Located near one of the most ancient cities of the world, Hamedan (Ecbatana), with its inscriptions, waterfall and a wide landscape over the city, Ganjnameh, has a lot to offer the visitors.
Ganjnameh is 8 kilometers to the south-west of Hamedan, or Ecbatana, one of the ancient world’s greatest cities on the side of Alvand Mountain (3580m). The location is really at hand, and you can go by taking a taxi from down town, or Shariati Street near the Tomb of Esther and Mordecai.
The place is famous for its Rosetta Stone-like text carved in granite stone in two sections, in three languages around 2500 years ago. The one on the left was written by the order of Darius the Great (521-485 BC) and the right one by Xerxes the Great (485-465 BC). The three ancient languages are Old Persian, Neo-Babylonian and Elamite (none of them spoken or used today). The inscriptions are in Cuneiform alphabets. They start with a praise to Ahura Mazda (the Zoroastrian God) and then describing the ancestry and great actions of the mentioned kings, Darius the Great and his son Xerxes.
The generations who came long after them, could not understand the Cuneiform Alphabets of the inscriptions, assuming that they are a guide to a concealed Median Gold treasure; so they called it Ganjnameh, literally meaning “treasure epistle”.
Besides the inscriptions, which make the place historically wonderful and a must see attraction, Ganjnameh Waterfall adds to the beauty of the place even more. It is a nine-meter high waterfall and it becomes a perfect place for ice climbing in winter. Visitors can take the stairs to reach the waterfall and behold the wide landscape of the city.
There is a hiking trail leading to Alvand Mountain Summit in 3580 meters height. The summit can be reached in a single day trip. The ones who like to go to top of Alvand mountain not on foot, can use the cable car. While climbing up, you can enjoy local foods of restaurants, and also buy handicrafts as souvenir.
There is a touristic village in Ganjnameh mountainside with a variety of actions to do. First of all is visiting the historical inscriptions. Meeting the locals doing the trekking at weekend and afternoon in families is a great opportunity for the ones who like this kind of interaction. Iranian Families won’t miss taking selfies in such a scenic location and you can be join their selfies as they will invite you! Besides these, you can enjoy zip-line and bungee jumping as well. You can also visit the cave-aquarium with lots of different types of fish and reptiles.
There are many restaurants and shops in Ganjnameh, however, you can always find lots of stalls, selling different things and foods. If you like the clean and rather chilling weather of Ganjnameh, accommodation is also available to stay overnight. You can try wooden style cottages as well.
While in Hamedan, you can also visit Ali Sadr Cave, Ibn-e Sina (Avicenna) Tomb, Hegmataneh Hill, and Tomb of Esther and Mordecai and other natural and historical attractions. Contact Marcopolo via incoming@iranmarcopolo.com for more information on tours including Ganjnameh and other historical or natural attractions like Journey through Capitals or Iran World Heritage Trail or tailor-made tours based on your taste and time.
Some Hamedan Tours:
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