From Ḫalman to Alwan:The four thousand year narrative of an ancient toponym (Sarpol-e Zahab)

The city of Sarpol-e Zahab, based on the historical texts and its numerous and famous ancient monuments, has a long history. The existence of the two important rock reliefs, Annubanini, and Iddi(n)-Sîn on a rock at the center of the city, indicates that the place was under the control of the Zagros tribes of Lullubi and Simurrum during the late 3rd and early 2nd millenniums BC. Since then, during the Median, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid, and the Islamic periods, the city has maintained its importance and has repeatedly experienced interval periods of flourish, and decay. This paper discusses the ancient settlements located in Sarpol-e Zahab, some historical features of this region, and the evolution of the toponyms related to it. It can be concluded that from the beginning of the second millennium BC to the Islamic era, the name of the mentioned location has appeared in Akkadian, Greek, Arabic, and Persian texts in various recordings, yet close to one another (Khalmān,Almān, Armān, Halmān, Khalā and Halvān). Also, the analysis of the texts and some names related to the old city shows that in the past, as well as the present, the city has held a significant ethnic-religious diversity.