Abstract:
Among the cities of the early Islamic centuries in Iran, few cities have attracted as much attention from historians and geographers as Dinavar. The remains of this city are located in a vast and fertile plain in the northwest of Sahneh County, Kermanshah, and due to its location on the communication route from Iran to Mesopotamia, it enjoyed an excellent position. The oldest works obtained by the authors from the remains of the city of Dinavar date back to the Seleucid period (64-312 BC). Archaeological data, while confirming historical information, indicate the continuation of life in this city during the Sasanian period (651-224 AD) and the early Islamic centuries until the end of the Timurid era (771-911 AH). The excellent geographical location and environmental capabilities of the Dinavar plain have caused this city to overcome repeated destructions caused by war and natural disasters and to play an effective role in the formation of powerful local dynasties (such as the Hassanuyid family). The present research seeks to determine how a city with such a credible geographical and historical background suddenly became abandoned. In order to achieve the research goal, systematic investigations were conducted in the area of the Dinavar ancient site. Analysis of the data obtained from field surveys revealed that this city became completely abandoned in the early Safavid rule after Kermanshah was chosen as the political center of the west of the country. Therefore, it can be accepted that the relocation of governance centers can also be a reason for the survival of cities, and their continued existence depends entirely on political requirements.
Machine summary:
Archaeological data, while confirming historical information, indicate the continuation of life in this city during the Sasanian period (224–651 AD) and the early Islamic centuries until the end of the Timurid era (771–911 AH).
Analysis of the data obtained from field surveys revealed that this city became completely abandoned in the early Safavid rule after Kermanshah was chosen as the political center of western Iran.
The Dinavar plain is one of the fertile plains of the Zagros (Figure 1 a and b), which, due to its excellent communication location and environmental capabilities, has been able to shape the ancient city of Dinavar within its embrace; a city that, based on archaeological evidence, has continuously played a role in the political, cultural, and commercial equations of western Iran from at least the Seleucid era (after about 320 BC) to the early Safavid rule (16th century AD / 10th century AH).
In response to the research questions and to evaluate its hypotheses, the authors of this article, by conducting methodical investigations in the area of the Dinavar archaeological site, obtained significant evidence of the city's growth and development in different historical periods, and by documenting the data, provided the basis for analyzing the historical transformations of the city.
If Although historical information was not very useful in determining the status of the city in the pre-Islamic period, archaeological evidence clarified that Dinavar played an important role from the Parthian era onwards.
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