In the footsteps of Avicenna

Few cities can claim a resident as famous as Avicenna. Ibn Sina came to Hamedan in the early 11th century, served the local ruler as physician and vizier, wrote much of his work here between the turbulence of court politics, and died in the city in 1037.

A tower built for a thinker

The mausoleum you see today is a 20th-century tribute rather than a medieval tomb. Architect Houshang Seyhoun drew on the 11th-century Gonbad-e Qabus for its silhouette, then opened it up into twelve slender fins. It looks severe from a distance; standing beneath it and looking up, it becomes something closer to a flower.

Inside the museum

The small museum is worth slowing down for. Manuscripts and early printed editions sit beside historical medical instruments, and the library holds several thousand volumes. Look for the displays on the Canon of Medicine, which European universities taught from for centuries.

Make an evening of it

The mausoleum stands on Bu-Ali Sina Square, a short walk from the bazaar and Imam Khomeini Square. Visit late in the day, then step outside after dark to see the floodlit tower against the night sky before heading into the city for dinner.