Iran - Andrew Burke [173]
Getting There & Away
There’s no public transport. An ideal way to visit both sites is as side trips on a taxi-charter from Shush to Shushtar (IR130,000). Visit Haft Tappeh first, as its museum is a good primer for Choqa Zanbil. In reverse you’d find Haft Tappeh’s lumpy ziggurats somewhat of an anticlimax. Add IR15,000 per hour waiting time.
Return to beginning of chapter
SHUSHTAR
0612 / pop 66,000
The deeply historic city of Shushtar lies strategically where the last contoured red ridges of the expiring Zagros Mountains fade into the endless flat watermelon fields of southern Khuzestan. Beneath the initially unexciting surface of today’s low-rise cityscape, there’s lots to discover including a complex of artificial ancient ‘watermills’ and no less than 14 imamzadehs. The town centre is 17 Shahrivar Sq marked by Bank Melli (no exchange). The very fast-connection Persian Coffeenet (17 Shahrivar Sq; per hr IR10,000; 8am-11pm) is across the square on the second floor of a building that looks like a pair of mini glass Empire State Buildings.
In an alley behind the Shandravan Bridge, the delightful little Mostofi House (admission free; 8am-2pm) hosts a small tourist information office ( 622 0850; www.shushtarchtb.ir) where you can get useful brochures and maps. While here peruse a small museum in their shabestun (a below-ground sitting room typical of traditional Khuzestani houses) and enjoy river views from their palm-tree courtyard.
Sights
Watermills
Shushtar’s raison d’être for millennia was controlling the irrigation of the Khuzestan plains, and the town’s most famous attraction is a set of ancient ‘watermills’ (Abshari Sika; Shari’ati St; admission IR5000; 8am-10pm). Actually, these aren’t buildings at all but a powerful arc of cascading water chutes that are strangely mesmerising, especially when floodlit at night. They’re especially impressive considering that the water is fed through ancient man-made feeder tunnels. One mill has been reconstructed so you can observe an old paddle-wheel device turning a millstone. Entrance is down steps beside an attractive blue-façaded building now home to souvenir and pickle shops. You can see the watermills site almost as well by simply peering over the parapet of the Shari’ati St bridge (one block south of 17 Shahrivar Sq), or even better by climbing the hill behind: follow signs to the attractively renovated Marashi House ( 622 3484; Abdullah Banu St; admission free; 8am-9pm, variable).
Pol-E SHANDRAVAN
About 400m west of the bus terminal are substantial ruined sections of this partly Sassanid bridge cum weir, also known as Band-i Qaisar or Valerian’s Bridge. Along with the Band-e-Mizan weir, this raised the river level by 2m, providing the waters necessary for irrigation and mills. Considered a wonder of the world by 7th-century invading Arabs, the workers and architects were Roman captives (see boxed text, opposite). The bridge originally had 45 arches and remained intact, albeit with many a renovation, until around a century ago. According to some Khuzestani historians, it was then deliberately dynamited by British agents. The idea was to break Shushtar’s trade connections, thus encouraging locals to seek alternative work at the new (British-owned) oilfields of Masjid-i Soleiman. Less conspiratorial theories blame rebellions and floods for the bridge’s deterioration.
Today the Pol-e Shandravan ruins parallel to a newer Dezful Rd bridge. A park is being built to landscape the scene.
QAL’EH SALOSEL
The historic heart of Shushtar was Salosel Castle, a prominent cliff-hill overlooking the river. This is where Shapur I is said to have imprisoned Roman Emperor Valerian. It’s also here that Persians held out for two years against the invading Arab-Muslim armies until secret tunnels were revealed to the attackers by a traitor. For centuries Khuzestan was governed from a palace (‘Kushk’) on this site and an impressive three-storey pyramidal building stood here until the 1920s. Sadly,