Alvand

Alvand is a subrange of the Zagros Mountains in western Iran located 10 km (6.2 miles) south of the city of Hamadan in Hamadan province. Its summit has an elevation of 3,580 m (11,750 ft). The main body of the Alvand range extends for about 50 km from east to west, while their maximum north–south width is about 30 km. Formed as part of the Zagros orogeny in the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous, the mountains rise sharply from the surrounding plains and are scored by many deep valleys. The mountains are mostly granite and diorite, which are types of intrusive rock.

The area was once covered by a light oak forest, but extensive deforestation in historical times has reduced this to only a small area, mostly in the valleys. Today, the higher altitudes have a sparse cover of grass, while grass cover grows more thickly around springs and streams. One important plant that commonly grows in the Alvand valleys is the gavar or goat's thorn, which produces the gum known as tragacanth, which is used in medicine and industry.

Although no settlements exist on the mountains themselves, the valleys and surrounding plains are home to many towns and villages. Several major cities lie at the foot of the Alvand range, including Hamadan, Malayer, and Tuyserkan. These settlements are supported by a highly productive agricultural base which includes wheat growing and livestock breeding (sheep, goats, and cattle). This agricultural prosperity comes from the combination of a favorable highland climate and an abundance of water flowing down from the Alvand mountains.

The historic site of Ganj Nameh, where two trilingual inscriptions were left in Achaemenid times, is located at the foot of the Alvand mountains, 10 km south of Hamadan. The Alvand range forms a language border between Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, and Luri.

An unacademic website claims that "Alvand" is Avestan and comes from the Avestan language word "Aurvañt", which means "quick, swift, brave; a steed, horse, racer, warrior".

Mount Alvand is situated in a geographical location that has a Mediterranean climate with spring rains.^{[citation needed]}

The Alvand range forms the main watershed in Hamadan province, with most of the province's rivers arising from the snowmelt on Mount Alvand and then flowing either north or south. Generally, the rivers on the north side of the mountain are mostly seasonal, while those on the south side flow year-round.

The main rivers on the north side of Mount Alvand are the Talvar and the Qurichay (aka Siahrud). The Talvar begins at Kuh-e Safid in the northwest and ultimately joins the Sefidrud, the longest river in Iran, which flows to the Caspian Sea. The Qurichay, meanwhile, begins in the highlands between Hamadan and Malayer. It passes through the northern Alvand highlands and eventually drains into Lake Qom.