Shushtar

Located 126 km to the north of Ahwaz, in an elevation of 150 meters above sea level, Shushtar is constructed on a soft rock in the upstream of which the Kafun river is divided into two branches. No one knows exactly when Shushtar was founded. According to legend it was second oldest city after Susa, and probably existed in pre-Sassanian times.

 It was the scene of a series fabulous exploits under the aegis of Shapur I, was besieged six months during the Arab invasion, and experienced a further wave of prosperity in Mongol times. It was not until the eighteen century that the descent began. Shushtar was the scene of extensive fighting during the Afghan wars. Half the population perished in a plague in 1831-32. Yet by any standards Shushtar is an extraordinary place. It stands on the left bank of the Karun, a few kilometers out on the plain below the last gorge.