Hamadan is a city situated in the western part of Iran, 300 kilometres west of Teheran. It is one of the worlds oldest cities and is mentioned under the name of Ekbatana in the Bible, see the book of Esther. The city is a centre for trading with carpets that are manufactured in the hundreds from nearby villages and cities. The best of these carpets are sold under their own names such as Nahavand, Tuiserkan, Malayer or Hosseinabad. More simple carpets from the area are sold under the generic term Hamadan.

They are easily recognized with their typical patterns and sizes. The patterns are very varying and the medallion as well as carpets with repeated patterns occur. Among individual pattens the Herati is the most common pattern.