Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System

The Shushtar hydraulic system is a Sasanian engineering complex laid out where the Karun river leaves the mountains for the plain of Khuzestan. In the third century the riverbed was blocked with a dam, part of the water was diverted into the dug Gargar canal, and between the two channels an island appeared, on which the city stands. Below the canal, tunnels and cascades are cut into the rock: the water falls from ledges and used to turn the wheels of watermills, whose stone housings still stand in the flow. The Band-e Kaisar dam was, according to tradition, built by Roman prisoners who fell into the hands of Shapur I after the victory over Valerian, and its masonry does indeed show the techniques of Roman bridge building. The system worked not only for the mills but also for irrigating the surrounding fields and supplying the city with water. In all the complex includes thirteen dams, bridges, canals and reservoirs. In 2009 the hydraulic system was inscribed on the UNESCO list. Viewing platforms are set along the edge of the cliff directly above the cascades. Viewing platforms are set along the edge of the cliff above the cascades, and there is an entrance fee for the site. There is more water in the cascades in spring and early summer, and by autumn the river drops. The complex is in the centre of Shushtar and is walked round in an hour to an hour and a half. Payment in cash.

On the map