Ahwaz (Ahvaz) City
Ahwaz (Ahvaz) city, capital and largest city of Khuzestan province, is situated on both banks of the Karoon (Karun) River. Its area is about 8135.9 square km, equal to 12.78 percent of total area of the province. It has population of more than 1.5 million, and Persian and Arabic languages are widely spoken in Ahwaz. Ahwaz is known as the city of bridges for the 9 bridges that have been built over the Karoon (Karun) River. Different ethnic groups such as Arabs, Bakhtiari, Behbahani, Dezfouli, Ramhormozi, Shushtari and etc., constitute the main Ahwaz residents.
A Video Clip of Ahwaz City
Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan province with the centrality of Ahwaz (Ahvaz) city is located in the southwest of Iran. As the most ancient Iranian province, it is often referred to as the “birthplace of the nation,” as this is where the history of the Persian Empire begins. Historically, Khuzestan is what historians refer to as ancient Elam, whose capital was in Susa. The province of Khuzestan is one of the centers of ancient civilization, based around Susa. The first large scale empire based here was that of the powerful 4th millennium B.C. Elamites. Iran National Heritage Organization lists 140 sites of historical and cultural significance in Khuzestan, reflecting the fact that the province was once the seat of Iran’s most ancient empire. In terms of having different subcultures, Khuzestan province is the most diverse in Iran. Khuzestan province is considered as the center of oil and gas production in Iran, exports of which are the main source of revenue for the country at the moment. The variety of agricultural products such as wheat, barley, oily seeds, rice, eucalyptus, medicinal herbs; the existence of many palm and citrus farms; having mountains suitable for raising olives, and sugar cane, all show the great potential of this fertile plain.
A Video Clip of Khuzestan Province
Tourist Places of Khuzestan Province
Steeped in history, culture, and nature, Khuzestan Province is home to a wealth of attractions and things to do and see. It might be difficult to figure out which places should be your priority, but here’s a list of favorite attractions that you can’t miss on your trip to this exciting province.
A) Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System
Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, inscribed as a masterpiece of creative genius, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Karoon (Karun) one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over an area of 40,000 ha. known as Mianâb (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salâsel Castel, the operation center of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, damns, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the know-how of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as more recent Nabatean expertise and Roman building influence.
A Video Clip of Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System
B) International Shadegan Wetland
Shadegan Wetland is one of the 18 international wetlands registered on UNESCO’s Natural Heritage List. It, which extends over 296,000 hectares, is covered by diverse vegetation that have made it a suitable habitat for migrating waterfowls from north Europe, Canada and Siberia in autumn and winter. The wetland is located in the southwestern province of Khuzestan in Shadegan city.
A Video Clip of Shadegan Wetland
C) Choga Zanbil
The ruins of the holy city of the Kingdom of Elam, surrounded by three huge concentric walls, are found at Choga Zanbil. Founded c. 1250 B.C., the city remained unfinished after it was invaded by Ashurbanipal, as shown by the thousands of unused bricks left at the site. It is registered in the list of UNESCO World Heritage.
A Video Clip of Choga Zanbil
D) Susa Archaeological Castle- Susa City (Persian: Shoush)
Susa Castle is located in the ruins of the ancient city of Susa (Persian: Shoush). It was constructed by French archaeologist Jean-Marie Jacques de Morgan in the late 1890s, as a secure base for archaeological exploration and excavation. The Castle is similar to medieval monuments in France. The structure was built by local craftsmen with bricks taken from two other archaeological sites, the Achaemenid Darius/Dariush castle and the Elamite Choga-zanbil ziggurat. It is now used as a museum. Its best-known holding is a cuneiform tablet inscribed with the Code of Hammurabi, however this is now on display in the Louvre Museum in Paris, France.
Susa City (Persian: Shoush) contains several layers of superimposed urban settlements in a continuous succession from the late 5th millennium BCE until the 13th century CE. The site bears exceptional testimony to the Elamite, Persian and Parthian cultural traditions, which have largely disappeared.
A Video Clip of Susa Archaeological Castle
E) Shushtar City
One of the oldest cities in Iran, Shushtar in Khuzestan Province, has famous attractions such as Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, a network of watermills, weir bridges, dams, water channels, rivers, and moats along with a castle which controlled the flow of the operation.
F) Dezful City
Dezful is located beside the Dez River, and its history dates back to the Sassanian period.
A Video Clip of (1) Shushtar City & (2) Dezful City
G) Historical Museums of Khuzestan Province (Susa Museum & Haft Tepe Museum)
A Video Clip of (1) Susa Museum & (2) Haft Tepe Museum
H) Hoor al-Azim Wetland
A Video Clip of Hoor al-Azim Wetland
