Khuzestan

Khuzestan is located in west of Iran. Its capital is Ahwaz city. khoezistan is a very rich and ancient city. Its history goes back to before achaemenid era

History of Khuzestan
 

History of old Khuzestan started around 3500 years ago. Khuzestan is the cultural marvel of Iran. the word Khuzestan means “sugar land” because from very old times in this part of land farmers grow sugarcane and produce and export sugar to many countries like India . 
Shushtar is a historic city and famous for many monuments, architecture and culture of Achaemenid and Sassanid era.
Khuzestan is very close to Iraq borders and during the Iran-Iraq war was attacked by Iraqi forces many times, but people of Ahwaz were brave enough to defend against Iraqi forces and because of them Ahwas was never defeated by enemies. During the Iran-Iraq War people of Ahwaz resisted against Iraqi forces and many of them died and today are known as martyrs of the war period for 8 years.
Ahwaz is an industrial city and the steel and tube making factories are very famous in Iran. Many years ago the need for steel tubes in the oil industry pushed the government to establish a large factory to produce steel tubes and after the Ahwaz changed to a very big industrial city. Even today there are many different giant holdings in Ahwaz which are fed by the oil industry and because of huge investments Ahwaz today is one of the pilots of many new industries which lead the other industries to grow and bring lots of revenue to the country.
Ahwaz has very hot summers but this is a bonus to the farmers of khoezistan province. When the winter starts in the northern parts of country, Ahwaz spring starts and in middle of winter the fruits of Ahwaz and Khuzestan province starts to grow and ripen and ready to export to the cold parts of country and because of shortages in market they can sell their products in a very good price and earn a good revenue.
Ahwaz is a metropolis and is like an economic cartel because of oil and other related industries but meanwhile Ahwaz is a very cultural city too. Ahwaz university has been active for more than 50 years and oil university is another cultural and industrial education organization which many scientists and engineers educated and absorbed by oil industry centers inside and outside Iran.
Khuzestan and Ahwaz experienced many civil and international wars in history. one of the very old historical place in haft-tepe is Choghazanbil step pyramid and visiting it is a must for everyone. The hydraulic structures of Shushtar is a place worth to see. There are thousands of historical places you can find to visit and there is plenty of attractions which are intact and you can find yourself during your stay in Khuzestan province.

Tourism in Khuzestan

khoezistan is a very fertile land .  it is hot in summer and moderate in winter. Because of high precipitation and more rain there are many marshlands such as Hawizeh Marshes and “Hoor al - Azim” marshlands. There is a big river in Ahwaz names as “Karkheh ” which Starts from Zagros mountains and ends in Persian Gulf. Because of many rivers which are flowing in Khuzestan, old people made many historical hydraulic systems which even today are functional and show how genius the engineers of Persia were in old times and how sophisticated  their science was . People of Persia made many dams and channels and you can see this science in hydraulic systems of Shushtar today.
One of the other interesting attractions of Khuzestan is Masjed Soleyman, the first city where petroleum was discovered and the first extraction tower was made in the south of Iran. Today Masjed Soleyman is one of interesting attractions of Khuzestan and there is a very interesting industrial museums in south of Iran and in there , you can see the first real and original oil extraction tower and pumps, power generators, instruments and other facilities used to find and explore and extraction of first oil well in south of Iran. The wells in Masjed Soleyman are very shallow in the way sometimes you can see rivers of oil flowing in the water channels of masjed Soleyman. There are oil reservoirs where natural crude oil is oozing from surface layers of soil to them and national oil product and distribution companies gather this oil and sell it to the vendors .
In Masjed Soleyman there is another attraction which attracts many tourists each year. In the whole city you can find steel tubes running in narrow streets and distributing sour acidic gas which is not processed in refineries and comes straight from oil and natural gas deep wells. Each house has a very old fashion handmade water heater and by burning natural gas the water warms up and local people use this warm water for daily usage and use in house bath or warming their houses in winters of Masjed Soleyman.
Khuzestan province and Ahwaz are very rich lands . The soil is fertile and Khuzestan is full of water compared to other parts of the country. There are many fertile farms which produce sugar cane, garden products, fruits, grains, rice and many other farming products which export to many cities in Iran or other countries around Persian Gulf.
When you visit in spring and summer you can go boating and fishing or experience water sports, scuba diving , snorkeling and other sports and enjoy the warm water of the Persian Gulf.
Ahwaz is a modern city , you can experience classic and modern life and enjoy your stay. Nature lovers can explore the dramatic Zagros Mountains, a haven for hiking and outdoor adventure. For a glimpse into local culture, visit the charming villages scattered throughout the province, known for their traditional handicrafts and warm hospitality. Khuzestan offers something for everyone, making it a hidden gem waiting to be explored.
If you are interested in a very old fashioned archaeological site, you can go on an excursion to susa and choghazanbil in haft teppe and visit Darius palace.
If you have time you can visit Masjed Soleyman and its interesting remains of the old Fire temple of Zoroastrians and other museums of the oil industry.

culture and customs of Khuzestan

Ahwaz is a cocktail of culture and races. You can find Persian, lur, kurd, Arab, chahar mahal and bakhtiari people or even foreigners like Indians, Philippines’ and many other races mixed together live a very peaceful life.
People of Ahwaz are Happy and love music and dancing. From old times people of Khuzestan played African music instruments and their dancing is like African people too. It is interesting that even today you can find black races that came from Africa to the Persian Gulf in ancient times. In every corner in the bazaar and streets you can find groups of young people singing and dancing and clapping and enjoying their life. This is a very good attraction for the tourism industry.
In Khuzestan , people love spicy and hot food. They love kebabs and because it is close to the Persian Gulf you can find the best seafood in Ahwaz. There are different fish in the Persian Gulf and Khuzestan takes advantage of this closeness.
Most of the people in khoezistan are Muslims in sunni sect and speak in Arabic language. But it does not mean that other Muslims like shia sects or other races have problems or live in shortage because they are minorities.
Iran itself is a melting pot of different cultures, races, religions and languages and after 2500 years of history we learned to live together and accept other opinions and you can see the reflection of this common culture in ordinary life of Khuzestan people.

How to arrange your itinerary? 

Reaching Ahwas Is not hard, but it is better if you buy a ticket and use a flight to reach Ahwaz. From Ahwaz you can go on excursions and one day tours to visit other attractions of the Khuzestan province. Even the distance between other sites such as shushtar and choghazanbil or masjed Soleyman to ahwaz is not short but hiring a good car will solve the problem . But considering different factors it is better you ask a professional guide to arrange your itinerary. our professional guides can help you out 24/7 and you can find them on “sanapersian.travel”  . We will be happy to see you in Iran, Khuzestan soon. Please do not hesitate to call us or find us on social pages. We  will arrange an itinerary for you to have a memorable time visiting Iran. 

Best time to travel to Khuzestan

Ahwaz is hot during summer. It is Moderate in winter and has the best weather in early spring and fall. It is worth visiting Khuzestan if you have enough time and money.
 When north of Iran is freezing, Khuzestan experiences spring. If you like to have a good time in the south, visiting Khuzestan in spring is a must.
You can visit Ahwaz in 4 seasons but it is better to ask us to find the best time according to your needs and desires. 

 
 (Sana Persian tour and travel service provider group)