Hagmatana (Hamadan, Ecbatana)

According to Herodotus, Hamadan - the ancient Persian Hagmatana, Greek Ecbatana - was built by the first king of the Medes, Deioces, as a residence and as the first city of the Medes. Herodotus's description of seven concentric walls, each a different colour and slightly higher than its neighbour, is entirely fanciful. Situated on the main road to Mesopotamia at a height of almost 2000m, with a good climate, plentiful supply of water and on a large fertile plain, this was the most important city on the plateau during the Achaemenid period. Alexander the Great hoped to turn it into the capital of the eastern Empire.



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this entry was last changed Sep 28, 2006