A documentary “Hands of Ecbatana” portraying the city’s 3000-year-old culture was recently shot by filmmaker Mohammadreza Aslani in Hamedan Province.
The early history of the ancient city on the site of which stands the modern city of Hamedan, along with its handicrafts and traditional arts lead him to produce the doc, Aslani told the Persian service of Fars.

The project will cover historical sites of the region in western Iran in the cities of Malayer, Lalejin, Toyserkan and Nahavand.

Ecbatana was the capital of Media and was subsequently the summer residence of the Achaemenid kings and one of the residences of the Parthian kings, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Ordered by the Hamedan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, filming is scheduled to take 25 days to finish and the entire project will be accomplished within six months.

Hamedan is one of the oldest cities in the world which is still active, said Aslani, adding “We should help preserve the culture, history and civilization of this ancient region.”

Produced by Davud Samavatiyar, the film takes place in present day locations, portraying where the modern region’s handicrafts are produced mainly by youth and women.