Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population is 946,681 (2021 estimate 1,047,000). A majority of the people of Kermanshah are bilingual in Southern Kurdish and Persian, and the city is the largest Kurdish-speaking city in Iran. Kermanshah has a moderate and mountainous climate.روزنامه سلام کرمانشاه
Persian (Kurdish)آشنایی با فرهنگ و نژاد استان کرمانشاه
(Persian)سازمان میراث فرهنگی، صنایع دستی و گردشگری استان کرمانشاه
بازدید 2010/03/11 Most of the inhabitants of Kermanshah are Shia Muslims, but there are also

Sunni Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...

Muslims, Christians, and followers of Yarsanism.

Etymology

"Kermanshah" derives from the Sasanian-era title ''Kirmanshah'', which translates as "King of Kerman". Famously, this title was held by the son of Shapur III, Prince Bahram, who was bestowed with the title upon being appointed governor of the province of

Kirman Kerman is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran. Kerman or Kirman may also refer to: Places *Kirman (Sasanian province), province of the Sasanian Empire * Kerman Province, province of Iran **Kerman County *Kerman, California People * Josep ...

(present-day Kerman Province). Later, in 390, when he had already succeeded his father as

Bahram IV Bahram IV (also spelled Wahram IV or Warahran IV; pal, 𐭥𐭫𐭧𐭫𐭠𐭭), was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran from 388 to 399. He was likely the son and successor of Shapur III (). Before his accession to the throne, Bahram served ...

(388–399), he founded Kermanshah, and applied his former title to the new city, i.e. "(City of the) King of Kerman". After the revolution in 1979, the city was named Ghahramanshahr for a short period of time, and later the name of the city as well as the province changed to

Bakhtaran Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population is 946,68 ...

, apparently due to the presence of the word " Shah" in the original name. Bakhtaran means western, which refers to the location of the city and the province within Iran. After the Iran–Iraq War, however, the city was renamed Kermanshah, as it resonated more with the desire of its residents, the Persian literature, and the collective memory of the Iranians.

History

Prehistory

Because of its antiquity, attractive landscapes, rich culture and Neolithic villages, Kermanshah is considered one of the cradles of prehistoric cultures. According to archaeological surveys and excavation, the Kermanshah area has been occupied by prehistoric people since the

Lower Paleolithic The Lower Paleolithic (or Lower Palaeolithic) is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. It spans the time from around 3 million years ago when the first evidence for stone tool production and use by hominins appears in ...

period, and continued to later

Paleolithic The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός ''palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...

periods till late Pleistocene period. The Lower Paleolithic evidence consists of some handaxes found in the Gakia area to the east of the city. The

Middle Paleolithic The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleoli ...

remains have been found in various parts of the province, especially in the northern vicinity of the city in Tang-e Kenesht, Tang-e Malaverd and near Taq-e Bostan. Neanderthal Man existed in the Kermanshah region during this period and the only discovered skeletal remains of this early human in Iran was found in three caves and

rockshelter A rock shelter (also rockhouse, crepuscular cave, bluff shelter, or abri) is a shallow cave-like opening at the base of a bluff or cliff. In contrast to solutional caves (karst), which are often many miles long, rock shelters are almost alway ...

situated in Kermanshah province. The known Paleolithic caves in this area are Warwasi, Qobeh, Malaverd and

Do-Ashkaft Cave The Do-Ashkaft Cave, being a Middle Paleolithic cave site, is located north of Kermanshah, near Taq-e Bostan, Iran about above sea level. Its entrance faces south of Meywala Mount, overlooking the national park of Kuhestan. The site was first ...

. The region was also one of the first places in which human settlements including Asiab, Qazanchi, Sarab,

Chia Jani Chia Jani is an archaeological siten Iran's Kermanshah Province. It is located near the village of Palang Gerd, on the Qouchemi stream, which flows to the Ravand River about south, in the south central part of the Islamabad Plain in the we ...

, and Ganj-Darreh were established between 8,000 and 10,000 years ago. Clay human figurine (Fertility goddess) Tappeh Sarab, Kermanshah ca

This is about the same time that the first potteries pertaining to Iran were made in Ganj-Darreh, near present-day

Harsin Harsin ( ku, هەرسين, fa, هرسين; also Romanized as Harsīn) is a city and capital of Harsin County, Kermanshah Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 51,562, in 12,001 families. Harsin is situated 44 km east of K ...

. In May 2009, based on a research conducted by the university of Hamadan and UCL, the head of Archeology Research Center of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization announced that the one of the oldest

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

village in the Middle East dating back to 9800 B.P., was discovered in Sahneh, located west of Kermanshah. Remains of later village occupations and early Bronze Age are found in a number of mound sites in the city itself. The city contains 4 archaeological mound sites: Chogha Kaboud,

Chogha Golan Chogha Golan is an aceramic Neolithic archaeological site in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains in Iran, about from the right bank of the Konjan Cham River. Located in a semi-arid region about north of Mehran, Chogha Golan is one of the ear ...

, Morad Hasel, and

Tappa Gawri Tappa Gawri is an archaeological site in the Kermanshah, in Iran, about from the south of the Ashayer Blvd (former Sanjabi Street). Tappa Gawri is one of the four mound sites in Kermanshah city. The other mound sites are Chogha Kaboud, Chogha G ...

Sassanid Kermanshah

In ancient Iranian mythology, construction of the city is attributed to

Tahmuras Tahmuras or Tahmures ( fa, تهمورث ,طهمورث, ; from Avestan ''Taxma Urupi'', meaning ''strong fox'') was the third Shah of the Pishdadian dynasty of Iran (Persia) according to Ferdowsi's epic poem, the ''Shahnameh''. He is considered th ...

, the third king of

Pishdadian The Pishdadian dynasty ( fa, دودمان پیشدادیان) is a mythical line of primordial kings featured in Zoroastrian belief and Persian mythology, who are presented in legend as originally rulers of the world but whose realm was eventuall ...

dynasty. It is believed that the Sassanids have constructed Kermanshah and

(he was called Kermanshah, meaning king of

Kerman Kerman ( fa, كرمان, Kermân ; also romanization of Persian, romanized as Kermun and Karmana), known in ancient times as the satrapy of Carmania, is the capital city of Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 821,394, in ...

) gave his name to this city. It was a glorious city in Sassanid period about the 4th century AD when it became the capital city of

Persian Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire (; peo, wikt:𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, 𐎧𐏁𐏂, , ), also called the First Persian Empire, was an History of Iran#Classical antiquity, ancient Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. Bas ...

and a significant

health center A healthcare center, health center, or community health center is one of a network of clinics staffed by a group of general practitioners and nurses providing healthcare services to people in a certain area. Typical services covered are family pr ...

serving as the summer resort for Sassanid kings. In AD 226, following a two-year war led by the Persian Emperor,

Ardashir I Ardashir I (Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭥𐭲𐭧𐭱𐭲𐭥, Modern Persian: , '), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180–242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire. He was also Ardashir V of the Kings of Persis, until he founded the new emp ...

, against " Kurdish" tribes in the region, the empire reinstated a local "Kurdish" prince, Kayus of Medya, to rule Kermanshah. At the time, the term "

Kurd ug:كۇردلار Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian peoples, Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Ir ...

" was used as a social term, designating Iranian nomads, rather than a concrete ethnic group. The word became an ethnic identity in the 12th and 13th century.Martin van Bruinessen, "The ethnic identity of the Kurds," in: ''Ethnic groups in the Republic of Turkey'', compiled and edited by Peter Alford Andrews with Rüdiger Benninghaus Beihefte zum Tübinger Atlas des Vorderen Orients, Reihe B, Nr.60 Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwich Reichert, 1989, pp. 613–21. excerpt: "The ethnic label "Kurd" is first encountered in Arabic sources from the first centuries of the Islamic era; it seemed to refer to a specific variety of pastoral nomadism, and possibly to a set of political units, rather than to a linguistic group: once or twice, "Arabic Kurds" are mentioned. By the 10th century, the term appears to denote nomadic and/or transhumant groups speaking an Iranian language and mainly inhabiting the mountainous areas to the South of Lake Van and Lake Urmia, with some offshoots in the Caucasus. ... If there was a Kurdish-speaking subjected peasantry at that time, the term was not yet used to include them

Within the dynasty known as the

House of Kayus The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

(also ''Kâvusakân'') remained a semi-independent kingdom lasting until AD 380 before

Ardashir II Ardashir II ( pal, 𐭠𐭥𐭲𐭧𐭱𐭲𐭥, Ardašīr), was the Sasanian King of Kings () of Iran from 379 to 383. He was the brother of his predecessor, Shapur II (), under whom he had served as vassal king of Adiabene, where he fought along ...

removed the dynasty's last ruling member.

Islamic era

Kermanshah was conquered by the Arabs in 629 AD. Under

Seljuk Seljuk or Saljuq (سلجوق) may refer to: * Seljuk Empire (1051–1153), a medieval empire in the Middle East and central Asia * Seljuk dynasty (c. 950–1307), the ruling dynasty of the Seljuk Empire and subsequent polities * Seljuk (warlord) (di ...

rule in the eleventh century, it became the major cultural and commercial center in western Iran and the southern Kurdish-inhabited areas as a whole. The Safavids fortified the town, and the Qajars repulsed an attack by the

Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...

during Fath Ali Shah's rule (1797–1834). Kermanshah was occupied by

between 1723–1729 and 1731–1732.

Modern history

Occupied by the

Imperial Russian army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

in 1914, followed by the Ottoman army in 1915 during World War I, it was evacuated in 1917 when the British forces arrived there to expel the Ottomans. Kermanshah played an important role in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution during the

Qajar dynasty The Qajar dynasty (; fa, دودمان قاجار ', az, Qacarlar ) was an IranianAbbas Amanat, ''The Pivot of the Universe: Nasir Al-Din Shah Qajar and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831–1896'', I. B. Tauris, pp 2–3 royal dynasty of Turkic peoples ...

period and the Republic Movement in

Pahlavi dynasty The Pahlavi dynasty ( fa, دودمان پهلوی) was the last Iranian royal dynasty, ruling for almost 54 years between 1925 and 1979. The dynasty was founded by Reza Shah Pahlavi, a non-aristocratic Mazanderani soldier in modern times, who ...

period. The city was harshly damaged during the Iran–Iraq War, and although it was rebuilt, it has not yet fully recovered. General Baratov, Russian Cossack at a meeting with British officers and the leaders of the Kurdish tribes in Kermanshah 1917

General Baratov, Russian Cossack at a meeting with British officers and the leaders of the Kurdish tribes in Kermanshah 1917

Climate

Kermanshah has a climate which is heavily influenced by the proximity of the Zagros mountains, classified as a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (''Csa''). The city's altitude and exposed location relative to westerly winds makes precipitation a little bit high (more than twice that of Tehran), but at the same time produces huge diurnal temperature swings especially in the virtually rainless summers, which remain extremely hot during the day. Kermanshah experiences rather cold winters and there are usually rainfalls in fall and spring. Snow cover is seen for at least a couple of weeks in winter.

Main sights

Taq-e Bostan - High-relief of Anahita, Khosro II, Ahura Mazda

Kermanshah sights include Kohneh Bridge, Behistun Inscription, Taghbostan, Temple of Anahita, Dinavar, Ganj Dareh,

Essaqwand Rock Tombs The Essaqwand Rock Tombs ( fa, گوردخمه اسحاق‌وند) are three rock-hewn tombs located 25 km southwest of Harsin in Kermanshah Province, Iran. On top of the middle tomb there is a rock relief of a man with his profile toward the ...

Sorkh Deh chamber tomb Sorkh Deh chamber tomb is a Shaft and chamber tomb type grave located in Kermanshah Province in Iran. ''Sorkh Deh'' in Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persia ...

, Malek Tomb, Hulwan,

Median In statistics and probability theory, the median is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a data sample, a population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as "the middle" value. The basic fe ...

dakhmeh (Darbad, Sahneh), Parav cave,

, Tekyeh Moaven al-molk, Dokan Davood Inscription, Sar Pol-e-Zahab, Tagh e gara, Patagh pass, Sarab Niloufar, Ghoori Ghale Cave, Khajeh Barookh's House, Chiyajani Tappe, Statue of Herakles in Behistun complex, Emad al doleh Mosque, Tekyeh Biglarbeigi, Hunters cave, Jamé Mosque of Kermanshah, Godin Tepe, Bas relief of Gotarzes II of Parthia, and Anobanini bas relief.

Taq-e Bostan

Taghbostan is a series of large rock reliefs from the era of

Sassanid Empire The Sasanian () or Sassanid Empire, officially known as the Empire of Iranians (, ) and also referred to by historians as the Neo-Persian Empire, was the last Iranian empire before the early Muslim conquests of the 7th-8th centuries AD. Named ...

of Persia, the Iranian dynasty which ruled western Asia from 226 to 650 AD. This example of

Sassanid art Sasanian art, or Sassanid art, was produced under the Sasanian Empire which ruled from the 3rd to 7th centuries AD, before the Muslim conquest of Persia was completed around 651. In 224 AD, the last Parthian king was defeated by Ardashir I. The ...

is located from the city center of Kermanshah in western Iran. It is located in the heart of the Zagros mountains, where it has endured almost 1,700 years of wind and rain. The carvings, some of the finest and best-preserved examples of Persian sculpture under the Sassanids, include representations of the investitures of

(379–383) and Shapur III (383–388). Like other Sassanid symbols, Taghbostan and its relief patterns accentuate power, religious tendencies, glory, honor, the vastness of the court, game and fighting spirit, festivity, joy, and rejoicing. Sassanid kings chose a beautiful setting for their rock reliefs along an historic

Silk Road The Silk Road () was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and reli ...

caravan route waypoint and campground. The reliefs are adjacent a sacred spring that empties into a large reflecting pool at the base of a mountain cliff. Taghbostan and its rock relief are one of the 30 surviving Sassanid relics of the Zagros mountains. According to Arthur Pope, the founder of Iranian art and archeology Institute in the US, "art was characteristic of the Iranian people and the gift which they endowed the world with." One of the most impressive reliefs inside the largest grotto or ''ivan'' is the gigantic equestrian figure of the Sassanid king Khosrau II (591-628 AD) mounted on his favorite charger, Shabdiz. Both horse and rider are arrayed in full battle armor. The arch rests on two columns that bear delicately carved patterns showing the tree of life or the sacred tree. Above the arch and located on two opposite sides are figures of two winged angels with

diadems The Diadems was one of the bands created by the 3rd French season of the popular reality show "Popstars", called "Popstars - the Duel" aired on RTL Group TV channel Métropole 6 (better known as M6) in fall 2003. This all-girls band "lost" the d ...

. Around the outer layer of the arch, a conspicuous margin has been carved, jagged with flower patterns. These patterns are also found in the official costumes of Sassanid kings. Equestrian relief panel measured on 16.08.07 approx. 7.45 m across by 4.25 m high.

Behistun

The Behistun inscription is considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Behistun Inscription (also ''Bisitun'' or ''Bisutun'', Modern Persian: بیستون ;

Old Persian Old Persian is one of the two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan language, Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native ...

: ''Bagastana'', meaning "the god's place or land") is a multi-lingual inscription located on

Mount Behistun Mount Bisotoun (or Behistun and Bisotun) is a mountain of the Zagros Mountains range, located in Kermanshah Province of western Iran. It is located west of Tehran. Cultural history It is well known for the famous Behistun Inscription and rock ...

. The inscription includes three versions of the same text, written in three different

cuneiform script Cuneiform is a logo-syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It is named for the characteristic wedge-sha ...

languages:

, Elamite, and Babylonian. A British army officer, Henry Rawlinson, had the inscription transcribed in two parts, in 1835 and 1843. Rawlinson was able to translate the Old Persian cuneiform text in 1838, and the Elamite and Babylonian texts were translated by Rawlinson and others after 1843. Babylonian was a later form of

Akkadian Akkadian or Accadian may refer to: * Akkadians, inhabitants of the Akkadian Empire * Akkadian language, an extinct Eastern Semitic language * Akkadian literature, literature in this language * Akkadian cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo- syllabi ...

: both are Semitic languages. In effect, then, the inscription is to cuneiform what the Rosetta Stone is to

Egyptian hieroglyph Egyptian hieroglyphs (, ) were the formal writing system used in Ancient Egypt, used for writing the Egyptian language. Hieroglyphs combined logographic, syllabic and alphabetic elements, with some 1,000 distinct characters.There were about 1,00 ...

s: the document most crucial in the

decipherment In philology, decipherment is the discovery of the meaning of texts written in ancient or obscure languages or scripts. Decipherment in cryptography refers to decryption. The term is used sardonically in everyday language to describe attempts to ...

of a previously lost

script Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of handw ...

. The inscription is approximately 15 metres high by 25 meters wide, and 100 meters up a limestone cliff from an ancient road connecting the capitals of

Babylonia Babylonia (; Akkadian: , ''māt Akkadī'') was an ancient Akkadian-speaking state and cultural area based in the city of Babylon in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq and parts of Syria). It emerged as an Amorite-ruled state c. ...

and Media (

Babylon ''Bābili(m)'' * sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠 * arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel'' * syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel'' * grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn'' * he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel'' * peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru'' * elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...

and

Ecbatana Ecbatana ( peo, 𐏃𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠𐎴 ''Hagmatāna'' or ''Haŋmatāna'', literally "the place of gathering" according to Darius I's inscription at Bisotun; Persian: هگمتانه; Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭧𐭬𐭲𐭠𐭭; Parthian: 𐭀𐭇� ...

). It is extremely inaccessible as the mountainside was removed to make the inscription more visible after its completion. The Old Persian text contains 414 lines in five columns; the Elamite text includes 593 lines in eight columns and the Babylonian text is in 112 lines. The inscription was illustrated by a life-sized bas-relief of

Darius Darius may refer to: Persian royalty ;Kings of the Achaemenid Empire * Darius I (the Great, 550 to 487 BC) * Darius II (423 to 404 BC) * Darius III (Codomannus, 380 to 330 BC) ;Crown princes * Darius (son of Xerxes I), crown prince of Persia, ma ...

, holding a bow as a sign of kingship, with his left foot on the chest of a figure lying on his back before him. The prostrate figure is reputed to be the pretender

Gaumata Bardiya or Smerdis ( peo, 𐎲𐎼𐎮𐎡𐎹 ; grc, Σμέρδις ; possibly died 522 BC), also named as Tanyoxarces ( grc, Τανυοξάρκης ) by Ctesias, was a son of Cyrus the Great and the younger brother of Cambyses II, both ...

. Darius is attended to the left by two servants, and ten one-metre figures stand to the right, with hands tied and rope around their necks, representing conquered peoples. Faravahar floats above, giving his blessing to the king. One figure appears to have been added after the others were completed, as was (oddly enough) Darius' beard, which is a separate block of stone attached with iron pins and lead.

Qajar dynasty monuments

During the

(1794 to 1925),

Kermanshah Bazaar Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population is 946, ...

, mosques and tekyehs such as Tekyeh Biglarbeygi and Moaven al-molk Mosque, and beautiful houses such as

Khajeh Barookh's House Khajeh ( fa, خواجه; also Romanized as Khvājeh; also known as Khājeh, Khwāja, and Khadzha) is a city and capital of Khajeh District, in Heris County, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran ...

were built. Tekyeh Biglarbeygi is well known for unique mirror decoration. Tekyeh Biglarbeygi was made during Qajar dynasty by efforts of Abdullah khan Biglarbeygi. Tekyeh Moaven al-molk is unique because it has many pictures on the walls that relate to shahnameh, despite some of its more religious ones.

is located in the old district of Faizabad, a Jewish neighborhood of the city. It was built by a Jewish merchant of the Qajar period, named Barookh/Baruch. The house, an historical depiction of Iranian architecture, was renamed "Randeh-Kesh House", after the last owner, is a "daroongara"(inward oriented) house and is connected through a vestibule to the exterior yard and through a corridor to the interior yard. Surrounding the interior yard are rooms, brick pillars making the iwans(porches) of the house, and step-like column capitals decorated with brick-stalactite work. This house is among the rare Qajar houses with a private bathroom. Khaneh-Barookh1

Bazaars

Kermanshah is home to at least one

bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...

dating back to the Qajar period. Kermanshah Grand Bazaar or ''Tarike Bazaar'' was built around 1820 when Prince Mohammad Ali Mirza Dowlatshah of Qajar dynasty governed over Kermanshah, and used to be the largest grand bazaar of Middle East during its time.

Economy

Kermanshah is one of the western agricultural core of Iran that produces grain, rice, vegetable, fruits, and oilseeds, however Kermanshah is emerging as a fairly important industrial city; there are two industrial centers with more than 256 manufacturing units in the suburb of the city. These industries include petrochemical refinery, textile manufacturing,

food processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industr ...

, carpet making, sugar refining, and the production of electrical equipment and tools. Kermanshah Oil Refining Company (KORC) established in 1932 by British companies, is one of the major industries in the city. After recent changes in Iraq, Kermanshah has become one of the main importing and exporting gates of Iran.

Education

Higher education

More than 49 thousands students are educating in 9 governmental and private universities in the city. Established in 1968 as the ''Kermanshah Graduate School of Nursing'', the

Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences was inaugurated as the Nursing High School in 1968, and became a medical college in 1975. After the Islamic Revolution, it was further developed into the Medical University in 1985. The University has ...

was the first university in the west part of Iran. The medical school as a division of ''Razi University'' was established in 1976 and admitted some students in general practice. Razi University established in 1972 was the second university in the west part of Iran and is the most-prominent higher education institute in Kermanshah province and also west part of the country. In 2020, Razi University ranked 24th in Iran and 1300th in the world by the U.S. News in universities of all countries of the world based upon 13 factors. Some of Kermanshah universities are: *

Islamic Azad University of Kermanshah Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

Kermanshah University of Technology Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2016 census, its population is 946,68 ...

* Payame Noor University * Razi University

Schools

Mohtashamiyeh (Persian: محتشمیه), established in 1899, was the first modern school in Kermanshah founded by Husseinali-Khan Mohandes-e Guran. Khalq Study Hall (Persian: قرائتخانۀ خلق) was the first study hall in Kermanshah and also an adult school founded in 1909. Alliance Israélite school of Kermanshah founded by the Alliance Israélite Universelle in 1904. The Azodiyeh State School for Misses (Persian: مدرسه دولتی دوشیزگان عضدیه) was the first girls' school, founded in 1922. The first private school in Kermanshah was founded in 1991.

Notable people

Arts

Ali Mohammad Afghani Ali Mohammad Afghani ( fa, علی محمد افغانی, born 1 January 1925) is an Iranian writer. His father is from Tiran and Karvan, one of the counties of Isfahan province. Biography Veteran contemporary writer, Ali Mohammad Afghani was ...

, novelist * Seyed Khalil Alinezhad,

Tanbour The term ''Tanbur'' ( fa, تنبور, ) can refer to various long-necked string instruments originating in Mesopotamia, Southern or Central Asia. According to the '' New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', "terminology presents a compli ...

master * Mahshid Amirshahi, writer *

Nozar Azadi Nozar Azadi ( fa, نوذر آزادی; 1938 – 27 February 2021) was an Iranian comedian and actor who was famous in Iran in the 1970s, mostly because of his role in TV series such as ''Italia, Italia'', ''Kaf show'', and ''Okhtapus''. Career H ...

, actor *

Ali Ashraf Darvishian Ali Ashraf Darvishian ( fa, علی‌اشرف درویشیان‎; 25 August 1941 – 26 October 2017) was an Iranian story writer and scholar of Kurdish descent. After finishing teacher-training college, he would teach at the poverty-stricke ...

, novelist and writer * Pouran Derakhshandeh, film director, producer, screenwriter *

Reza Shafiei Jam Ahmad-Reza Shafiei-Jam ( fa, احمدرضا شفیعی‌جم, born July 1, 1971) is an Iranian actor . He is famous for his roles in comedy TV series and films. Filmography Cinema * ''Mard-e avazi (The Changed Man)'' * ''Ertefa-e past (Low ...

, actor *

Mirza Mohammad Reza Kalhor Mirza Reza Kalhor (born 1829 – died 1892) was a 19th-century Iranian calligrapher of Kurdish origin, known for his mastery of the Nastaʿlīq script technique. A member of the Kalhor tribe of Kermanshah, he initially followed the typical triba ...

, calligrapher *

Mir Jalaleddin Kazzazi Mir Jalaleddin Kazzazi ( fa, میرجلال‌الدین کزازی; born 19 January 1949) is a professor of Persian literature and an Iranist. Kazzazi is a professor of literature at Allameh Tabatabaii University in Tehran. He is known for his w ...

, writer * Rahim Moeini Kermanshahi, poet, lyricist *

Alexis Kouros Alexis Kouros (born 1961, in Kermanshah, Iran) is an Iranian-Finnish writer, documentary-maker, director, and producer. His first book, ''Gondwana's Children'', won the Finlandia Junior award in 1997. His first film was the 2000 documentary, ''W ...

, writer, documentary-maker, director, and producer *

Abolghasem Lahouti Abolqāsem Lahūtī (russian: Абулькасим Ахмедзаде Лахути, Abuljkasim Ahmedzade Lahuti; tg, Абулқосим Лоҳутӣ / ابوالقاسم لاهوتی, Aʙulqosim Lohutī; 12 October 1887 – 16 March 1957) was ...

, poet *

Doris Lessing Doris May Lessing (; 22 October 1919 – 17 November 2013) was a British-Zimbabwean novelist. She was born to British parents in Iran, where she lived until 1925. Her family then moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where she remain ...

, writer, 2007 winner of the

Nobel Prize in Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 , ...

(born in Kermanshah to British parents) *

Aref Lorestani Aref Lorestani (February 4, 1972 – April 15, 2017) was an Iranian actor. Lorestani started his professional career by playing a role in a sitcom, dubbed '' Jong 77'', by famous Iranian director Mehran Modiri, in 1998 and continued appearing in ...

, actor, comedian * Shahram Mokri, film director *

Nicky Nodjoumi Nikzad Nodjoumi, more commonly known as Nicky Nodjoumi (born 1942) is an Iranian-born American fine art painter. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. His paintings address Iranian politics, history, power and corruption. Early l ...

, modern painter *

Reza Fieze Norouzi Reza Fieze Norouzi ( fa, رضا فیض نوروزی; born ) is an Iranian actor. Filmography *''Kaktus 1 (Cactus: Part I )'' *''Kaktus 2 (Cactus: Part II )'' *''Kaktus 3 (Cactus: Part III )'' *''Roya-ye natamam'' *''Bayram'' *''Rooz-e Raftan' ...

, actor *

Guity Novin Guity Novin (''née'' Navran; born 1944) is an Iranian-born Canadian artist, known as a figurative painter and graphic designer. She classifies her work as "transpressionism" (trans- and impressionism), a term coined by Novin in the 1990s. Her ...

, painter & graphic designer *

Mohammad Salemy Mohammad Salemy (born 1967 in Iran, Kermanshah) is a Canadian artist, art critic, curator, writer . curator, writer He is sometimes referred to as "Mo Salemy". Biography Salemy holds a master's degree in both Critical and Curatorial Studie ...

, artist, curator, writer *

Rashid Yasemi Gholamreza Rashid Yasemi ( fa, غلامرضا رشید یاسمی; born 1895 in Gahwareh, Kermanshah Province, Iran – died 1951 in Tehran) was an Iranian-Kurdish poet, translator, academic and literary figure. He finished his primary educatio ...

, one of the

Five-Masters Five-Masters (or ''Panj Ostād'') refers to five influential masters of Persian literature, Badiozzaman Forouzanfar, Malekoshoara Bahar, Jalal Homaei, Abdolazim Gharib and Rashid Yasemi. These five masters wrote the classic book of '' Grammar o ...

of Persian Literature

Music

Evin Agassi Evin Agassi, also written as Evin Aghassi (Syriac: ܐܝܒ̣ܢ ܐܓܣܝ, born September 1945), is an Assyrian-American singer who has released over 20 albums during his career.Kayhan Kalhor, musician *

Mojtaba Mirzadeh Mojtaba Mirzadeh ( fa, مجتبی میرزاده) (18 March 1946 – 17 July 2005) was a renowned Kurdish Iranian Violin, Kamancheh, and Setar player who was influential in Persian classical music. He played, composed and arrangement music for ...

, master of violin and setar *

Roknoddin Mokhtari Rokneddin Mokhtari (1887–1970) was an Iranian musician and violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smalle ...

, violin player *

Ali Akbar Moradi Ali Akbar Moradi ( ku, عەلی ئەکبەر مورادی; born 1957) is a well known Kurdish musician and composer. He was born in Gahvareh in the Kermanshah Province of Iran. He started music at a very early age, and learned the Kurdish ''maqam ...

, musician and tanbour player * Shahram Nazeri, vocalist and musician * Sohrab Pournazeri, musician *

Sousan Susan ( fa, سوسن, pronounced: Soo'san, born Golandam Taherkhani ( fa, گل‌اندام طاهرخانی), May 1940 – May 2, 2004) was a popular Iranian singer of particularly the 1960s and 1970s. Among her recordings was her 1969 release ...

(Golandam Taherkhani), singer *

Marganita Vogt-Khofri Marganita "Maggie" Vogt-Khofri ( fa, مارگانیتا خفری; born 1952) is an Assyrian pianist, classical musician and vocalist. Biography Vogt-Khofri was born in Kermanshah, Iran in 1952 to Jeni and Paulus Khofri, both from Iraq. Her fat ...

, pianist, classical musician, and vocalist

Politics and military

Ebrahim Azizi Ebrahim Azizi (Born in Kermanshah) is an Iranian politician. He was a member and spokesman of the Guardian Council The Guardian Council, (also called Council of Guardians or Constitutional Council, fa, شورای نگهبان, Shourā-ye Ne ...

, member and spokesman of the Guardian Council *

Abdol Ali Badrei Abdol Ali Badrei (29 March 1921 – 11 February 1979) was an Iranian lieutenant general and the last commander of the Imperial Iranian Army and the Imperial Guard. He was one of the hardline senior military officers and was assassinated during th ...

, commander of the

Imperial Iranian Army , founded = , current_form = ( Islamic Republic) , disbanded = , branches = , headquarters = Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, Tehran , website = , commander-in-chief = Maj. Ge ...

and the Imperial Guard *

Hanif Bali Hanif Bali (; fa, حنیف بالی ; born 10 April 1987) is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party and a former board member of the party. He was member of the Riksdag for Stockholm County between 2010 and 2022. He lives in Österåker, Åk ...

, member of Swedish Riksdag *

Karim Sanjabi Karim Sanjabi ( fa, کریم سنجابی; 11 September 1905 – 4 July 1995) was an Iranian politician of National Front. Early life He was born in Kermanshah in September 1905 to the chief of the Kurdish Sanjâbi tribe. He studied law and ...

, Iran's attorney during oil nationalization movement, former foreign minister *

Bijan Namdar Zangeneh Bijan Namdar Zangeneh ( fa, بيژن نامدار زنگنه; born 21 September 1952) is an Iranian politician, who served as minister, at different cabinets after the Islamic Revolution, for 30 years. He lately served as Minister of Petroleum f ...

, minister of Petroleum * Mohammad Reza Jahansooz, ministry of agriculture

Sciences

Shahram Amiri Shahram Amiri ( fa, شهرام امیری ''Šahrâm Amiri''; 8 November 1978 – 3 August 2016) was an Iranian nuclear scientist who disappeared from Iran during 2009–2010 under disputed circumstances, and was executed by the Government of Isla ...

, nuclear scientist *

Massoud Azarnoush Massoud Azarnoush (25 March 1945 – 27 November 2008) was an Iranian archaeologist. He was born in Kermanshah. He received his MA from the department of archaeology at University of Tehran in 1972 and his PhD from the University of California, Lo ...

, archaeologist * Al-Dinawari, botanist, historian, geographer, astronomer and mathematician *

Fereidoun Biglari Fereidoun Biglari ( fa, فریدون بیگلری) () is an Iranian archaeologist and a museum curator. Career Fereidoun Biglari is co-founder and head of the Paleolithic department in National Museum of Iran which established in 2001. He is ...

, archaeologist

Sports

* Makwan Amirkhani, mixed martial artist, UFC fighter *

Kourosh Bagheri Kourosh Bagheri ( fa, كوروش باقری, born 21 September 1977 in Kermanshah) is a former Iranian weightlifter who won the gold medal in the Men's 94 kg weight class at the 2001 World Weightlifting Championships. Bagheri was also holdi ...

, world weightlifting champion *

Homa Hosseini Homa Hosseini ( fa, هما حسینی; born 22 December 1988) is an Iranian rower born in Kermanshah. She represented Iran in the single sculls event at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as P ...

, rower *

Ali Mazaheri Ali Mazaheri ( fa, علی مظاهری; born March 31, 1982, in Kermanshah, Iran) is an amateur boxer from Iran, who competed in the 2006 Asian Games in the Heavyweight (-91 kg) division and won the gold medal in the final bout against Uzbeki ...

2006 Asian Games 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

gold medalist, Asian champion & Olympic boxer *

Mohammad Hassan Mohebbi Mohammad Hassan "Homa" Mohebbi ( fa, محمد حسن محبی, born 6 September 1956) is an Iranian light heavyweight freestyle wrestler from Kermanshah. He is often confused with his twin brother Mohammad Hossein Mohebbi, who competed alongsid ...

, light heavyweight

freestyle wrestler Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...

& Iran's national team coach *

Mohammad Hossein Mohebbi Mohammad Hossein Mohebbi ( fa, محمد‌حسین محبی, born September 6, 1956) was captain of Iran freestyle wrestling national team. He won a silver medal at the 1978 World Championships and a gold at the 1982 Asian Games. He is frequentl ...

Yadollah Mohebbi Yadollah "Shiravan" Mohebbi ( fa, یدالله محبی; born 9 December 1993) is an Iranian freestyle wrestler. He is a three-time gold medalist at the Asian Wrestling Championships in the men's 125 kg event, in 2017, 2019 and 2022. Career He ...

, 125 kg

and nephew of

and

Mohammad Ranjbar ) , birth_date = , birth_place = Kermanshah, Iran , death_date = , death_place = Tehran, Iran , position = Defender , youthyears1 = 1950–1956 , youthclubs1 = Shahin Kermanshah , years1 = 1956–1964 , years2 = 1964–1970 , club ...

, former Iran national football team player and head coach *

Kianoush Rostami Kianoush Rostami ( fa, کیانوش رستمی, born 23 July 1991) is an Iranian Kurdish Olympic weightlifter, Olympian weightlifter. He competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in the 85 kg event, winning the gold medal and setting a new world rec ...

, world weight lifting champion *

Neda Shahsavari Neda Shahsavari ( fa, ندا شهسواری, born 21 September 1986 in Kermanshah) is an Iranian table tennis player who qualified to compete in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London London is the capital and largest city of England and th ...

, table tennis champion *

Mohammad Torkashvand Mohammad Torkashvand ( fa, محمد ترکاشوند born 25 January 1979, in Kermanshah Kermanshah ( fa, کرمانشاه, Kermânšâh ), also known as Kermashan (; romanized: Kirmaşan), is the capital of Kermanshah Province, located from ...

, volleyball champion *

Mehran Shahintab Mehran Shahintab (born March 21, 1966 Kermanshah) is an Iranian professional basketball coach.

, Basketball champion & head coach of the Iranian national team

Iran Basketball Federation The Islamic Republic of Iran Basketball Federation (I.R.I.B.F.) is the governing body for basketball in Iran. It was founded in 1945, and has been a member of FIBA since 1947. It is also a member of the FIBA Asia. The IRIBF is responsible for orga ...

* Peter Warr, businessman, racing driver and a manager for several Formula One teams *

Saeid Ahmadi Saeid Ahmadi Karyani ( fa, سعید احمدی کریانی, also Romanized as "Sa'īd Ahmadī (Karyānī)"; born on October 2, 1988 in Kermanshah) is an Iranian karateka and current professional personal trainer. He has participated in three wo ...

, world champion gold and silver medalist in karate

Gallery

Twin towns – sister cities

Roseburg, Oregon Roseburg is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is in the Umpqua River, Umpqua River Valley in southern Oregon and is the county seat and most populous city of Douglas County, Oregon, Douglas County. Founded in 1851, the population was 23,683 a ...

, United States of America * Sicily, Italy (2010) * Gaziantep, Turkey (2010) * Split, Croatia (2011)

Footnotes

References

Sources

* * * *

Etymology

History

Prehistory

Sassanid Kermanshah

Islamic era

Modern history

Climate

Main sights

Taq-e Bostan

Behistun

Qajar dynasty monuments

Bazaars

Economy

Education

Higher education

Schools

Notable people

Arts

Music

Politics and military

Sciences

Sports

Gallery

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

Footnotes

References

Sources

External links