Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, Ancient hydraulic system in Shushtar, Iran.
The Shushtar hydraulic system is a vast network of dams, bridges, and canals that moved water from the Karun River through tunnels and channels across the landscape. The site encompasses multiple areas including water mills and the Band-e Kaisar, a monumental bridge-dam structure that required sophisticated engineering to construct.
The Persian king Darius the Great ordered construction to harness the river's water in the ancient period. Roman workers later expanded the system and built additional structures under Sassanid rule, continuing the work begun centuries earlier.
The hydraulic works became the foundation for a prosperous region and shaped how people organized their communities around water use. The system remains a testament to how engineering choices determined where settlements grew and how societies thrived.
Visitors can explore several different sections spread across the area, all accessible on foot through varied terrain. It is best to allow plenty of time for walking and wear sturdy shoes, as you will cover considerable ground between different parts of the site.
The system used underground tunnels carved directly into rock to move water over long distances to power mills across the region. These passages demonstrate an early approach to distributing water flow precisely where it was needed.
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