Hamadān is the capital city of Hamadan Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 473,149, in 127,812 families. Hamadan is believed to be among the oldest Iranian cities and one of the oldest in the world. It is possible that it was occupied by the Assyrians in 1100 BCE; the Ancient Greek historian, Herodotus, states that it was the capital of the Medes, around 700 BCE.