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How Shushtar Water Structures Index Works

Shushtar water structures in the UNESCO World Heritage List include several works that we are going to introduce:

1. level dam: As you know, for agriculture, the land must be irrigated with river water, and due to the low level of the river from the land, the water must be raised. Today, water is pumped from the river, but in the past, there was no pump! So they created a structure called a dam, which is built perpendicular to the river and keeps its surface high by blocking the flow of water.

2. Pergola Tower: This tower was built in the Qajar period and is located next to the Shatit River. This place was the place where the Roman emperor or Sassanid Shapur supervised the river and the work of the workers. Of course, some consider it a place to monitor the amount and intensity of river flow.

3. Gargar River: This river was dug in the north of Shushtar city during the Achaemenid period for the development of water structures in the city. Reasons for the construction of this river include reducing the volume of water in the Karun River, irrigating the lands above the Karun River and the security of the city.

4. Gargar Bridge: The history of the construction of this bridge dates back to the Sassanid period and the reason for its construction is to divert the water route from the handmade and historical river Gargar and the water to the windmill tunnels.

5. Waterfalls and water mills: The most significant parts of this complex are located next to the Gargar Bridge and along the Gargar River. There are a large number of windmills in this complex, which is a clear example of using water force to rotate windmills. The complex is divided into three parts: the eastern courtyard, the northern courtyard, and the western courtyard.

Other buildings of this huge and large complex include the Ayar or Sabi Tower bridge, which is located on the Gargar River and at the bottom of the waterfalls, which was built during the Sassanid period. Shushtar Salasel Castle is also a very large fortress which is located next to the Shatit River and has various sections including several courtyards, barracks, stables, baths, naves, towers, gardens, tin house, shrine house, kitchen, and multiple gates. Salasel Castle is the official residence of the governor of Khuzestan and is located on a mountain that is like a small plateau and has been renovated many times.

Shadorvan Bridge is another part of Shushtar’s huge collection of water structures, some of which are called the oldest bridges in the world. The bridge had 44, of which only 16 spans with arches and 8 spans without arches can be seen. Shah Ali Bridge is also left from the Safavid period and is located on Daryoun Creek.

This bridge, which is no longer used after the construction of the new bridge between Ahvaz and Shushtar, had several arches, of which only 3 arches remain today. The Lashkar Bridge, which dates back to the Sassanid period, is located next to one of the six historical gates of Shushtar.

Currently, this bridge is considered to be the healthiest bridge left from the Sassanid period, which is visited by many tourists.

Shushtar mills and waterfalls are one of the most technical and engineering masterpieces in the world due to their construction time. This engineering masterpiece is unique both in Iran and in the world. And always a large number of tourists visit these magnificent historical monuments. You can also buy your Iran tours from the To Iran Tour’s website to see these historical structures and experience a pleasant trip.