Lions have symbolized power and royalty in Persian culture since ancient times. Many Elamite, Median, and Achaemenid monuments have lion designs. The Hamadan lion statue is one of the oldest and most impressive examples of this tradition, showing the city’s long history.

The statue is a 3.56-meter stone sculpture of a male lion resting with a big head and a wavy mane. It used to stand at the entrance of Hamadan, which was known as Bab-al-Asad (the lion gate).

The statue’s exact age and origin are unknown. Some historians think that it is a Median work from the 6th or 7th century BC. Others say that it belongs to the Seleucid Dynasty. Some legends say that Alexander the Great had the statue carved as a lucky charm for the city when he came back to Hamadan from India. He might have also made it in memory of his friend and general, Hephaestion, who died in Ecbatana (the old name of Hamadan). Another story says that the famous Greek sculptor, Balinas, made the statue for Kay Qobād (the first king of the Kiyāniān dynasty) to keep the city safe from disasters and diseases.

The people of Hamadan have always respected the statue. When the Abbasid Caliph wanted to take it to Baghdad in the 10th century, the Hamadāniāns fought back. In 931, Mardavij Ziari took over Hamadan and tried to pull the statue from the city gate. But he failed and the statue’s front legs were badly hurt, as they are now.

In 1949, the statue was moved to the city and put in the center of a square on Sang-e Shir Street, the new arrangement was designed by Hooshang Seyhoon, a famous Iranian architect. This place was a graveyard during the Parthian era. For centuries, Shir-e Sangi has been seen as the holy protector of Hamadan, defending it from natural and human dangers. Some people also think that it gives good luck to young girls who are getting married.