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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 goats 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.
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