HAMADAN Dating back to over 2500 years ago, Hamadan, the cradle of Median civilization, has numerous historical monuments. It is located in the mountainous area of Zagros in the western Iran.The city of Hamadan the ancient name of which is Ecbatana, has been given an account of the great Median palace of Hegmetaneh, the ruins of which are in the central part of Hamadan as a hill. During the Seljuk period it was the capital of Iran for 50 years. Five kms. From Hamadan there are two inscriptions in cuneiform, called Ganjnameh which is one of the most ancient inscriptions found in the world. In Hamadan we can also find the Mausoleum of Avicenna and Baba Taher  the great Iranian doctor and scientist. Mossalla and Abbasabad hills are both the places worthwhile visiting. Mosalla hill, on the slop of which there is a huge stone lion, and Abbasabad hill date back both to the first civilizations of the world. Alavian dome under which there are two tombs belonging to the Alavian Family has impressive plasterwork. Dating back to 800 years ago, it has been decorated with colored tiles. But the most attractive site in Hamadan is Alisadr Cave which is the longest cave including a lake inside, in the world. Ganjnameh Dating back to the Achaemenid period, and belong to Darius (550-486 BC) and his son Xerxes, Ganjnameh like other Achaemenid inscriptions, contain prayers to Ahura Mazda ( the chief deity of Zoroastrianism ) for the protection of the country, and genealogy of the Achaemenid dynasty. Mausoleum of Avicenna & Baba Taher The Mausoleum of Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the great Iranian philosopher has been built on 1954. There is a library with a number of manuscripts in this building.The tomb of Baba Taher-e Oryan (C. 1000 after 1055), the Iranian poet and mystic, has been built in a beautiful park northwest of Hamadan in recent years. Alisadr Cave According to the specialist Alisadr Cave is one of the most astonishing caves in the world. It is located 60 kms north of Hamadan.Alisadr is a vast cave that contains a lake and a labyrinth of chambers along which one can sail for tens of kms. The clear water of the cave is several meters deep and the cave’s walls, floor and ceiling are covered with an abundance of marvelous stalactites and stalagmites and various natural stones that have taken the shape of animals.