Bakhtaran

Kermanshah کرمانشاه
city
Seal
Nickname(s): The Land of History & Myths; The Land of Eternal Lovers; The Land of Shirin & Farhad
Kermanshah
Coordinates: 34°18′51″N 47°03′54″E / 34.31417°N 47.06500°E / 34.31417; 47.06500Coordinates: 34°18′51″N 47°03′54″E / 34.31417°N 47.06500°E / 34.31417; 47.06500
Country	Iran
Province	Kermanshah
County	Kermanshah
Bakhsh	Central
Established date	4th century
Government
• Mayor	Peyman Ghorbani
Elevation	1,350 m (4,430 ft)
Population (2016 census)
• Total	946,651
• Demonym	Kermanshahi
Time zone	IRST (UTC+3:30)
• Summer (DST)	IRDT (UTC+4:30)
Postal code	67146
Area code(s)	083
Climate	Csa
Website	www.kermanshahcity.ir

Bisotun

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location	Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Coordinates	34°19′00″N 47°04′07″E / 34.3167°N 47.0686°E / 34.3167; 47.0686
Area	97 km2 (1.04×109 sq ft)
Criteria	Cultural: ii, iii
Reference	1222
Inscription	2006 (30th Session)
Website	www.kermanshahcity.ir
Location of Kermanshah
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Kermanshah (Southern Kurdish: کرماشان, Kirmashan; Persian: کرمانشاه‎, Kermānshāh; also known as Bākhtarān or Kermānshāhān), the capital of Kermanshah Province, is located 525 kilometres (326 miles) from Tehran in the western part of Iran. According to the 2011 census, its population is 851,405. A majority of the population speaks Southern Kurdish. Kermanshah has a moderate and mountainous climate. Kermanshah is the largest Kurdish-speaking city in Iran. Most of the inhabitants of Kermanshah are Shia Muslims, but there are minorities such as Sunni Muslims, Yarsanism and so on.

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 period, and continued to later Paleolithic periods till late period. The Lower Paleolithic evidence consists of some handaxes found in the Gakia area to the east of the city. The Middle Paleolithic remains have been found in the northern vicinity of the city in Tang-e Kenesht and near Taqwasan. Neanderthal Man existed in the Kermanshah region during this period. The known Paleolithic caves in this area are Warwasi, Qobeh, Malaverd and Do-Ashkaft Cave. The region was also one of the first places in which human settlements including Asiab, Qazanchi, Tappeh Sarab, Chia Jani, and Ganj-Darreh were established between 8,000-10,000 years ago.

This is about the same time that the first potteries pertaining to Iran were made in Ganj-Darreh, near present-day Harsin. In May 2009, based on a research conducted by the University of Hamedan and UCL, the head of Archeology Research Center of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization announced that the one of the oldest prehistorian 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.