Hamadan

In the centre of Hamadan is the Mausoleum of Abu Ali Sina, better known in the West as Avicenna, one of the most famous philosophers and scholars of the Middle Ages. Nearby is the Shrine of Esther, the Jewish wife of Xerxes and her uncle Mordecai and a most important Jewish pilgrimage site. Also worth a visit are the Masjede Jameh (Friday Mosque) and the Gonbad-e Alavian, a twelfth century mausoleum of the Alavi family.

Outside Hamadan one can visit the village of Lalejin, famous for its pottery industry; or take a boat tour round the Ali Sadr Caves, an endless network of caves full of clear water with caverns up to 10 metres high and 100 metres wide. Also of interest is the Ganj Nameh, Hamadan's oldest Achaemenian rock carvings dating from the 6th century BC.