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[[Image:IranKhuzestan.png|right|frame|Map showing Khuzestan in Iran]]

[[Image:IranKhuzestan.png|right|frame| Khuzestan and Iran]]
==Introduction==
==Introduction==
[[Image:Emamzadeh-hamzeh.jpg|thumb|right|Domes like this are quite common in Khuzestan province. The shape is an architectural trademark of craftsmen of this province. [[Daniel]]'s shrine, located in Khuzestan, has such a shape. The shrine pictured here, belongs to Imamzadeh Hamzeh, located between Mah-shahr and Hendijan.]]
'''Khuzestan''' is one of the 30 [[provinces of Iran|provinces]] of [[Iran]]. It is in the south-west of the country, bordering [[Iraq]] and the [[Persian Gulf]]. Its center is [[Ahvaz]] and covers an area of 63,238 sq. km. Other major cities include [[Behbahan]], [[Abadan]], [[Andimeshk]], [[Khorramshahr]], [[Bandar Imam]], [[Dezful]], [[Shushtar]], [[Omidiyeh]], [[Izeh]], [[Baq-e-Malek]], [[Mah Shahr]], [[Dasht-e-Azadegan]], [[Ramhormoz]], [[Shadegan]], [[Susa]], and [[Masjed Soleiman]].


[[Image:Emamzadeh-hamzeh.jpg|thumb|right|Stepped domes like this are characteristic of the traditional architecture of Khuzestan province. This is the shrine of Imamzadeh Hamzeh, located between Mah-shahr and Hendijan.]]
Historically Khuzestan is what historians refer to as the ancient [[Elamite Empire]], whose capital was in Susa, and in previous ages, Iranians referred to this province as [[Elam]]. The Old Persian term for [[Elam]] was ''Hujiyā'', which is present in the modern name. Khuzestan is the most ancient Iranian province and is often referred to in Iran as the ''"birthplace of the nation,"'' as this is the area where [[Aryan]] tribes first settled, assimilating the native Elamite population, and thus laying the foundation for the future empires of [[Persia]], [[Medes | Media]], and [[Parthia]].


'''Khuzestan''' is one of the thirty [[provinces of Iran|provinces]] of [[Iran]]. It is located in the south-west of the country, where it borders [[Iraq]] and the [[Persian Gulf]]. It is known for its oil industry. The capital is the city of [[Ahvaz]].
Khuzestan is also where [[Jondishapour]] was located.


==Geography and demographics==
Khuzestan has 18 representatives in Iran's parliament, [[Majlis of Iran|The Majles]], and 6 representatives in the [[Assembly of Experts]].


Khuzestan is 63,238 sq. km in area. It comprises plains and marshlands to the east of the Tigris-Euphrates delta, and extends up into the foothills and peaks of the neighboring [[Zagros]] mountain range. It is watered by the the ''[[Karun]]'', ''Karkheh'' and ''Jarahi'' rivers. The Karun, at 850 km. long, is Iran's largest river. It is navigable as far as the capital city of [[Ahvaz]], which facilitates commerce.
==Geography and Demographics==


Other major cities include:
According to the [[1996]] census, the province had an estimated population of 3.7 million people, of which approximately 62.5% were in the urban centres, 36.5% were rural dwellers and the remaining 1% were non-residents.


* [[Abadan]]
The province of Khuzestan can be basically divided into two regions, i.e. the plains and mountainous regions. The former being in the south and west of the province. This area is irrigated by the ''[[Karun]]'', ''Karkheh'' and ''Jarahi'' rivers. The mountainous regions are situated to the north and east of the province, and are considered to be a part of southern regions of the [[Zagros]] mountain ranges.
* [[Andimeshk]]
* [[Bandar Imam]]
* [[Baq-e-Malek]]
* [[Behbahan]]
* [[Dasht-e-Azadegan]]
* [[Dezful]]
* [[Izeh]]
* [[Khorramshahr]]
* [[Mah Shahr]]
* [[Masjed Soleiman]].
* [[Omidiyeh]]
* [[Ramhormoz]]
* [[Shadegan]]
* [[Shushtar]]
* [[Susa]]


The climate of Khuzestan is generally hot and humid, particularly in the south.
With regard to natural conditions, Khuzestan has unrivaled potentials unmatched by any other province in the country. Large permanent rivers flow over the entire territory contributing to the fertility of the land. Karun, Iran's largest river, 850 kilometers long, flows into the Persian Gulf through this province.


According to the [[1996]] census, the province had an estimated population of 3.7 million people, of which approximately 62.5% lived in urban areas and 36.5% in rural areas. The remaining 1% were transients.
The climate of Khuzestan is generally hot and humid, particularly in the south.
Khuzestan, unlike other provinces in Iran, is inhabited by a number of ethnic minorities and peoples. [[Arabic]]-speakers and [[Arabs of Khuzestan|Iranian Arab]] [[tribes]], [[Bakhtiari|Bakhtiaris]], Behbahanis, [[Lurs]], [[Qashqai|Qashqais]], the peoples of Dezful, Shushtar, and the inhabitants of the Persian Gulf coasts all make up the population of the great and populated province of Khuzestan. There are, however, no official ethnic statistics released from Iran's government.


Khuzestan is inhabited by ethnic Persians (Persian-speaking), Arabs (some of whom speak Arabic, some of whom speak only Persian), and nomadic groups like the [[Bakhtiari|Bakhtiaris]] and the Lur. There are no reliable statistics as to the exact proportion of each ethnicity or language community. The Iranian government has not collected such statistics for some time. The CIA World Factbook estimates that 3% of Iran's 68,017,860 citizens are Arabs, which would put the Arab population at 2,040,540, of whom the majority live in Khuzestan. There is clearly a sizable Arab population in Khuzestan; estimates range from 30 to 60% of the population. The question of minority numbers is politically charged; see [[Ethnic politics of Khuzestan]] for further discussion.
==The origin of the name ''Khuzestan''==
[[Image:Dezful-masjed-jameh.jpg|thumb|right|''Masjed Jame' Dezful''. In spite of Saddam's devastating bombs, Khuzestan still posseses a rich heritage of architecture from Islamic, Sassanid, and even much earlier times.]]
There are many meanings and interpretations for the word ''"Khuzestan,"'' which reveal the antiquity and diversity of this ancient land.


== Government ==
Most experts believe the name Khuzestan to be derived from ''Ķūzī'', the name of the original non-[[Semitic]] people of the province, whose distinctive language survived until [[Sassanid]] times. (see [[Encyclopedia Iranica]], [[Ehsan Yarshater|E. YarShater]], [[Columbia University]], Vol 1, p687-689.)


Khuzestan has eighteen representatives in Iran's parliament, [[Majlis of Iran|The Majles]], and six representatives in the [[Assembly of Experts]].
[[Ibn al-Nadim|Ibn Nadeem]], in his book ''al-Fehrest'' (“الفهرست”), mentions that all the Median and Persian lands of antiquity spoke one language. In his book, which is the most accredited account of spoken languages of Iran during the early Islamic era, he quotes the great scholar [[Abdullah Ibn al-Muqaffa]]:


==Economy==
:''"The Iranian languages are Fahlavi (Pahlavi), Dari, Khuzi, Persian, and Seryani."''
He then adds that ''Khuzi'' is the unofficial language of the royalty and comes from Khuzestan.


[[Image:Karun3-dam.jpg|thumb|right| The massive Karun-3 dam, recently inaugurated.]]
On the other hand, [[sugar]] and [[sugar cane]] have also been given for the meaning of Khuz; and the fertile soil of Khuzestan has a splendid potential for growing this plant, and the best sugar cane is harvested there.
Khuzestan is the center of Iran's oil industry, and much of its heavy manufacturing. Dams like the Karun 3 and 4, and the Karkheh Dam feed the national electricity grid, and serve the petrochemical and steel industries.
[[Image:Fulad-ahvaz.jpg|thumb|right|[[Fulad-ahvaz steel plant, in Ahvaz]]


Khuzestan produces much of the wealth of the country. It was once one of the most Westernized and wealthy areas of Iran. However, it was heavily damaged during the Iran-Iraq war and much of the damage is yet to be repaired. Many Khuzestanis complain that their oil money benefits the rest of the country, but does not benefit them.
In ''Majma-ul-Tavarikh val Ghesas'' ("The Collection of histories and Tales") Khuzestan appears with such names as ''Hajuestan'', ''Hobujestan'', and ''Ajar'', which seem to be derived from ''Hobujestan'' and ''Hujestan'' in [[Pahlavi]] languge. As in some dialects, such as [[Luri]] and [[Bakhtiari]], the sound "h" is sometimes used for pronouncing ''Kh'' , the words ''oo'', ''hoo'' and ''Khuz'' have in the process of time been added to the suffix ''-estan'', and the word ''oojestan'' has gradually changed to ''Hujestan'', and finally, the word ''Khuzestan'' was formed.


===Shipping===
It is of significance to note that in ancient Persian dialects and in Pahlavi language, the sound "oo" was changable to "hoo" as in such words like ''Oormazd'' --> ''Hoormazd'' or ''Ooshmand'' --> ''Hooshmand''. And ''Hoordad'' has also been pronounced ''Khordad'' and ''Khoortat''.


The [[Karun]] is the only navigable river in [[Iran]]. Large ships can sail up the Karun as far as [[Shushtar]]. As noted in the [[Ahvaz]] article, at the end of the 19th century the river was dredged and a railroad was built. This greatly facilitated trade and later, the growth of the oil industry. The first oil wells, in the Naftoon oil field, were supplied from the upstream town of [[Masjed Soleiman]].
Some scholars think that [[Ahvaz]] and ''Khuzestan'' are related to the name ''Ooksin'', a city established during the era of the [[Elamite Empire|Elamite]] civilization, and are the altered forms of the words ''Ooks'', ''Ookz'', ''Hookz'', ''Huz'' and ''Khuz''.


===Agriculture and fisheries===
==History==
[[Image:Gav.JPG|thumb|right|Khuzestan's Elamites were "precursors of the royal Persians", and were "the founders of the first Iranian empire in the geographic sense."]] {{Iran}} [[Image:Choghazanbil2.jpg|thumb|right|The ziggurat of [[Choqa Zanbil]] in Khuzestan was a magnificent structure of the Iranian [[Elamite Empire]].]]
The province of Khuzestan is one of the centres of ancient civilization, dating back 6000 years around the region of [[Susa]]. In the 4th millennium BCE, the powerful [[Elamite Empire]], a non-[[Semitic]] kingdom independent of Mesopotamia, was founded in Susa.
Archeological ruins establish the entire province of Khuzestan to be home to the [[Elamite Empire|Elamite]] civilization, ''"the earliest civilization of Persia"'' (according to ''A History of Persia'', S. Percy Sykes, p38). As was stated in the preceding section, the name ''Khuzestan'' is derived from the Elamites (''Ūvja'' according to ''The Cambridge History of Iran'', 2, 259, ISBN 0521060351), a non-Semitic people unrelated to their northern neighbors in Mesopotamia. (see introduction of ''The Splendour of Iran'', E. Booth-Clibborn, ISBN 1861540116)


Khuzestan's well-watered, rich, delta soil supports a thriving agricultural industry. The province produces wheat, barley, oil seed, rice, eucalyptus, medical herbs, dates, citrus, olives, and sugar cane. Khuzestan is also known for its riverine and Persian Gulf fisheries.
In fact, in the words of Elton Daniel, the Elamites were ''"the founders of the first Iranian empire in the geographic sense."'' (''The History of Iran'', p26, ISBN 0313000301) Hence the central geopolitical significance of Khuzestan, the seat of Iran's first empire.


==Universities==
In [[640 BC|640 BCE]], the Elamites were defeated by [[Ashurbanipal]] coming under the rule of the Assyrians who wrought destruction upon Susa and Chogha Zanbil. But in [[538 BC|538 BCE]] [[Cyrus II of Persia|Cyrus the Great]] was able to re-conquer the Elamite lands. The city of Susa was then proclaimed as one of the Achaemenian capitals. [[Darius I of Persia|Darius the Great]] then erected a grand palace known as ''Hadish'' there in [[521 BC|521 BCE]]. But this astonishing period of glory and splendour of the Achaemenian dynasty came to an end by the conquests of [[Alexander of Macedon]]. And after Alexander, the [[Seleucid dynasty]] ruled the area.


*# Khorramshahr University of Nautical Sciences and Technologies
As the [[Seleucid dynasty]] weakened, [[Mithridates I of Parthia|Mehrdad I]] the Parthian (171-137 BCE), gained victory over the region. During the [[Sassanid]] dynasty this area thrived tremendously and flourished, and this dynasty was responsible for the many constructions that were erected in [[Ahvaz]], [[Shushtar]], and the north of [[Andimeshk]].
*# [http://www.ajums.ac.ir/ Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences]
*# [http://www.put.ac.ir/ Petroleum University of Technology]
*# [http://www.cua.ac.ir/ Shahid Chamran University-Ahvaz]
*# [http://www.nbd.ac.ir/ Shahid Chamran University-Dezful]
*# Islamic Azad University of Abadan
*# Islamic Azad University of Omidiyeh
*# Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz
*# Islamic Azad University of Behbahan
*# Islamic Azad University of Izeh


===The Arab invasion of Khuzestan===
== History of Khuzestan ==


[[Image:Choghazanbil2.jpg|thumb|right|The ziggurat of [[Choqa Zanbil]], built by the ancient [[Elamite Empire | Elamites]].
The Arab invasion of Khuzestan took place in 639 CE under the command of [[Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari]] who drove the Persian ''Hormozan'' out of [[Ahvaz]]. Hormozan fled to [[Shushtar]], where his forces were besieged by Abu Musa for 18 months. Shushtar finally fell in 642 CE to Abu Musa's army, followed by [[Susa]], [[Jondishapoor]], and many other districts along the Tigris. The battle of Nehavand finally secured Khuzestan for the Muslim armies. ([[Encyclopedia Iranica]], p206).


See main article, [[History of Khuzestan]]
The Arab settlements by military garrisons in southern Iran was soon followed by other types of colonization. Some Arab families, for example, took the opportunity to gain control of private estates. ([[Encyclopedia Iranica]], p212). Like the rest of Iran, the Arab invasion thus brought Khuzestan under occupation of the Arabs of the [[Umayyad]] and [[Abbasid]] Caliphates, until [[Ya'qub bin Laith as-Saffar]], from eastern Iran, raised the flag of independence once more, and ultimately regained control over Khuzestan, among other parts of Iran, founding the short-lived [[Saffarid]] dynasty. From that point on, Iranian [[Persian Kings | dynasties]] would continue to rule the region in succession as an important part of Iran.


Khuzestan first enters recorded history as part of the [[Elamite Empire]]. It is then ruled, successively, by:
In the latter part of the 16th century, the ''Ka'b Tribe'', from Kuwait, settled in Khuzestan. (see J.R. Perry, "The Banu Ka'b: An Amphibious Brigand State in Khuzestan", ''Le Monde Iranien et L'Islam I'', 1971, p133) And during the succeeding centuries, many more Arab tribes moved from southern Iraq to Khuzestan, as a result, making Khuzestan "extensively Arabized". ([[Encyclopedia Iranica]], p216).


* [[538 BC]] to [[331 BC]] Persian [[Achmaenid]] dynasty
According to [[C.E. Bosworth]] in the ''Encyclopedia Iranica'', under the [[Qajar]] dynasty ''"... the province was known, as in [[Safavid]] times, as Arabestan, and during the Qajar period was administratively a governor-generalate."''
* [[305 BC]] to [[60 BC]] Hellenistic [[Seleucid]] dynasty
* [[60 BC]] to AD [[224]] [[Parthian]] empire
In the mid [[1800]]s Britain initiated a war with Iran in a failed attempt to conquer Khuzestan. Having lost, the British continued in their attempts to wrest control of the province by supporting a number of foreign Arab tribes that had invaded Iran. The last remnants of these tribes (ruled over by [[Sheikh Khaz'al]], of [[Kuwaiti]] origin) were finally defeated in [[1925]] by [[Reza Shah]]. In the past eighty years, except during the [[Iran-Iraq war]], the province of Khuzestan thrived and prospered and today accounts for one of the regions in Iran that holds an economic and defensive strategic position.
* [[224]] to [[642]] Persian [[Sassanian]] dynasty
* [[642]] to [[1258]] [[Arab]] [[caliph]]s and their deputies
* [[1219]] to [[1335]] various [[Mongol]] invasions
* [[1393]] to [[1510]] [[Tamerlane]], [[Timurid]]s, and successors
* [[1510]] to [[1776]] Persian [[Safavid]] dynasty
* [[1796]] to [[1921]] Persian [[Qajar]] dynasty
* [[1921]] to [[1979]] Persian [[Pahlavi]] dynasty
* [[1979]] to present [[Islamic Republic of Iran]]


Dates may differ from usual dynastic dates; these are, as nearly as can be determined, the relevant dates for the area now known as Khuzestan.
The existance of prominent scientific and cultural centers such as [[Academy_of_Gundishapur]] which gathered distiguished medical scientists from [[Egypt]], [[Greece]], [[India]], and [[Rome]], shows the importance and prosperity of this region during ancient times. The [[Academy_of_Gundishapur|Jondi-Shapur Medical School]] was founded by the order of [[Shapur_I_of_Persia|Shapur I]] (AD [[241]]-[[271]]). It was repaired and restored by [[Shapur II of Persia|Shapur II]] (a.k.a. ''Zol-Aktaf'': "The Possessor of Shoulder Blades") and was completed and expanded during the reign of Anushirvan.


Under the caliphs, Khuzestan was a rich and populous province, known for its culture and learning. It was depopulated and reduced to beggary by the savagery of the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. It did not begin to recover until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when commerce revived and oil was discovered.
Many scientists, philosophers, and poets have come from Khuzestan, including [[Abu Nuwas]], [[Abdollah-lbn-Meymoon Ahvazi]], the astronomer [[Naubakht|Nowbakht-e Ahvazi]] and his sons; as well as Jorjis, the son of [[Bukhtishu|Bakhtshooa Gondishapoori]]; [[Ibn Sakit]], [[Da'bal-e-Khazai]], and many more.


According to the Encyclopedia Iranica, under the Safavids and the Qajars Khuzestan was known as Arabestan or Arabistan -- presumably because many of its then inhabitants spoke Arabic or were Arabs. However, the current Iranian government does not acknowledge that the province ever had such a name.
===The Iran-Iraq war===


The province seems to have enjoyed some autonomy under the [[Abide Emirate]]. [[Reza Shah]] re-established central government control in 1925. According to this source [http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Iran.htm], in 1936 the province was renamed Khuzestan, which seems to have been an older name for the area. Since the Iranian government does not acknowledge the older name, it does not mention the renaming in its provincial website [http://www.ostan-kz.ir/en/default_aen.html].
Being on the border with Iraq, Khuzestan suffered the heaviest damage of all Iranian provinces during the [[Iran-Iraq war]].


There has been a great deal of migration from other parts of Iran into Khuzestan.
What used to be Iran's largest refinery at [[Abadan]] was destroyed, never to fully recover. Many of the famous ''nakhlestans'' were annihilated, cities were destroyed, historical sites were demolished, and half the province went under the boots of Saddam's invading army. This created a mass exodus into provinces that did not have the logistical capability of taking in such a large number of refugees.


From 1980 through 1986, Khuzestan was the main arena of the horrific [[Iran-Iraq war]]. The Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded the province, hoping that the new government of Iran would be too weak and distracted to resist him. In addition, he believed that he would be received with joy by the Arab inhabitants. He was wrong on both counts and was repulsed, albeit with great loss of life and damage to the province (as well as to other areas of Iran targeted by his missles).
However, by 1982, Iranian forces managed to push Saddam's forces back into Iraq. The battle of "''the Liberation of Khorramshahr''" (one of Khuzestan's largest cities and the most important Iranian port prior to the war) was a turning point in the war, and is officially celebrated every year in Iran.


The province has yet to recover from the war. Widespread war damage remains.
===Struggle over the province===
[[Image:Nakhl.jpg|thumb|right|A "nakhlestan" near Shadegan, Khuzestan. Many of these palm farms were annihilated by Saddam during the Iran-Iraq war.]]
The first person to launch secessionist unrests in Khuzestan was [[Sheikh Khaz'al]], who rose to power in [[1897]] and had originally been supported by the British colonialists. He was finally arrested in [[1925]] by [[Reza Shah]] and the area of Khuzestan he had dominated returned to the province.


== Notable sites of Khuzestan==
Domination of Khuzestan was also [[Saddam Hussein]]'s primary strategic objective that launched the [[Iran-Iraq war]], which forced thousands of Iranians to flee the province.


Iran's National Heritage Organization lists many sites of historical and cultural significance in Khuzestan province, including:
The government of the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] does not conduct any official ethnic census in [[Iran]], thus it is difficult to determine the exact [[demographics]]. Beginning in the early nineties, many ethnic Persian Khuzestanis began returning to the province, a trend which continues to this day as the major urban centres are being rebuilt and restored. Restoration has been slow due to neglect by the regime of the [[Islamic Republic]]. The city of [[Khorramshahr]] was almost completely decimated as a result of Saddam's [[scorched earth]] policy. Fortunately, Iranian forces were able to prevent the Iraqis from attempting to spread the execution of this policy to other major urban centres.


[[Image:Shush-castle.jpg|thumb|right|[[Shush castle|L'Acropole de Suse]], Susa, Iran.]]
The [[Iranian Embassy Siege]] of [[1980]] was a terrorist siege of the Iranian Embassy in [[London]] initiated by Arab [[separatists]], backed by [[Saddam Hussein]]. Initially it emerged the terrorists wanted autonomy for Khuzestan; later they demanded the release of 91 of their comrades held in Iranian jails. Arab separatists supported Saddam's forces in attacking both Persian and Arab Iranian soldiers and civilians, in what could be considered an attempt at an [[ethnic cleansing]] of the Iranian population, as the majority of the Arab Khuzestani population were loyal to Iran and fought alongside other Iranians against Saddam. After the withdrawal of Iraqi forces towards the end of the war, the remainder of these Arab separatists fled to Iraq, though Saddam continued to entertain the notion of a potential future invasion of Khuzestan for many years afterwards.


* [[Choqa Zanbil]], a city of the [[Elamite Empire]]. Today's visitors can see the remains of a large five-story temple built in honor of Anishushinak, the protective deity of the city of [[Susa]].
==Economy==
[[Image:Karun3-dam.jpg|thumb|right|The government of [[Iran]] is spending large amounts of money in Khuzestan province. The massive Karun-3 dam, was inaugurated recently as part of a drive to boost Iran's growing energy demands.]]
Khuzestan is the major oil-producing region of [[Iran]], and as such is the wealthiest province in Iran, though it is claimed that this wealth does not benefit the average citizen. The government of Iran claims the province to rank third among Iran's provinces in GDP. [http://www.ostan-kz.ir/papercutdetail_afa_pi_191.html source (in Persian)]


* ''[[Shush-Daniel]]'', the purported burial site of [[Daniel]] the [[Jewish]] prophet. He is said to have been a vizier during the rule of [[Darius the Great]].
===Shipping===


* The grave of [[Ya'qub bin Laith as-Saffar]], who rose against the oppression of the [[Umayyad]] caliphs, is nearby.
[[Karun]] river is the only river in [[Iran]] capable of sailing. The British, up until recent decades, after the discovery by [[Sir Henry Layard]], transported their merchandise via Karun's waterways, passing through Ahvaz all the way up to [[Masjed Soleiman]], the site of their first oil wells in the Naftoon oil field. Karun is capable of the sailing of fairly large ships as far up as [[Shushtar]].


* [[Dezful]], city famed for a bridge built over the Dez River by [[Shapur I of Persia | Shapur I]].
Karkheh, Jarrahi, Arvand, Handian, Shavoor, Bahmanshir (Bahman-Ardeshir), Maroon-Alaa', Dez, and many other rivers and water sources in the form of ''Khurs'', lagoons, ponds, and marshes demonstrate the vastness of water resourses in this region, and are the main reason for the variety of agricultural products developed in the area.


* [[Shushtar]], one of the oldest fortress cities in Iran, known as the "City of Forty Elders" in the local dialect. The renowned Friday Mosque of Shushtar was built by [[Abbasid]] Caliphs.
===Agriculture===


* [[Izeh]], or Izaj, contains the singular ''Kharezad Bridge'', erected on pillars of cast lead.
The abundance of water and fertility of soil have transformed this region into a rich and well-endowed land. The variety of agricultural products such as wheat, barley, oily seeds, rice, eucalyptus, medical herbs; the existence of many palm and citrus farms; having mountains suitable for raising olives, and of course sugar cane - from which Khuzestan takes its name - all show the great potential of this fertile plain. The abundance of water supplies, rivers, and dams, also have an influence on the fishery industries, which are prevalent in the area.


* [[Masjed Soleiman]], the winter quarters of the nomadic [[Bakhtiari]] tribe. It holds the remains of the ancient Zoroastrian temples of ''Sarmasjed'' and ''Bard-neshondeh''.
===Industry===
[[Image:Fulad-ahvaz.jpg|thumb|right|[[Iran]] has some major industrial facilities located in Ahvaz. The ''Fulad-e-Ahvaz'' steel facility is one of them.]]
The Karun 3 and 4, and Karkheh Dam, as well as the petroleum reserves provide Iran with national sources of revenue and energy. The petrochemical and steel industries, pipe making, the power stations that feed the national electricity grid, the chemical plants, and the large refineries are some of Iran's major industrial facilities.


* [[Abadan]], home to a shrine that some say is the tomb of the Hebrew prophet [[Elias]],.
The province is also home to [[Yadavaran Field]], a major oil field.


== Notable Khuzestanis ==
==Universities==


Many scientists, philosophers, and poets have come from Khuzestan, including
*# Khorramshahr University of Nautical Sciences and Technologies
*# [http://www.ajums.ac.ir/ Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences]
*# [http://www.put.ac.ir/ Petroleum University of Technology]
*# [http://www.cua.ac.ir/ Shahid Chamran University-Ahvaz]
*# [http://www.nbd.ac.ir/ Shahid Chamran University-Dezful]
*# Islamic Azad University of Abadan
*# Islamic Azad University of Omidiyeh
*# Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz
*# Islamic Azad University of Behbahan
*# Islamic Azad University of Izeh


* [[Abu Nuwas]]
==Attractions of Khuzestan==
* [[Abdollah-lbn-Meymoon Ahvazi]]
* [[Naubakht|Nowbakht-e Ahvazi]], an astronomer
* [[Bukhtishu|Bakhtshooa Gondishapoori]]
* [[Ibn Sakit]]
* [[Da'bal-e-Khazai]]


Iran's National Heritage Organization lists 140 sites of Historical and Cultural significance in Khuzestan province. After all, this province was the seat of Iran's most ancient empire.

Some of the more popular sites of attraction include:
[[Image:Shush-castle.jpg|thumb|right|[[Shush castle|L'Acropole de Suse]], Susa, Iran.]]
*[[Choqa Zanbil]]: was the seat of the [[Elamite Empire]]. The magnificent five-story temple is one of the greatest monuments in the Middle-East today. This Monolith, with its labrynthine walls made of thousads of large bricks with Elamite inscription, manifesting the antiquity of this shrine. This temple was religiously sacred and was built in the honor of Anishushinak the protector deity of the city of [[Susa]].
*''Shush-Daniel'': Burial site of [[Daniel]] the Prophet in Susa, who was a [[Jewish]] prophet revered by Cyrus and who became vizier during the rule of Darius. It is said that when Daniel died while going to visit [[Jerusalem]] upon the order of Darius, that he was buried in Shush. The grave of [[Ya'qub bin Laith as-Saffar]], who rose against the oppression of the [[Umayyad]] Caliphs, is also located nearby.
*[[Dezful]] (''Dezh-pol''), whose name is taken from a bridge (''pol'') over [[Dez]] river having 12 spans built by the order of [[Shapur I of Persia|Shapur I]]. This is the same bridge that was called "Andamesh Bridge" by historians like [[Istakhri]] who says the city of [[Andimeshk]] takes its name from this bridge. Moqaddasi, the famous historian, calls it "The City of the Bridge."
*[[Shushtar]], one of the oldest fortress cities in Iran, known as the "City of Forty Elders" in the local dialect. The Friday Mosque of Shushtar was built by the orders of [[Abbasid]] Caliphs. This mosque, which features "Roman" arches, has 54 pillars and balconies.
*[[Izeh]], or Izaj, was one of the main targets of the Islamic army in their invasion of Persia, and has enjoyed great prosperity in different historical times. ''Kharezad Bridge'', one of the strangest bridges of the world, is situated in this city and was named after Ardeshir Babakan's mother. It is built over casted pillars of lead each 104 meters high. [[Ibn Battuta]], the Morroccan tourist, who visited this city in the 14th century, refers to many monasteries, [[Caravanserai]]s, [[aqueduct]]s, schools, and fortresses in the town. The brass statue of ''The Parthian Man'', which is currently being safeguarded in the [[National Museum of Iran]], is from here.
*[[Masjed Soleiman]] is another Khuzestan town, which besides having ancient fire alters and temples like ''Sarmasjed'', ''Bard-neshondeh'', and others, is the winter's resting area of the [[Bakhtiari]] tribe, and the first oil well of Iran was dug in this region by [[William Knox D'Arcy]].
*[[Abadan]], has a shrine which some say is the tomb of [[Elias]], the long lived Hebrew prophet along the Bahmanshir river.


==See also==
== See also ==


*[[Ahvaz]]
*[[Ahvaz]]
Line 142: Line 145:
*[[Iran-Iraq war]]
*[[Iran-Iraq war]]
*[[Ethnic politics of Khuzestan]]
*[[Ethnic politics of Khuzestan]]
*[[Islamic conquest of Iran]]


==External links==
==External links==
Line 151: Line 153:
*[http://www.ayapir.com/ Ayapir archeological site]
*[http://www.ayapir.com/ Ayapir archeological site]
*[http://www.bakhtiaritribe.net/khuzestan.html The History of Khuzestan according to Bakhtiari tribes of Khuzestan]
*[http://www.bakhtiaritribe.net/khuzestan.html The History of Khuzestan according to Bakhtiari tribes of Khuzestan]
*[http://www.khouz.medu.ir/ Khuzestan Province Department of Education] (in Persian)


{{Provinces of Iran}}
{{Provinces of Iran}}

Revision as of 18:38, 23 May 2005

Khuzestan and Iran

Introduction

Stepped domes like this are characteristic of the traditional architecture of Khuzestan province. This is the shrine of Imamzadeh Hamzeh, located between Mah-shahr and Hendijan.

Khuzestan is one of the thirty provinces of Iran. It is located in the south-west of the country, where it borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf. It is known for its oil industry. The capital is the city of Ahvaz.

Geography and demographics

Khuzestan is 63,238 sq. km in area. It comprises plains and marshlands to the east of the Tigris-Euphrates delta, and extends up into the foothills and peaks of the neighboring Zagros mountain range. It is watered by the the Karun, Karkheh and Jarahi rivers. The Karun, at 850 km. long, is Iran's largest river. It is navigable as far as the capital city of Ahvaz, which facilitates commerce.

Other major cities include:

The climate of Khuzestan is generally hot and humid, particularly in the south.

According to the 1996 census, the province had an estimated population of 3.7 million people, of which approximately 62.5% lived in urban areas and 36.5% in rural areas. The remaining 1% were transients.

Khuzestan is inhabited by ethnic Persians (Persian-speaking), Arabs (some of whom speak Arabic, some of whom speak only Persian), and nomadic groups like the Bakhtiaris and the Lur. There are no reliable statistics as to the exact proportion of each ethnicity or language community. The Iranian government has not collected such statistics for some time. The CIA World Factbook estimates that 3% of Iran's 68,017,860 citizens are Arabs, which would put the Arab population at 2,040,540, of whom the majority live in Khuzestan. There is clearly a sizable Arab population in Khuzestan; estimates range from 30 to 60% of the population. The question of minority numbers is politically charged; see Ethnic politics of Khuzestan for further discussion.

Government

Khuzestan has eighteen representatives in Iran's parliament, The Majles, and six representatives in the Assembly of Experts.

Economy

The massive Karun-3 dam, recently inaugurated.

Khuzestan is the center of Iran's oil industry, and much of its heavy manufacturing. Dams like the Karun 3 and 4, and the Karkheh Dam feed the national electricity grid, and serve the petrochemical and steel industries. [[Image:Fulad-ahvaz.jpg|thumb|right|Fulad-ahvaz steel plant, in Ahvaz

Khuzestan produces much of the wealth of the country. It was once one of the most Westernized and wealthy areas of Iran. However, it was heavily damaged during the Iran-Iraq war and much of the damage is yet to be repaired. Many Khuzestanis complain that their oil money benefits the rest of the country, but does not benefit them.

Shipping

The Karun is the only navigable river in Iran. Large ships can sail up the Karun as far as Shushtar. As noted in the Ahvaz article, at the end of the 19th century the river was dredged and a railroad was built. This greatly facilitated trade and later, the growth of the oil industry. The first oil wells, in the Naftoon oil field, were supplied from the upstream town of Masjed Soleiman.

Agriculture and fisheries

Khuzestan's well-watered, rich, delta soil supports a thriving agricultural industry. The province produces wheat, barley, oil seed, rice, eucalyptus, medical herbs, dates, citrus, olives, and sugar cane. Khuzestan is also known for its riverine and Persian Gulf fisheries.

Universities

History of Khuzestan

[[Image:Choghazanbil2.jpg|thumb|right|The ziggurat of Choqa Zanbil, built by the ancient Elamites.

See main article, History of Khuzestan

Khuzestan first enters recorded history as part of the Elamite Empire. It is then ruled, successively, by:

Dates may differ from usual dynastic dates; these are, as nearly as can be determined, the relevant dates for the area now known as Khuzestan.

Under the caliphs, Khuzestan was a rich and populous province, known for its culture and learning. It was depopulated and reduced to beggary by the savagery of the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. It did not begin to recover until the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when commerce revived and oil was discovered.

According to the Encyclopedia Iranica, under the Safavids and the Qajars Khuzestan was known as Arabestan or Arabistan -- presumably because many of its then inhabitants spoke Arabic or were Arabs. However, the current Iranian government does not acknowledge that the province ever had such a name.

The province seems to have enjoyed some autonomy under the Abide Emirate. Reza Shah re-established central government control in 1925. According to this source [1], in 1936 the province was renamed Khuzestan, which seems to have been an older name for the area. Since the Iranian government does not acknowledge the older name, it does not mention the renaming in its provincial website [2].

There has been a great deal of migration from other parts of Iran into Khuzestan.

From 1980 through 1986, Khuzestan was the main arena of the horrific Iran-Iraq war. The Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein invaded the province, hoping that the new government of Iran would be too weak and distracted to resist him. In addition, he believed that he would be received with joy by the Arab inhabitants. He was wrong on both counts and was repulsed, albeit with great loss of life and damage to the province (as well as to other areas of Iran targeted by his missles).

The province has yet to recover from the war. Widespread war damage remains.

Notable sites of Khuzestan

Iran's National Heritage Organization lists many sites of historical and cultural significance in Khuzestan province, including:

File:Shush-castle.jpg
L'Acropole de Suse, Susa, Iran.
  • Choqa Zanbil, a city of the Elamite Empire. Today's visitors can see the remains of a large five-story temple built in honor of Anishushinak, the protective deity of the city of Susa.
  • Shushtar, one of the oldest fortress cities in Iran, known as the "City of Forty Elders" in the local dialect. The renowned Friday Mosque of Shushtar was built by Abbasid Caliphs.
  • Izeh, or Izaj, contains the singular Kharezad Bridge, erected on pillars of cast lead.
  • Masjed Soleiman, the winter quarters of the nomadic Bakhtiari tribe. It holds the remains of the ancient Zoroastrian temples of Sarmasjed and Bard-neshondeh.
  • Abadan, home to a shrine that some say is the tomb of the Hebrew prophet Elias,.

Notable Khuzestanis

Many scientists, philosophers, and poets have come from Khuzestan, including


See also

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