panj-delaavaraan
February 23rd, 2006, 09:36 PM
Hamadan (or Hamedan) is known as "Older Than History," one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world is located about 290 km (180 mi) southwest of Tehran. Situated at the foot of Mount Alvand, Hamadan lies at an elevation of over 1,830 m (6,000 ft).
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/IranHamadan.png
The first Median capital was founded here in Hamadan (called Ecbatana by Greeks ) around the ninth century BC.
http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Images2/Maps/median_empire_map.gif
Cyrus the Great defeated the last Median king so Hamadan served as a summer capital of Achaemenian (559-330 BC) and has been a summer resort area since. Hamadan was described as one of the lavish cities, with precious metals, and magnificent palaces. The wealth attracted invading armies.
http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu/smr04/101910/Slide5.1.jpg
A golden rhyton from Ecbatana, currently in the Archaeological Museum of Tehran.
http://www.iranembassy.hu/p049_large.jpg
http://www.iranembassy.or.id/images/p049.jpg
The "lion of Ecbatana". According to local legend, rubbing this statue with oil helps people find a good husband or wife. It has been maintained that this ancient statue belongs to the funeral monument of Hephaestion, the lover of Alexander the Great. However, almost all remains in the neighborhood belong to a Parthian cemetery.
http://www.payvand.com/news/04/aug/lion-ecbatana-iran.jpg
http://www.iranchamber.com/history/ecbatana/images/lion_ecabtana.jpg
Ganj-Nameh - Inscriptions by Darius the Great and Khashayar Shah.
In the Hamadan's suburb, at the end of the beautiful Abbasabad valley, there are two inscriptions on the rocks of Mount Alvand. One of them had been carved at the time of king Darius and the others at the time of King Khashayarsha, and their contents praise God, Ahura Mazda, list the lineage of the monarchs and pray for their country's safety.
http://www.oldcarpet.com/images/Darius_inscriptions_5th_cent_BC_Hamedan_newtmb.jpg
http://www.persiancarpet.lv/images/iran/ham_ganjnameh.jpg
http://www.gardeshyaran.com/cities/images/hhgjh.jpg
Ali Sina Memorial. He is one of the best known Persian scientists.
http://clendening.kumc.edu/dc/pc/Avicenna.jpg
http://www.persepolistour.com/iran_attraction/images/hamedanboali.jpg
http://www.persiancarpet.lv/images/iran/ham_avicenna.jpg
Ali Sadr Caves.
The caves up to 40m high (132ft) were discovered in the 1970s. In the caves there are several huge lakes with clear water up to 8m (26.4 ft) deep. The water level of the lakes change from 50-100 cm (20-40 in). You can see the water fluctuations by the markings left on the rock surface. Nothing lives in the water or the caves.
http://www.farhangsara.com/ali_sadr_cave1.jpg
http://homepages.force9.net/artarena/Iran/alisadrcaves.jpg
http://www.iranembassy.org.za/S&I/Image/alisadr.gif
Tomb of Baba Taher, the poet who lived in 11th century.
http://www.iranonline.com/iran/Hamedan/images/baba-taher.jpg
http://www.irib.ir/worldservice/nouroz/gallery/gal/baba2.jpg
The Tomb of Esther & Mardecai
The present building of this mausoleum, which is visited by Jewish pilgrims from all over the world, has nothing to speak about from the architectural point of view. Under its simple brick dome there are two graves with some Hebrew inscription up on the plaster work of the wall. Two exquisite wooden tomb-boxes are also to be seen, one of which is of an earlier date and bears an inscription in Hebrew.
The original structure dates to the 7th Century A. H. [13th Century A.D.] and it might have been erected over other and more ancient tombs. The exterior form of this mausoleum, built of brick and stone, resembles Islamic constructions, and the monument consists of an entrance, a vestibule, a sanctuary and a Shah-ni-shin (King's sitting place). Some believe that the mausoleum is the resting-place of Esther, the Achaemenian Queen and wife of Xerxes (Khashayarshah) and the second tomb belongs to her uncle, Mardocai.
http://www.farsinet.com/hamadan/images/esthertomb_m.jpg
http://www.iranjewish.com/Essay_E/photo/ester3.jpg
Gonbade Alavian
The Gunbad-e-Alavian was probably built during the second half of the 12th century A.D. when Hamedan was a major Seljuk capital.
It is generally believed to be the mausoleum of the powerful Alavian family who continued to rule Hamedan long after the Seljuks.
The interior walls of the main chamber explode with naturalistic adornments - twining vines, leaves and flowers are carved out of pale stucco.
This lush decoration contrasts sharply with the bleakness of the subterranean crypt where several of the Alavian leaders have been buried. The original dome has fallen into ruin.
The Gonbad-e-Alavian was probably built during the second half of the twelfth century A.D.
When Hamedan was a major seljuq capital. it is generally believed to be the mausoleum of the owerful Alaviyyan family who continued to rule Hamedan long after the Seljuqs. the interior walls of the main chamber explode with naturalistic adornments - twining vies, leaves and flowers are carved out of pale stucco.
This lush decoration contrasts sharply with the bleakness of the subterranean crypt where several of the Alavian leaders have been buried. The original dome has fallen into ruin.
http://www.farhangsara.com/tourism/newcities/aalavian3.jpg
http://www.farhangsara.com/tourism/newcities/aalavian2.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/IranHamadan.png
The first Median capital was founded here in Hamadan (called Ecbatana by Greeks ) around the ninth century BC.
http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Images2/Maps/median_empire_map.gif
Cyrus the Great defeated the last Median king so Hamadan served as a summer capital of Achaemenian (559-330 BC) and has been a summer resort area since. Hamadan was described as one of the lavish cities, with precious metals, and magnificent palaces. The wealth attracted invading armies.
http://www.arthistory.upenn.edu/smr04/101910/Slide5.1.jpg
A golden rhyton from Ecbatana, currently in the Archaeological Museum of Tehran.
http://www.iranembassy.hu/p049_large.jpg
http://www.iranembassy.or.id/images/p049.jpg
The "lion of Ecbatana". According to local legend, rubbing this statue with oil helps people find a good husband or wife. It has been maintained that this ancient statue belongs to the funeral monument of Hephaestion, the lover of Alexander the Great. However, almost all remains in the neighborhood belong to a Parthian cemetery.
http://www.payvand.com/news/04/aug/lion-ecbatana-iran.jpg
http://www.iranchamber.com/history/ecbatana/images/lion_ecabtana.jpg
Ganj-Nameh - Inscriptions by Darius the Great and Khashayar Shah.
In the Hamadan's suburb, at the end of the beautiful Abbasabad valley, there are two inscriptions on the rocks of Mount Alvand. One of them had been carved at the time of king Darius and the others at the time of King Khashayarsha, and their contents praise God, Ahura Mazda, list the lineage of the monarchs and pray for their country's safety.
http://www.oldcarpet.com/images/Darius_inscriptions_5th_cent_BC_Hamedan_newtmb.jpg
http://www.persiancarpet.lv/images/iran/ham_ganjnameh.jpg
http://www.gardeshyaran.com/cities/images/hhgjh.jpg
Ali Sina Memorial. He is one of the best known Persian scientists.
http://clendening.kumc.edu/dc/pc/Avicenna.jpg
http://www.persepolistour.com/iran_attraction/images/hamedanboali.jpg
http://www.persiancarpet.lv/images/iran/ham_avicenna.jpg
Ali Sadr Caves.
The caves up to 40m high (132ft) were discovered in the 1970s. In the caves there are several huge lakes with clear water up to 8m (26.4 ft) deep. The water level of the lakes change from 50-100 cm (20-40 in). You can see the water fluctuations by the markings left on the rock surface. Nothing lives in the water or the caves.
http://www.farhangsara.com/ali_sadr_cave1.jpg
http://homepages.force9.net/artarena/Iran/alisadrcaves.jpg
http://www.iranembassy.org.za/S&I/Image/alisadr.gif
Tomb of Baba Taher, the poet who lived in 11th century.
http://www.iranonline.com/iran/Hamedan/images/baba-taher.jpg
http://www.irib.ir/worldservice/nouroz/gallery/gal/baba2.jpg
The Tomb of Esther & Mardecai
The present building of this mausoleum, which is visited by Jewish pilgrims from all over the world, has nothing to speak about from the architectural point of view. Under its simple brick dome there are two graves with some Hebrew inscription up on the plaster work of the wall. Two exquisite wooden tomb-boxes are also to be seen, one of which is of an earlier date and bears an inscription in Hebrew.
The original structure dates to the 7th Century A. H. [13th Century A.D.] and it might have been erected over other and more ancient tombs. The exterior form of this mausoleum, built of brick and stone, resembles Islamic constructions, and the monument consists of an entrance, a vestibule, a sanctuary and a Shah-ni-shin (King's sitting place). Some believe that the mausoleum is the resting-place of Esther, the Achaemenian Queen and wife of Xerxes (Khashayarshah) and the second tomb belongs to her uncle, Mardocai.
http://www.farsinet.com/hamadan/images/esthertomb_m.jpg
http://www.iranjewish.com/Essay_E/photo/ester3.jpg
Gonbade Alavian
The Gunbad-e-Alavian was probably built during the second half of the 12th century A.D. when Hamedan was a major Seljuk capital.
It is generally believed to be the mausoleum of the powerful Alavian family who continued to rule Hamedan long after the Seljuks.
The interior walls of the main chamber explode with naturalistic adornments - twining vines, leaves and flowers are carved out of pale stucco.
This lush decoration contrasts sharply with the bleakness of the subterranean crypt where several of the Alavian leaders have been buried. The original dome has fallen into ruin.
The Gonbad-e-Alavian was probably built during the second half of the twelfth century A.D.
When Hamedan was a major seljuq capital. it is generally believed to be the mausoleum of the owerful Alaviyyan family who continued to rule Hamedan long after the Seljuqs. the interior walls of the main chamber explode with naturalistic adornments - twining vies, leaves and flowers are carved out of pale stucco.
This lush decoration contrasts sharply with the bleakness of the subterranean crypt where several of the Alavian leaders have been buried. The original dome has fallen into ruin.
http://www.farhangsara.com/tourism/newcities/aalavian3.jpg
http://www.farhangsara.com/tourism/newcities/aalavian2.jpg