Hamadan Stone Lion (original) (raw)

The stone lion of Hamadan (Persian: شیر سنگی همدان šir-e sangi-ye hamedân) is a historical monument in Hamadan, Iran. The stone lion – one part of the 'Lions' Gate' – sits on a hill where a Parthian-era cemetery is said to have been located. When first built, this statue had a twin counterpart for which they both constituted the old gate of the city. During the Islamic conquest of Persia, the victorious Arabs referred to the gate as bâb ul-asad (Persian: باب‌الاسد, "the lions' gate"). The gates were demolished in 931AD as the Deylamids took over the city.