A Historical Study of Ekbatana Hill and a Glance at its Rehabilitation

Abstract

Ekbatana Hill, with a length of 1,000 meters and width of 500 meters is located in the north east of Hamedan city. According to both Iranian and foreign archeologists and historians, Ekbatana Hill is the remains of ruined imperial palaces of ancient Hamadan belonging to the Median, Achaemenid and Parthian eras. The remains found on the hill and some gold and silver tablets indicate that it flourished during the Achaemenid era. Hamadan was to all appearances, the summer capital of pre-Islamic government; therefore the palaces built on the hill were decorated with precious things of the time, which have been plundered during wars.This research is an approach to the study of the historical hill, which is now located in the center of Hamedan city. It is certainly not expected that the hill has any position in the new current civil functions, but its occupation during recent decades needs a substantial review. On the other hand, the hidden layers might sometimes endanger the hill, due to lack of facilities. It is in need of a new observation, in order to properly share parts of the existing remains of the hill, especially the fortification wall, in the current civic life and assign it as a part of the city edge. So, the study of historical traces on one hand and urban renovation theories on the other can be an effective approach.