Dinavar District

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Dinawar (Persian دینور ) was an important medieval town in western Iran. The ruins of the city lie to the northeast of the city of Kermanshah in the homonymous province.

When the city was founded, is not known. It is known at least since the period of the Seleucid Empire. Discoveries of statues of satyrs and Silenus suggest that the Greek inhabitants Dinawars here Dionysus worshiped. At the time of the Sasanian Dinawar was an important fortress on the border of the empire. Beginning of the 6th century Dinawar was attacked by the Khazars from the Caucasus. Shortly after the defeat of the Sassanids against the Muslim Arabs in 642 at the Battle of Nehawend Dinawar was conquered by the Arabs. This called the city Mah al - Kufa. Finally, the entire Sasanidenreich was invaded and reorganized. Dinawar became one of the richest and most important cities in the province Jibal, which included the entire western part of Iran. It was situated in a fertile plain, which is watered by the River Djam -i Dinawar, and had rich orchards, grain fields and a large bazaar. According to the geographer Ibn Hauqal Dinawar was smaller than Hamadan, but surpassed them in riches and the number of scholars. In addition Dinawar lay on the important road from Baghdad to Khorasan.

When al - Muqtadir was caliph, the Muslim empire was in a critical stage. There were riots of local rulers against the caliph and spin-offs. So conquered the General Mardawi ibn Ziyar, who founded the dynasty of the Ziyariden, Jibal and Fars. Dinawar 931 fell to him and thousands of residents were killed there. After ruled the Daylamite Buyids and the Kakuyiden about Dinawar. In the 10th and 11th centuries Dinawar was the capital of the Kurdish Hasanwayhiden that rebuilding the city. Later, the city slowly lost its importance, whereas the adjacent Kermanshah has become increasingly important. In 1172 it was looted by Oghuz Seljuk and could not return to its former greatness. Tamerlane devastated then at the end of the 14th century, the city completely, so that it was never rebuilt.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Ad Dinawari - botanist, historian, geographer, astronomer, and mathematician of the 9th century

Source

• Dinawar. In: Ehsan Yarshater (ed.): Encyclopædia Iranica (English, including literature references )
• Article Dinawar of Lockhart in The Encyclopaedia of Islam. New Edition

• Location in Iran
• Archaeological sites in Iran
• Kermanshah (Province)