Known in classical times as Ecbatana, Hamadan is a green mountainous area on the foothills of the snow-capped Alvand Kuh Mountain and was one of the ancient worldā€™s greatest cities.

The valley of Hegmataaneh contains relics of Media, Achaemenid, Sassanidae and Islamic-era civilisations. As significant parts of the city centre are given over to excavations, some relics have been uncovered and are on display, including the Stone Lion, carved out in the Arsacian era, which has now lost most of its original appearance. This statue is a symbol of the city of Hamadan.

Alternatively, see the Ganjnaameh Tabloids, ordered by Darius the Great and Xerxes, and written in cuneiform and ancient Persian, carry the two supplications of Ahura Mazda and the prayer for the preservation of the country. They have been engraved on Alvand Mountain, at the end of the beautiful valley of Abbaas Abad.

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