Our Autumn Iran tours have just launched, and we've said farewell to some of the most epic adventures with our globetrotting friends during the last summer. We explored every nook and cranny of Iran, even braving scorching temperatures of 55 degrees Celsius in places like Shushtar (as seen in this epic snapshot). But we also explored cooler, refreshing spots like Ardabil. Want to join us for an unforgettable journey? Hop on board!
The Remarkable Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System
Shushtar's astonishing hydraulic system, consisting of waterfalls dug into the rocks and diversion canals that supply water to the city, has been recognized as a masterpiece of creative genius. The mills, considered masterpieces for over 1,600 years, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century BC. The hydraulic system is complete, with numerous functions, making it exceptional. It is a homogeneous hydraulic system, designed globally and completed in the 3rd century CE, as rich in its diversity of civil engineering structures and its constructions as in the diversity of its uses (urban water supply, mills, irrigation, river transport and defense systems). The Shushtar hydraulic system is a testament to the heritage and the synthesis of earlier Elamite and Mesopotamian know-how, and it was probably influenced by the Petra Dam and tunnel and by Roman civil engineering. The system includes the Salasel Castle, the operation center of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, dams, bridges, basins, and mills. The Gargar Canal, a veritable artificial watercourse, made possible the construction of a new town and the irrigation of a vast plain, at the time semi-desert. Shushtar historical hydraulic system demonstrates outstanding universal value as in its present form which dates back to the 3rd century CE and probably on older bases from the 5th century CE. It is considered a wonder of the world, not only by the Persians but also by the Arab-Muslims at the peak of their civilization, and sits in an urban and rural landscape specific to the expression of its value.
