Shushtar
One of the oldest cities in Khuzestan Province that is the 57th largest city in Iran with an area of 2,246 square kilometers and 139 thousand population is Shushtar. It is located in the height of 65 above the sea level and borders Masjed Suleiman in the east, Dezful and Shush in the west, Ahvaz in the south and the Bakhtiari Mountains of the Zagros Mountain range in the north. In terms of population, it is the fourth largest city in the province after the metropolis of Ahvaz and the cities of Dezful and Abadan.
History
Based on the stone tools, axes, spears and knifes found in Pideh Cave; archeologists believe that human settlement in the area dates back to at least 7,000 years ago. Some historians such as Hamdallah Mustawfi (1281–1349) believe the city was founded by the Pishdadi ruler Houshang - Pishdadian are considered the first Aryan dynasty, which have been mentioned in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh (Book of Kings) and Persian mythology - but fell into ruin and was rebuilt by the founder of the Sassanid dynasty Ardashir I the Unifier (180-242 CE).
Like its history, there are several theories about the meaning of the name of the Shushtar city. According to some accounts, It means ‘better than Shush’. Others suggest that the city was originally named Sheshdar meaning ‘six doors’ in the Persian language as it once had six gates and over time its name became Shushtar. In the Elamite times It was known as Adamdun. In the Achaemenian times its name was Šurkutir. Its modern name is connected with the name of another ancient city, Susa, and means "greater than Shush."
Attraction
The most famous attraction of the city is the its 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. In 2009, this historic industrial complex was registered in UNESCO world heritage site.
Weather
The city has a Mediterranean climate in winter and autumn and its lush biome is very pleasant from the end of the winter to the spring. The hottest and coldest months of the city of the year are June and December. The average annual temperature is 27.2 degrees Celsius and the average annual rainfall in it is 322 mm.
