Discovering Ancient Teppe Hasanlu: Iran’s Ancient City
Explore the Archaeological Wonders Just South of Lake Urmia
Explore Teppe Hasanlu—an ancient archaeological site in northwest Iran, located in West Azerbaijan, just south of Lake Urmia. This site offers a glimpse into the rich history of a once-thriving city. Discover artifacts and architectural remnants that reveal the cultural significance of Hasanlu. Whether you’re a history enthusiast or a curious traveler, Teppe Hasanlu provides a unique opportunity to connect with Iran’s past. Plan your visit today to experience this historical treasure firsthand.
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Exploring Teppe Hasanlu
Six thousand years ago, in the south of Lake Urmia, the foundations of a magnificent civilization were laid. A people known as the Mannaeans chose Teppe Hasanlu as the center of their power and settled in this land. Gradually, this civilization reached its peak of power and prosperity.
However, fate seemed to have a tragic destiny in store for this people. Between the years 1300 and 800 BCE, a devastating fire engulfed Teppe Hasanlu, causing massive destruction. Traces of this disaster are still visible throughout the mound. Although people continued to live in this place after the event, Teppe Hasanlu never regained its former glory and grandeur.
In this article from SURFIRAN, join us as we get acquainted with Teppe Hasanlu, one of the tourist attractions of West Azerbaijan.
Introducing Teppe Hasanlu
Teppe Hasanlu is one of the important ancient mounds in Iran. This circular mound has a diameter of about 250 to 280 meters. The height of Teppe Hasanlu is about 20 meters above the bed of the Gadar River.
The initial inhabitants of Teppe Hasanlu were probably the Mannaeans, who left behind a vast and brilliant civilization. This people lived south of Lake Urmia. The bronze artifacts they left behind are comparable to the bronze works of the Kassites in Lorestan. Teppe Hasanlu was subjected to archaeological excavations from 1934, and finally, in 1959, it gained international fame with the discovery of the Golden Cup by Robert H. Dyson.
The archaeological site of Hasanlu is an attractive destination for history and archaeology enthusiasts. Visiting this mound provides an exceptional opportunity to observe and understand the depth and breadth of the ancient civilizations of the region and their mutual influences on each other.
Where Is Teppe Hasanlu?
Teppe Hasanlu is one of the historical and ancient sites of West Azerbaijan province. This mound is located near the city of Naqadeh. To travel to Hasanlu Castle, you can access it both from the city of Urmia and from Naqadeh. This mound is situated between the villages of Hasanlu and Aminlu in a green plain called “Soldoz”.
The access route to Teppe Hasanlu from both directions is completely paved. Only from the bottom to the top of the mound, you need to walk a path. But don’t worry, there’s no need for mountain climbing. Walking this 150-meter path will take at most 3 minutes.
- Address: West Azerbaijan Province, 10 kilometers from Naqadeh city, Hasanlu Village, Teppe Hasanlu
- Location of Teppe Hasanlu on Google Maps
Access to Teppe Hasanlu from Naqadeh City
The distance from Teppe Hasanlu to Naqadeh city is 10 kilometers. By using a private car, this route takes about 13 minutes.
To reach Hasanlu Castle from Naqadeh, first enter the Naqadeh–Urmia road and continue for about 2.5 kilometers. Then, exit towards Hasanlu Road to reach Hasanlu Village. Teppe Hasanlu is located right at the beginning of Hasanlu Village.
Access to Teppe Hasanlu from Urmia
Teppe Hasanlu is 82.6 kilometers away from Urmia city. By private car, you can cover this route in about one hour.
First, enter the Urmia–Mahabad road. After traveling 61 kilometers, turn right towards the Urmia–Naqadeh road. Finally, exit towards Hasanlu Village to reach Teppe Hasanlu.
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Distance from Tehran to Teppe Hasanlu
The shortest route from Tehran to Hasanlu Castle is 666 kilometers, which can be covered in about 8 hours and 20 minutes.
Leave the city via the Tehran–Karaj highway. Continue your route, passing by the cities of Qazvin and Zanjan until you reach West Azerbaijan Province and the city of Miandoab. Miandoab is about 70 kilometers away from Teppe Hasanlu, which you can cover in about one hour and 20 minutes. After that, you will reach Hasanlu Village and Teppe Hasanlu.
Weather of Teppe Hasanlu
The region where the ancient mound of Hasanlu is located has a temperate continental climate. Summers are hot and dry, and winters are cold and humid. The average temperature in the hottest months of the year (July and August) is about 33°C, and in the coldest month (January), about -5°C.
Best Time to Visit Teppe Hasanlu
The best time to visit Teppe Hasanlu is in mid-spring and early autumn, when the weather is neither too hot nor too cold, and you can comfortably enjoy exploring this archaeological site.
History of Teppe Hasanlu
The antiquity of Teppe Hasanlu in Naqadeh, which is one of the most important ancient mounds of Iran, goes back more than 6,000 years. This large and circular mound is the site of valuable and significant historical artifacts. The initial inhabitants of Teppe Hasanlu were probably the Mannaeans, who established a magnificent and great civilization in this region. The artifacts discovered in this mound, including the Golden Cup of Hasanlu, are of great historical importance.
Approximately 14 other ancient mounds have been identified around Teppe Hasanlu, indicating the existence of simultaneous civilizations with Hasanlu and the cultural and commercial connections between them. These mounds signify the prosperity and cultural growth of the people of that time in this area.
Periods of Settlement in Teppe Hasanlu
Settlement in Teppe Hasanlu is divided into 10 time periods. Dyson, the head of the joint Iranian-American team, believes that archaeological evidence and excavations in Hasanlu confirm the existence of these periods. The oldest period, which is the tenth period (around 6,000 years BCE), continues to the first period, which reaches the late Sassanid era and the early Islamic period.
- Periods X, IX, and VIII: Little information is available.
- Period VII: Between 3000 and 2500 BCE. People of this period used bronze tools.
- Period VI: Between 2500 and 2000 BCE.
- Period V: Around 1300 BCE, gray pottery vessels were discovered. Also, mud-brick buildings date back to this period.
- Period IV: One of the most important settlement periods in Teppe Hasanlu. This period is known for the great fire that occurred during it. Period IV spans between 1300 and 800 BCE, and the stone buildings belong to this period. A developed civilization was in progress during this period in this place; their art is comparable to the artifacts found in Ziwiyeh in Kurdistan and Marlik in Gilan.
- Period III: Coincides with the era of the Medes. It also overlaps with part of the Achaemenid period.
- Period II: Coincides with the Parthian period.
- Period I: Reaches the late Sassanid era and the early Islamic period, whose related artifacts have been lost.
History of Excavations in Teppe Hasanlu
The first excavations in Teppe Hasanlu were carried out in 1934 in a non-scientific manner with a commercial permit. After that, in 1936, the first almost scientific excavation was conducted by Aurel Stein, a British archaeologist. The report of this excavation was published a few years later in 1939.
Again, in 1946, an excavation with a commercial permit was carried out in Teppe Hasanlu. In 1949, the General Directorate of Archaeology of Iran, led by Mahmoud Rad and Ali Hakemi, conducted excavations in the region. Also, in 1957, Farhadi, under the supervision of Mahmoud Rad, conducted excavations in the area.
Finally, Robert H. Dyson started the “Hasanlu Project” in 1956. These series of excavations were conducted in 10 seasons during the years 1956 to 1976. The most important discoveries of Teppe Hasanlu were obtained during these excavations. Dyson, a professor from the University of Pennsylvania, USA, carried out these excavations with an Iranian-American team and in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of New York.
Artifacts Found in Hasanlu Castle
Numerous and valuable artifacts have been found in Hasanlu Castle, among which the Golden Cup of Hasanlu and the Silver Bowl can be mentioned. A wide range of weapons (bronze swords and bows), jewelry, tools, decorative wall tiles, metal and pottery vessels, harnesses, chest plaques, and more were found during these excavations.
The discovered artifacts were made of iron, gold, silver, bronze, shell, kohl stone, bone amber, ivory, glass, wood, and stone. These artifacts indicate the advanced civilization and art of the peoples who once inhabited these periods in the ancient mound of Hasanlu.
The Lovers of Teppe Hasanlu
In 1972, Dr. Robert H. Dyson encountered an astonishing discovery in Teppe Hasanlu:
A skeleton dating back to 800 BCE, depicting two people in a moment of a kiss before death. In 1974, the University of Pennsylvania Museum displayed the image of these two lovers, which remains one of the most fascinating artifacts of the museum. These two skeletons are known as the Lovers of Hasanlu.
The Golden Cup of Teppe Hasanlu
The Golden Cup of Hasanlu, one of the most outstanding ancient artifacts of Iran, was discovered in 1958 by Dyson in Teppe Hasanlu. This 3200-year-old cup weighs about 950 grams and has a height of 20 centimeters. The Golden Cup of Teppe Hasanlu is decorated with repoussé and engraving techniques, depicting intricate motifs of gods, heroes, and monsters in two rows.
The engraved images on the cup, reflecting the mythological beliefs of the Mannaeans, have a close connection with the myths of Mesopotamia. The images in the upper row include three chariot-riding deities, and in the lower row, scenes of religious ceremonies and animal sacrifices can be seen. This cup is currently kept in the National Museum of Iran.
The Silver Bowl of Hasanlu
The silver bowl discovered in Teppe Hasanlu is made of electrum, an alloy composed of gold and silver. This cup has a visual structure consistent with the cups discovered from Marlik, Lorestan, and excavations in Georgia. The silver bowl of Hasanlu is divided into five cylindrical sections with four raised bands, with the top and bottom two rows decorated with palm tree motifs.
The widest part of the silver bowl depicts a scene of victory after battle; where a charioteer looks at his horses, and an archer is drawing his bow. This scene also includes a disarmed person following the chariot, pursued by an armed soldier. The antiquity of the silver bowl of Hasanlu dates back to about 200 years after the Golden Cup of Hasanlu.
Architecture of Hasanlu Castle
Hasanlu Castle is a prominent example of Iron Age architecture in northwestern Iran, distinguished from other regions by its specific features. This castle was built using extensive plans, halls and porticos with columns, and mudbrick and stone benches beside the walls.
Among the architectural features of this period are two-story buildings, the formation of governmental, religious, and military architecture, and the expansion of architectural decorations. Dyson’s excavations revealed numerous rooms with large halls in the center of the mound and the fortification wall of this city. The most important discoveries include three large columned halls built at different stages: first the eastern columned hall, then the southern columned hall, and finally the western columned hall.
Different Sections of Teppe Hasanlu
Teppe Hasanlu consists of two main parts:
- The central mound with a height of 25 meters and a diameter of about 200 meters
- The peripheral mound with a height of 8 meters and a diameter of 600 meters
Hasanlu Castle, which is located on the mound, belongs to the fourth settlement period. In the following, we examine the buildings related to different parts of the castle.
Central Courtyard
The central courtyard of Hasanlu Fortress is 29 meters long and 19 meters wide. This courtyard is an irregular polygon that reaches a width of 21 meters in its northern part. At the southern end of the courtyard, there is an altar, and at the northern end, several tall stone columns of 3 meters or more in height are installed.
On the northern and western sides of the courtyard, there are stone benches with a height of 60 to 70 centimeters and a width of 120 to 230 centimeters. Small and large rooms, columned halls, and long porticos surround the central courtyard.
Eastern Buildings of the Central Courtyard
On the eastern side of the central courtyard of the ancient mound of Hasanlu, there is a large hall with several storerooms. Large jars have been found in these storerooms. This hall was the first and oldest columned hall of the fortress and is 16 meters long and 4 meters wide.
In the center of this hall, there are four columns in two rows, and places for wooden columns with stone bases are seen beside the wall. After the construction of the second southern columned hall, this hall was used as a stable for horses (the skeletons of two horses were discovered in this place).
Southern Buildings of the Central Courtyard
Numerous rooms and halls that were part of a large building unit were discovered in the south of the central courtyard. The second large columned hall in this part was used as a temple. This hall had 8 columns in the middle and several columns around it. The southern hall had no more than one floor, and its height from floor to ceiling was 7 meters. On the northern side of the hall, there was a 2 by 3 meters podium made of mudbrick and clay for performing religious ceremonies.
In different parts of the hall, there were fire altars for lighting the sacred fire. On the north of the temple, there were two large stone-paved benches for seating people who were invited to the temple or came to perform special ceremonies. Also, other rooms including storerooms, armories, and kitchens were located on the southern side of the central courtyard of Teppe Hasanlu.
Western Buildings of the Central Courtyard
The western buildings of the courtyard include a large door and a long narrow corridor leading to the main columned hall. This hall is the third columned hall and is also the newest hall of the castle. This part of Hasanlu Castle is exactly where the Golden Cup of Hasanlu was discovered in the arms of a person who had been stabbed. In this part, more than 15 small and large rooms that mostly connect to each other were discovered.
This hall, due to the monolithic stone columns and more order in the construction of the hall, is very similar to the buildings of the Achaemenid period. In the northeastern part, there is a fire altar, and in the center of the hall, ceremonies were held.
Northern Buildings of the Central Courtyard
About 15 rooms are located in the northern part of the central courtyard of Hasanlu Castle, which is believed to have been the residence of the ladies or concubines of the palace. A large number of small boxes for keeping makeup tools (such as kohl containers) were found in these rooms.
Eleven skeletons were discovered in a large room excavated in 1970. The position of these skeletons showed that they were hastily trying to escape before death. Among the 11 skeletons discovered, four were children. The skeleton of a woman and a man was also discovered in one of the rooms. Two stone tripods with beautiful motifs were found in several other rooms in this place.
There was a well in this place into which a person had fallen. It seems this well was dug specifically for burying this skeleton. Dyson believed that these skeletons were buried due to an epidemic disease, but another possibility is that these people were criminals or captives. In another part of the northern buildings of the central courtyard, the skeletons of three individuals along with a cow were discovered, and it is believed that the cause of their death was fire or war.
Gate and Defensive Wall of the Castle
A wall with a thickness of 3 meters and a height of 7 meters surrounded Hasanlu Castle. All along this wall, square towers measuring 10 by 10 meters were built at a distance of 30 meters from each other. It is believed that the height of the castle’s wall towers was more than 7 meters and taller than the castle wall.
These towers were used to protect the castle. After the fire and the collapse of the castle wall, the wall and towers were rebuilt, but the wall’s path changed slightly.
Tourist Attractions Near Teppe Hasanlu
If you visit this mound, it’s a good idea to explore nearby attractions as well.
Teppe Hasanlu Museum
The Hasanlu Museum, established since 2011, is located in the Teppe Hasanlu archaeological site. This museum displays some of the artifacts discovered in Teppe Hasanlu and photos of the discovery of the Golden Cup of Hasanlu and the excavations conducted in that archaeological site. The ticket for visiting Teppe Hasanlu and the museum is the same, and you don’t need to purchase a separate ticket to visit the museum.
Hasanlu Wetland
Hasanlu Wetland is one of the attractions near Teppe Hasanlu, located 4.6 kilometers away, and it takes about 11 minutes by car to reach the wetland from the mound. The Hasanlu Wetland has an area of about 1,100 hectares.
This wetland, with its dense vegetation, hosts various birds in different seasons and is a suitable option for birdwatching. Hasanlu Wetland is one of the protected areas.
Hajji Firuz Tepe
As mentioned earlier, there are other ancient mounds around Teppe Hasanlu. So if you are interested in historical tours, this is a suitable place for you. One of these ancient mounds is Hajji Firuz Tepe. Hajji Firuz Tepe is located in the village of Hajji Firuz and is 2.1 kilometers (5 minutes by car) from Teppe Hasanlu.
The antiquity of Hajji Firuz Tepe goes back to 5500 BCE. This mound includes 18 quadrilateral buildings made of irregular mudbricks.
When one of their family members died, they buried them under the floor of the same house. A wine vessel dating back to 4500 BCE was discovered in this mound, indicating the earliest wine-making tools in the Neolithic period.
Accommodation Near Teppe Hasanlu
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The closest place to stay near Teppe Hasanlu is the Gharapapagh Eco-lodge in Hasanlu Village. This accommodation is located 600 meters from Teppe Hasanlu. In Naqadeh city, you can also use the Farhangian Hotel, which is located 11 kilometers from Teppe Hasanlu.
Facilities Needed for Travel to Teppe Hasanlu
In Hasanlu Village, basic facilities are available for your use, such as a supermarket and an eco-lodge. Also, if you need other facilities like medical services, you can refer to Naqadeh city, which is 10 kilometers from Hasanlu Village.
Recommendations for Traveling to Teppe Hasanlu
- You do not need to purchase separate tickets to visit the Hasanlu Mound and the museum; buying one ticket suffices for visiting both.
- It is possible to visit Teppe Hasanlu every day except during mourning days of the Imams and similar occasions. However, it is better to obtain more information before visiting. For example, inquire from local sources, that is, the residents of the area.
- We recommend bringing personal items, necessary medications, and season-appropriate clothing with you.
- Schedule your visit to have the best experience of this place. Early morning and before sunset are the best times to visit this ancient mound.
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