Western Iran - Iran - page 287

Walk a couple of minutes east of the main asphalt access road towards an isolated
lamppost to find some more, excavated Elamite royal tombs . There's little to see here,
either, though steep ancient steps lead down into (unlabelled) tomb number five . Des-
cending is unwise as the pit stinks of toiletry misdemeanours…especially bad when the
temperature hits 45°C. Nonetheless, it's still worth strolling up the slight rise nearby to
look back at the ziggurat from a particularly photogenic angle.
Getting There & Away
There's no public transport. An ideal way to visit both sites is as side trips on a taxi-
charter from Shush to Shushtar (US$14). Visit Haft Tappeh first, as its museum is a good
primer for Choqa Zanbil. In reverse you'd find Haft Tappeh's lumpy ziggurats somewhat
of an anticlimax. Add US$16 per hour waiting time.
Shushtarرتشوش
0612 / POP 66,000 / ELEV 65M
The deeply historic city of Shushtar lies strategically where the last contoured red ridges
of the expiring Zagros Mountains fade into the endless flat watermelon fields of southern
Khuzestan. Beneath the initially unexciting surface of today's low-rise cityscape, there's
lots to discover including a complex of artificial ancient 'watermills' and no less than 14
imamzadehs. The town centre is 17 Shahrivar Sq marked by Bank Melli (no money ex-
change).
The very fast-connection Persian Coffeenet (17 Shahrivar Sq; per hr US$1;
8am-11pm) is across the square on the 2nd floor of a building that looks like a pair of mini
glass Empire State Buildings.
THE ROMAN CONNECTION
Some of Shushtar's then state-of-the-art irrigation systems, now designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site, were
built using Roman technology and labour: legionnaires defeated at the AD 259 battle of Edessa (today's Şanlıurfa in
Turkey). Their leader, vanquished Valerian, became the only Roman Emperor ever to be captured alive.