Nushijan Hill

Iran, Iran

---

Nushijan Hill (also called Nushijan Tepe or Noushijan Hill) is an ancient archaeological site about 15–20 kilometers northwest of Malayer in Hamadan Province, Iran, consisting of a fortified temple complex built on a prominent mound roughly 40 meters high. It is considered one of the oldest and most important pre‑Achaemenid Iranian sanctuaries, with its main occupation dating to the Median period from the second half of the 8th century BCE to the early 6th century BCE, and later use in the Achaemenid and Parthian eras. The site was systematically excavated in the 1960s by British archaeologist David Stronach, after which it was recognized as a unique example of Median architecture and registered as a national monument of Iran in 1967 (number 763). The complex includes a central courtyard surrounded by thick mud‑brick walls, a fire temple (atarshkadeh) on the western side, a pillared hall or “Apadana,” a main worship hall, storage rooms, chambers, defensive ramparts, and even a tunnel, all built with advanced techniques such as regular geometric stairways known as “Nushijan stairs” and an early water supply and drainage system. Some scholars interpret the central building as a Mithraeum or a temple dedicated to the god Mithra, while others see it as a general Median sanctuary, but in all cases it is regarded as one of the earliest Iranian temples, predating the full development of Zoroastrian temple architecture.