Hamadan Province () is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Hamadan. In the Zagros Mountains, the province covers an area of 19,546&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.

History

thumb|right|The [[Achaemenid inscriptions of "Ganj-nameh".]]

thumb|right|Golden Rhyton, [[Achaemenid period, excavated in Hamadan.]]

Hamadan 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 was said to have 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 Hamadan came into the hands of the invading Arabs, at times it thrived and at times it declined and witnessed hardships. During the reign of the Buwayhids, it suffered plenty of damage. In the 11th century, the Seljuks shifted their capital from Baghdad to Hamadan once again.

The city of Hamadan was always at risk during the rise and fall of powers. It was completely destroyed during the Timurid invasion. However, during the Safavid era the city thrived once more. In the 18th century, Hamadan surrendered to the Ottomans, but Hamadan was retaken by Nader Shah Afshari, and under the peace treaty between Iran and the Ottomans it was returned to Iran.

The city of Hamadan 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 Hamadan.

Demographics

Language

In the city of Hamadan itself, most people speak Persian. Persian is also used as a lingua franca in other areas. Luri and Laki are also spoken in the southern areas, such as Malayer, Nahavand, and Samen.|titlebar=#ddd|left1=language|right1=percent|float=|bars=

Religion

The population of Hamadan province is overwhelmingly Muslim, with 99.88% of residents being Muslims as of 1996. A little under half these people (about 811,000, or 48.3%) lived in urban areas. The following census in 2011 counted 1,758,268 people in 506,191 households. In 2014, Hamadan Province was placed in Region 4. The 2016 census measured the population of the province as 1,738,234 in 538,803 households.

Administrative divisions

The current province of Hamadan used to form a part of Kermanshah Province.|| style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | —

|-

| Famenin || style="text-align: right;" | — || style="text-align: right;" | 42,485 || style="text-align: right;" | 39,359

|-

| Hamadan || style="text-align: right;" | 626,183 || style="text-align: right;" | 651,821 || style="text-align: right;" | 676,105

|-

| Kabudarahang || style="text-align: right;" | 137,919 || style="text-align: right;" | 143,171 || style="text-align: right;" | 126,062

|-

| Malayer || style="text-align: right;" | 285,272 || style="text-align: right;" | 287,982 || style="text-align: right;" | 288,685

|-

| Nahavand || style="text-align: right;" | 178,683 || style="text-align: right;" | 181,711 || style="text-align: right;" | 178,787

|-

| Razan || style="text-align: right;" | 111,120 || style="text-align: right;" | 116,437 || style="text-align: right;" | 107,587

|-

| Tuyserkan || style="text-align: right;" | 109,262 || style="text-align: right;" | 103,786 || style="text-align: right;" | 101,666

|-

| Total || style="text-align: right;"| 1,674,595 || style="text-align: right;"| 1,758,268 || style="text-align: right;"| 1,738,234

|}

Cities

Among the major cities of the province are Asadabad, Bahar, Famenin, Hamadan, Kabudarahang, Malayer, Nahavand, Razan, and Tuyserkan.

According to the 2016 census, 1,097,217 people (over 63% of the population of Hamadan province) live in the following cities: It covers about 1.2% of Iran's total land area and shares borders with six other provinces.

Small-scale handicraft industry is well-established in the province.

  • Hamedan University of Technology
  • Islamic Azad University of Hamedan
  • Islamic Azad University of Nahavand
  • Islamic Azad University of Toyserkan
  • Malayer University
  • Payam Noor University of Bahar
  • Payam Noor University of Hamedan
  • Payam Noor University of Kabootar Ahang
  • Payam Noor University of Nahavand
  • Payam Noor University of Razan
  • Payam Noor University of Toyserkan

See also

Notes

References

  • Official website of Hamadan Governorship
  • Hamadan Cultural Heritage Organization
  • Official website of Hegmataneh (Ecbatana)
  • entries in the