nameh inscriptions of Darius The Great
#Tomb of Esther and Mordechai
#Ali Sadr (Ardeles) cave
#Tomb of Avicenna
#Waterfall of Ganjnameh
#Stone Lion of Hamedan
#Abass Abad jangle(Baugh)
#Qorban Building
#Alavian Tomb
#Eram Park
#Hegmatane (Ekbatan) City of 5000 years ago
#Imam(pahlavi) Sq
#Alvand Mountain
#Grand Bazzar of Mozafarieh

External links

* [http://www.ostan-hm.ir/ Official website of Hamedan Governorship]
* [http://www.hamedanmiras.ir/ Hamedan Cultural Heritage Organization]
* [http://www.hegmataneh.ir/ Official website of Hegmataneh (Ecbatana)]
* [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v11f6/v11f6023.html Hamadān] entries in the [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/home/index.isc Encyclopædia Iranica]
* [http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=392813 Photos from around Hamadan province] -Includes Alisadr Cave and Hamadan City.