- Nahavand
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For the administrative subdivision, see Nahavand County.
Nahavand
نهاوند— city — Coordinates: 34°11′19″N 48°22′37″E / 34.18861°N 48.37694°ECoordinates: 34°11′19″N 48°22′37″E / 34.18861°N 48.37694°E Country Iran Province Hamadan County Nahavand Bakhsh Central Population (2006) – Total 72,218 Time zone IRST (UTC+3:30) – Summer (DST) IRDT (UTC+4:30) Nahavand (Persian: نهاوند, also Romanized as Nahāvand, Nehāvend, and Nīhāvand)[1] is a city in and capital of Nahavand County, Hamadan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 72,218, in 19,419 families.[2] It is located south of Hamadan, east of Malayer and northwest of Borujerd. Nahavand is one of the oldest existing cities in Iran.
Contents
Name
It has been spelled differently in different books and sources: Nahavand, Nahavend, Nahawand, Nahaavand, Nehavand, Nihavand or Nehavend, formerly called Mah-Nahavand, and in antiquity Laodicea (Greek: Λαοδίκεια; Arabic Ladhiqiyya), also transliterated Laodiceia and Laodikeia, Laodicea in Media, Laodicea in Persis, Antiochia in Persis, Antiochia of Chosroes (Greek: Αντιόχεια του Χοσρόη), Antiochia in Media (Greek: Αντιόχεια της Μηδίας), Nemavand and Niphaunda.
History
The city was founded by Darius I the Great, in Media along with the two other Achaemenid cities of Apamea and Xerxes. (Strabo xi. p. 524 ; Xerxes "Laodikeia") Pliny (vi. 29) describes it as being in the extreme limits of Media, and (re-)founded by Xerxes I.
The city was a center of Chosroes I's empire. After military reverses (ca. 540) following his sack of Syrian Antiochia in 538, he was forced to rename his capital "Antiochia".
It is the site of the Battle of Nihawand in 642 that completed the fall of the Sassanid Empire and the Islamic conquest of Iran.
Natives of Nahavand include Benjamin Nahawandi, who was a key figure in the development of Karaite Judaism in the Early Middle Ages, and 8th-century astronomer Ahmad Nahavandi, who worked at the Academy of Gundishapur. The Persian hero Feroze Nahavandi was born here. In another case they call Nahavand the city of secrets because there was a lot of cities under the current city.
Music
Nahavand also gives its name to the musical mode (maqam) Nahwand in Arabic, Iranian and Turkish music. This mode is known for its wide variety of Western sounding melodies.
References
- ^ Nahavand can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3076227" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
- ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)" (Excel). Islamic Republic of Iran. http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/13.xls.
External links
- Hamedan Province Cultural Heritage Website
- Persian History Website
- Smith, William (editor); Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, "Laodiceia", London, (1854)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed (1854–57). "article name needed". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography. London: John Murray.
Capital HamadanCounties and Cities Famenin CountyFameninKabudarahang CountyKabudarahang · Gol Tappeh · Shirin SuNahavand · Barzul · Firuzan · GiyanSights Ganjnameh • Shrine of Habakkuk,Toyserkan • Hamedan Stone Lion • Ali Sadr Cave • Hamedan Museum of Natural History • Noshijan fire temple,Malayer • Shrine of Esther and Mordechai,Hamedan • Baba Taher Mausleum,Hamedan • Avicenna mausoleum,Hamedan • Emamzadeh Yahya,Hamedan • Alvand ski resort • Pirsolayman lagoon • Median capital of Hegmataneh,Hamedan • Ecbatan dam • Geyan lagoon • Baba-pireh shrine • Ecbatana •Categories:- Nahavand County
- Cities in Iran
- Cities in Hamadan Province
- Hellenistic colonies
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