Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Long-distance buses en route to Ahvaz can often be persuaded to drop passengers off on
the main highway, 2km east of town. Shuttle taxis head from this point into the centre, but
not necessarily at 2am when many southbound buses go by. Heading out of Shush, you'll
usually need to go first to Andimeshk or Ahvaz.
Minibuses to Ahvaz depart frequently from Khomeini Blvd, 800m northeast of the ar-
chaeological site. For Andimeshk (US$1, 38km) and Dezful they use small, separate yards
across the road. The Apadana Hotel can arrange sensibly priced agency taxis for Choqa
Zanbil (US$10 return) and Shushtar.
Choqa Zanbil & Haft Tappeh
HAFT TAPPEHهپت تفه
ELEV 76M
Muddy Elamite-era mounds pimple this otherwise-flat oasis area. Several are thought to
have been small ziggurats dating from around 1400 BC. However, none are mind-blow-
ingly exciting, but recent archaeological work has rendered them a little more interesting.
Beside the site, a Unesco-sponsored
museum
(admission US$1; 8am-5pm Sat-Thu)
is
beautifully set amid bougainvillaea and soaring palms. It displays archaeological finds in-
cluding a curious black sarcophagus. Photo-rich explanations detail the excavation, restor-
ation and partial reconstruction of Choqa Zanbil (25km away).
The Haft Tappeh site is 3km off the Ahvaz-Andimeshk highway. Beyond the museum,
after crossing the train tracks there's a 1km unpaved short cut south to the Choqa Zanbil
road.
CHOQA ZANBILلیبنزاغچ
ELEV 81M
(admission US$1; 7am-6pm, guarded 24hr)
One of Iran's Unesco World Heritage
sites, Choqa Zanbil's magnificent brick
ziggurat
is the best surviving example of Elamite
architecture anywhere. Even if you're not a fan of ancient ruins, the great bulk and splen-
did semi-desert isolation of Choqa Zanbil can't fail to impress. Although close access is
prevented after 6pm, the ziggurat arguably looks most appealing after dusk when the
golden floodlighting emphasises the structure's form better than the hazy desert daylight.
