Stone lion statue — Attraction in Hamedan

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").

Stone Lion or Shir-e Sangi of Hamadan The gates were demolished in 931CE as the Deylamids took over the city.

Mardāvij unsuccessfully tried transporting one of the lions to Ray. Angered by the failure to move them, he ordered them to be demolished. One lion was completely destroyed, while the other had its arm broken and pulled to the ground. The half demolished lion lay on its side on the ground until 1949, when it was raised again, using a supplemental arm that was built into it.

In 1968 Heinz Luschey demonstrated that the lion is a Hellenistic sculpture and that the lion monument at Chaironeia (erected in 338 BC) is comparable. His interpretation that it was built by the orders of Alexander the Great to commemorate the death of his close companion Hephaestion in 324 BC. is adopted by Iran's Cultural Heritage...

The stone lion – one part of the 'Lions' Gate' – sits on a hill.

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").

Stone Lion or Shir-e Sangi of Hamadan The gates were demolished in 931AD as the Deylamids took over the city.

Mardāvij unsuccessfully tried transporting one of the lions to Ray. Angered by the failure to move them, he ordered them to be demolished. One lion was completely destroyed, while the other had its arm broken and pulled to the ground. The half-demolished lion lay on its side on the ground until 1949, when it was raised again, using a supplemental arm that was built into it. In 1968 Heinz Luschey demonstrated that the lion is a Hellenistic sculpture and that the lion monument at Chaeronea (erected in 338 BC) is comparable. His interpretation that it was built by the orders of Alexander the Great to commemorate the death of his close companion Hephaestion in 324 BC. is adopted by Iran's Cultural Heritage...

The lion isn’t as impressive as we expected. It looks more like a simple clay figure, but that’s likely because of its ancient age.

According to Encyclopedia Iranica, The Stone Lion of Hamadan (Šir-e Sangi) is an ancient relic carved from yellow sandstone, now worn down and missing its legs. Originally placed near the Bāb-al-Asad gate, it overlooked the Khorasan road. Some say Alexander the Great ordered it as a protective talisman, while others credit the Greek sculptor Balinās under King Qobād to guard against floods and cold. Nearby talismans were believed to ward off snakes, scorpions, and other dangers. The lion was damaged during the Ziarid conquest in 931 AD, and though the Abbasid caliph tried to move it to Baghdad, the people of Hamadan refused. Some scholars think it may date back to the Median era. Over the years, locals believed in its magical powers, performing rituals...