Hamadan

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historic city in western Iran, near the Alvand mountains ; a hand-knotted woven floor covering produced in that region of Persia
2. An ancient city located in western Iran at the foot of Mount Alvand ; a traditional knotted carpet made in the surrounding area
3. A city in the west of Iran known for its long history ; a style of handwoven Persian rug associated with the local weaving tradition

Etymology: Ecbatana, the capital the ancient Greeks recorded for the Median kingdom, and the modern Persian Hamadan are doublets: two separate borrowings of one name. Both come from the Old Persian Hagmatāna, often glossed as "gathering place." That name passed through Middle Persian as Ahmadān before reaching its modern form, so the city has carried essentially the same name for more than two thousand years, while the Greek version survives only in classical texts. The name has also travelled beyond the city. Carpets woven in and around Hamadan became known by its name, and "Hamadan" is now used for such rugs in the trade.