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Document Details : Title: Passing through the Northwestern Heights of the Alvand Mountains Subtitle: Restoring the Caravan Routes between Asadabad and Hamadan in Different Historical Periods Author(s): REZAEI, Iraj Journal: Iranica Antiqua Volume: 59 Date: 2024 Pages: 195-218 DOI: 10.2143/IA.59.0.3293987 Abstract : The north-western heights of the Alvand Mountains, spanning a distance of more than 20 km and located on the southern border of Bahar county and the northern part of Asadabad county, are one of the main and most important communication routes between Hamadan city and the Iranian plateau, on the one hand, and Kermanshah province and Mesopotamia, on the other. Easy passage through these heights has been one of the main concerns for caravans and travellers throughout history. The road that passes today through the Asadabad Pass is a well-known and familiar road because it is a part of an important communication highway to the west of Iran. However, the historical sources and archaeological evidence indicate that, in various periods, other parallel routes that are not well-known today were used to pass through the north-western part of the Alvand Mountains. This research studies the communication routes of the north-western part of the Alvand Mountains and seeks answers to questions about the quantity and quality of these routes and their reconstruction based on historical sources, especially the geographical texts of the Islamic period (al-Masalik wa’l-Mamalik) and travelogues of different Iranian and non-Iranian travellers. In addition, the archaeological evidence, including remains of buildings related to these roads such as caravanserais and historical bridges as well as the distribution pattern of historical sites, are also considered. The result of this research indicates that at least four main routes, including 1) the Asadabad route, 2) the Khondab route, 3) the Malham-Darreh route, and 4) the Chaharduli route, in different periods, were used to cross the north-western part of the Alvand Mountains. The usage of each route depends on various factors such as the weather and seasonal conditions, the type of caravan (heavy or light), and the safety of the road. |
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