Ekbatan Ekbatan Ekbatan Town ( ) is a planned town in western Tehran, Iran. It is located approximately five kilometers west of central Tehran. The town is named after Ecbatana, the capital city of the ancient Median Empire around 700 BC. It was the first capital of ancient Iranians to be established in Western Asia, and is the ancestor of the modern city of Hamedan. The word "Ekbātān" is a variant of "Ecbatana" ( ) which derives from Old Persian "Haŋgmetana", meaning "place of gathering". The construction of Ekbatan was started in 1975, for the purpose of mass housing. It was
Ancient City of Aleppo outside the walls – has an approximate area of , housing more than 120,000 residents. Characterized by its large mansions, narrow alleys, covered souqs and ancient caravanserais, the Ancient City of Aleppo became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Many sections in the Al-Madina Souq and other medieval buildings in the ancient city were destroyed and ruined or burnt as a result of clashes between the Syrian Arab Army and the rebel forces of Jabhat al-Nusra, in what is called the Battle of Aleppo, launched by the opposition JN armed groups on 25 September 2012. In February 2014, the