Description
Hamadan or Hamedan (English: HAM -ə-DAN, Persian: همدان, Hamedān , pronounced [hæmeˈdɒːn], Old Persian: Haŋgmetana, Ecbatana) is a city in the Central District of Hamadan County, Hamadan province, Iran, serving as capital of the district, the county, and the province.
At the 2006 National Census, its population was 473,149 in 127,812 households. The following census in 2011 counted 525,794 people in 156,556 households. The latest census in 2016 showed a population of 554,406 people in 174,731 households.
Hamadan is believed to be among the oldest Iranian cities. It is possible that it was occupied by the Assyrians in 1100 BCE; the Ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, states that it was the capital of the Medes, around 700 BCE.
Hamadan has a green mountainous area in the foothills of the 3,574-meter Alvand Mountain, in the midwest part of Iran. The city is 1,850 meters above sea level.
The old city and its historic sites attract tourists during the summer to this city, located approximately 360 kilometres (220 miles) southwest of Tehran. The major sights of this city are the Ganj Nameh inscription, the Avicenna monument and the Baba Taher monument. The main language in the city is Persian.
