Shushtar is an origin of civilization in Iran. UNESCO has inscribed some sites of this city as World Heritage Sites like waterfalls and watermills. The traditional bazaar of Shushtar has not only a beautiful local architecture but also many good souvenirs for visitors to buy such as local cookies, Halva-ye Zardak, and torshi (pickled vegetables).

The nature around this city is amazing and worth visiting too. Therefore, we recommend Shushtar tourist attractions to any world traveler who plans to visit a city outside the tourists’ general route.

The city is located at the foothills of the Zagros Mountains in Khuzestan Province. Shushtar is one of the oldest and most ancient cities of Iran. The local people speak the Shushtari dialect.

With a total area of 2,246 square kilometers, this city is located in northern Khuzestan Province of Iran. The average height of Shushtar is 150 meters above sea level and the height of its central point is 65 meters above sea level.

Shushtar has a Mediterranean winter and autumn, and its lush greenery environment is very pleasant from the end of the winter to the spring. As it is situated in a plain-mountain setting, it is suitable for traveling throughout the year, especially in the early days of the spring. The hottest and coldest months of the year are July and December respectively. The average annual temperature is 27ᵒ C. The average annual precipitation is 322 mm there.

According to the 2016 Iranian census, the population of Shushtar was 139,000 people.

As Shushtar has been the center of government for many years, there one can find a comprehensive collection of governmental, military, religious, commercial and industrial occupations. The city’s economy largely depends on the sugar industry.

According to Ibn Al-Muqanna mythical stories, the first cities built after the Noah storm were Shush and Shushtar. Some historians believed that Hushang Pishdadi, the second mythical king of Iran who ruled the world according to Shahnameh, founded the city of Shushtar.

Based on historical texts and facts, as there are Salasel Castle and Dara Creek (Dariush Creek) in this city, one can infer that this city was populous during the Achaemenid period. Archeologists have discovered some objects and potteries in Shushtar remained from the Parthians era. However, this city was one of the most important cities in Iran during the Sassanid period and has attracted the attention of the government. The relics from the pre-Islam era of Iran in this city are some of the best historical attractions of Shushtar today.

Following the Arabs’ conquest of Iran in the mid-7th century, Muslims succeeded to conquer the city after a long siege.

In the Safavid period, the government nominated Vakheshtokhan as the ruler of Shushtar. During the reign of the Afsharids’ founder, Nader Shah, there was an insurgency against the central government in Shushtar. After he launched a military campaign against the rebels and took control of the city again, he ordered the reconstruction of Mizan Dam.

The major event of the Qajar era was the pandemic plague in Khuzestan and Shushtar in 1832 that killed half or more than half of its population.

Another important event was the discovery of petroleum near Shushtar at an area called Naftoon in 1901. Before that, there were natural springs of bitumen in that area.

At the beginning of the Pahlavi era, when Reza Shah constructed the railway to this city despite the opposition of the Muslim leaders, the shipping of goods in northern Karoon decreased and Shushtar lost its importance as a port city. Therefore, following the economic downturn there, the port of Nasseri (current Ahvaz) became the center of Khuzestan State.

In 1971, under the command of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi, Karoon Cultivation & Industry Co. started its work as the largest sugar factory in the Middle East.