The historical city of Madakto, also known as Seymareh, is one of the historical monuments of Ilam province in the East part of Kurdistan and the largest historical region of this province. Madakto is one of the first monuments in the East part of Kurdistan to be officially discovered and after research was registered as a historical heritage site in 1936. The history of this city dates back to two different periods, the first period is the Elamite rule called Madakto, and the second period is the Sassanid rule known as Seymareh.
The historic city of Madakto is located 135 kilometers southwest of Ilam, Darashar city. Madakto is the oldest historical part of Darashar, which according to most research was once a very active city, but was destroyed by a terrible earthquake (probably more than 1000 years ago). The history of Darashar dates back to the time of the Elamites; the Elamite people lived in the late third millennium BC and their summer capital was the city of Madakto in the eastern part of Kurdistan.
The historical area of Madakto is about 120 to 200 hectares, located north of the Kiwir Mountains and south of the Seymareh River. As mentioned, research has shown that this city was the summer capital of the Elamites 2500 years ago and was destroyed by an earthquake. During the Sassanid rule, 1400 years ago, another city known as Seymareh was founded on the ruins of Madakto.
Historical sources indicate that as a result of the battle known as the “Battle of Shush” in 645 BC and after the conquest of Ilam by the Assyrians of Banipal, the city of Madakto lost its prosperity and popularity and remained in such a situation for many years. It was during the Sassanid period that the city revived and became famous and was named Seymareh.
Historians believe that Madakto or Seymareh was the capital of the state of Mehragan Kadak. Historically, an earthquake devastated the city in 945 AD., and some have reported that the people of Madakto, about 5000 families, learned of the earthquake and left the city before the incident. Most of the large buildings and houses in the city were destroyed by the earthquake.
Sir Henry Rawlinson was the first archaeologist to study the city in 1836; according to Rawlinson, as the first researcher, the ruins of Seymareh belong to the Sassanid period. Jacques de Morgan, a French archaeologist and researcher, visited this Kurdish city in 1891 and believed that it was the same as the Madakto city of Elamities. Aurel Stein, a Hungarian archaeologist, also conducted extensive research on Madakto in 1936. So far, nine studies have been conducted on Madakto, one of which resulted in the discovery of the first Mosque from the beginning of Islam in the East part of Kurdistan in the city of Seymareh.
The historical city of Madakto in the East part of Kurdistan has several names, such as Seymareh, Darashar, Mehrjan Kadak, Madakto, and so on. Some linguists and historians believe that Madakto means the land of the Medes and that Madakto was the homeland of the Medes.
