Theran – According to local experts, archaeologists carrying out excavations on the pedestrian route of Baba Taher in Hamedan reveal evidence of ongoing human habitation in areas dating back to the Achemenid period (550-330 BC) from 550-330 BC.
The excavations that began during work on the city’s infrastructure last May aimed to prepare the site for the country’s first open-air museum along Babatahur Street. However, the project has stagnated and the uncovered areas have been damaged by rainfall and inappropriate use as waste disposal sites.
“We initially focused on stratigraphic analysis of this part of Hamedan, followed by archaeological excavations to support the conversion of pedestrian roads into a site museum,” said Hossein Shabani, the project’s lead archaeologist.
During the DIG, the team discovered architecture dating back to the Middle Ages of Islam, particularly the era of Seljuk and Timulid (11th to 15th centuries). Among these were residential buildings with water supply systems using small canals, which continued to be used until the Kajar period (1789–1925).
“The archaeological structure includes multiple rooms with clear uses and kitchen hearths inside,” Shabani said. “This provides a comprehensive example of Hadan’s Islamic architectural style over the centuries.”
The site brought artifacts from the Ilhanid period (13th-14th centuries), characterized by buildings built from river stones and slabs.
“The excavations confirmed a continuous sequence of human habitation from the Achamenidian period to the Islamic period,” Shabani added.
Historically known as Ekbatana, Hamedan was the capital of the ancient Central Empire and served as the summer residence of King Achemenid, who ruled Persia from 553 to 330 BC. Ancient Greek historians such as Xenophon and Polybius have described the urban palace complex as richly decorated with cedars and cypress wood plated in gold and silver.
Despite its historical significance, it remains barely visible from ancient times, and much of the city centre has been excavated archaeologically. Early excavations began in the early 20th century by French and German-American archaeologists.
The team is expected to complete the Open Air Museum project by the end of summer 2025, with the site being pending retention.
Ekbatana is widely believed to be the mystical capital of Medes. According to an ancient Greek writer, the city was founded in 678 BC by Deois, the first king of Medes.
French Assyrian scholar Charles Fossey (1869-1946) oversaw the first excavation at Tepe Hegmatene for six months in 1913.
According to Athens Greek historian Xenophon (c.430-C.355), Ekbatana became the summer residence of King Achemenid. Their palace is described by the Greek historian Polivius of Megalopolis. He writes that cities are richer and more beautiful than all other cities in the world. Although there were no walls, the palace was built on an artificial terrace, according to Lvius, a website on ancient history written and maintained by Dutch historian Jonah Rendering since 1996.
Furthermore, an inscription excavated in 2000 indicates that Achaemenid King Artaxerxes II Mnemon (404-358) built a terrace with pillars in Ecbatana. About 12 kilometers southwest of Hamedan is Ganjuname. There, Darius I and his son Zerxes cut out an inscription on the rock.
Polibius, a Greek historian during the Hellenistic era, was noted in his work The Histories, but the builders said they used Cedar and Cypress wood, covered in silver and gold. The roof tiles, pillars and ceilings were plated with silver and gold. He added that the palace was stripped of its precious metals in the invasion of King Alexander the Great Macedonian, and the rest were seized during the reign of Antigonus and Seleux. Ecbatana was later one of the capitals of the Seleucus and the Parthian Empire, and was sometimes called Epiphaneia.
Around 1220, Hadan was destroyed by Mongol invaders. In 1386, he was fired by the Turkish conqueror Timur (Tamellen), and the inhabitants were massacred. It was partially restored in the 17th century, and then changed hands often between Iranian rulers and the Ottoman Empire.
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