The ancient city of Susa

Susa is an ancient city in Khuzestan Province, considered as one of the oldest residences of the world. It is known as three-thousand-year capital.

Susa has been one of the most magnificent ancient cities of Iran and the world, dates back to the 5th millennium BCE is one of the first civilizations in Mesopotamia, located in the south-west of Iran. It is better to know that this ancient city had built by Elam, the pre-Iranian civilization. This three-thousand-year capital had stood until the late Achaemenid Empire. You will see some objects of this ancient site in the Louvre Museum.

The great achievements in different fields such as writing system, architecture, and melting metals and glass have been the result of the efforts of the Elamites to development and progress in their three-thousand-year capital. This ancient city recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO from 2015, which consists of some historical monuments as follows:

• The ancient site of Apadana
  The ancient site of Apadana includes the Palace of Darius in Susa, the winter palace of Achaemenid kings, which belonged to Darius I. This palace consists of adobe walls, stone columns, entrance gate, hypostyle (a hall with the column), and three courtyards. The inner parts of the palace include glazed brick with the pattern of Persian Immortals, the winged lion, and Nymphaea. The columns of Apadana are made of several parts with a height of 22 meters.

• Shush Castle (Demorgan Castle)
  The other tourist Attraction of this ancient site is Shush Castle, which was built by Demorgan, a French archeologist, on the top of the highest point of Susa hills with the Middle Ages Castles architectural style. It is also known as Demorgan Castle or Acropol. It is better to know that Demorgan has built this castle to hide the discoveries of the ancient site of Apadana and transfer them to the Louvre Museum. Moreover, he used the bricks and stones of the ancient site of Apadana in the building process of the Shush Castle.

• Tomb of Daniel
  The tomb of Daniel is a holly place in Susa with a hexagon shape. Daniel was an Israelites prophet who settled in Shush with some Jewish people. The Tomb of Daniel consists of different sections, such as portal and courtyard, tomb, dome, and grave. This tomb is located near the Shavur River. 

• Shush Museum
  This museum is the other part of this ancient site, located in front of the Tomb of Daniel, established in 1966. Shush Museum is considered one of the most important museums of Ancient Iran Objects, consists of six halls and the objects that date back to the pre-Elam civilization until the post-Islamic era, have been exhibited in this museum.

• Hafttapeh
  This archaeological site is located five kilometers southeast of Susa. You will see an Elamite Tomb that has the first lunate vault of the world in Hafttapeh.

• Chogha Zanbil
  Chogha Zanbil is an ancient Elamite complex, located 30 kilometers southeast of Susa. It is the largest ziggurats of Mesopotamia and Iran plateau, which was built by Untash-Napirisha. Chogha Zanbil, with a step structure, has an area of 12,100 square meters and a height of 53 meters. 

• What is the best time to go?
  Due to the hot climate of Khuzestan province, the best time to visit Susa, this ancient city, is from late September until late April.

• Getting there?
  To get Susa you can use train or air travel as follows:
  • You can book a ticket for Tehran to Ahvaz train then take a taxi to reach Susa. It takes one hour and 24 minutes by car.
  • You can book a ticket for Tehran to Ahvaz flight then take a taxi to get Susa. It takes one hour and 27minutes by car.