Kermanshah

About Kermanshah

Kermanshah is a city in the Central District of Kermanshah province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. The city is 525 kilometres (326 miles) from Tehran in the western part of the country. The 2016 National Census measured the population of the city as 946,651 (2025 estimate 1,117,000).

"Kermanshah" derives from the Sasanian era title Kirmanshah, which translates as "King of Kerman". 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 (present-day Kerman Province). Later, in 390, when he had already succeeded his father as Bahram IV Kirmanshah (r. 388–399), he founded the city and his title was applied to it, i.e. "(City of the) King of Kirman".

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...

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.