Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

HAMADAN

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 868 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

HAMADAN , a See also:

province and See also:town of See also:Persia. The province is bounded N. by Gerrus and See also:Khamseh, W. by See also:Kermanshah, S. by See also:Malayir and See also:Irak, E. by See also:Savah and See also:Kazvin. It has many well-watered, fertile plains and more than four See also:hundred flourishing villages producing much See also:grain, and its See also:population, estimated at 350,000–more than See also:half being See also:Turks of the Karaguzlu (See also:black-eyed) and Shamlu (Syrian) tribes—supplies several battalions of See also:infantry to the See also:army, and pays, besides, a yearly See also:revenue of about £18,000. Hamadan, the See also:capital of the province, is situated 188 m. W.S.W. of See also:Teheran, at an See also:elevation of 5930 ft., near the See also:foot of See also:Mount Elvend (old See also:Persian Arvind, Gr. See also:Orontes), whose See also:granite See also:peak rises W. of it to an See also:altitude of 11,900 ft. It is a busy See also:trade centre with about 40,000 inhabitants (comprising 4000 See also:Jews and 300 Armenians), has extensive and well-stocked bazaars and fourteen large and many small caravanserais. The See also:principal See also:industries are tanning See also:leather and the manufacture of saddles, harnesses, trunks, and other leather goods, felts and See also:copper utensils. The leather of Hamadan is much esteemed throughout the See also:country and exported to other provinces in See also:great quantities. The streets are narrow, and by a See also:system called Kucheh-bandi (See also:street-closing) established See also:long ago for impeding the circulation of crowds and increasing See also:general See also:security, every See also:quarter of the town, or See also:block of buildings, is shut off from its neighbours by See also:gates which are closed during See also:local disorders and regularly at See also:night. Hamadan has See also:post and See also:telegraph offices and two churches, one Armenian, the other See also:Protestant (of the See also:American Presbyterian See also:Mission). Among See also:objects of See also:interest are the alleged tombs of See also:Esther and Mordecai in an insignificant domed See also:building in the centre of the town.

There are two wooden sarcophagi carved all over with See also:

Hebrew See also:inscriptions. That ascribed to Mordecai has the verses See also:Isaiah lix. 8; Esther ii. 5; Ps. xvi. 9, ro, rr, and the date of its erection A.M. 4318 (A.D. 557). The inscriptions on the other See also:sarcophagus consist of the verses Esther ix. 29, 32, x. 1; and the statement that it was placed there A.M. 4602 (A.D. 841) by " the pious and righteous woman Gemal Setan." A tablet let into the See also:wall states that the building was repaired A.M.

4474 (A.D. 713). Hamadan also has the See also:

grave of the celebrated physician and philosopher See also:Abu See also:Ali See also:ibn Sina, better known as See also:Avicenna (d. 1036). It is now generally admitted that Hamadan is the Hagmatana (of the inscriptions), Agbatana or See also:Ecbatana (q.v., of the See also:Greek writers), the " treasure See also:city " of the Achaemenian See also:kings which was taken and plundered by See also:Alexander the Great, but very few See also:ancient remains have been discovered. A rudely carved See also:stone See also:lion, which lies on the roadside See also:close to the See also:southern extremity of the city, and by some is supposed to have formed See also:part of a building of the ancient city, is locally regarded as a See also:talisman against See also:famine, See also:plague, See also:cold, &c., placed there by See also:Pliny, who is popularly known as the sorcerer Balinas (a corruption of Plinius). Five See also:miles S.W. from the city in a See also:mountain See also:gorge of Mount Elvend is the so-called Ganjnama (treasure-See also:deed), which consists of two tablets with trilingual See also:cuneiform inscriptions cut into the See also:rock and See also:relating the names and titles of See also:Darius I. (521–485 B.c.) and his son See also:Xerxes I. (485–465 B.C.). (A.

End of Article: HAMADAN

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
HAM 		[next]
HAMADHANI

Site © 2006 - Net Industries