Gundeshapur, Archaeological site in Dezful County, Iran
Gundeshapur is an archaeological site south of Shahabad village, where remains of ancient structures and ceramic fragments spread over a wide area. The terrain shows mainly foundation walls and stone remains that point to a former city, without visible intact buildings.
Shapur I ordered the settlement built in 271 CE for Roman prisoners from Antioch after he conquered the city. Later the place became the capital of Khuzistan province and grew into a major center for learning and medical training.
The Academy of Gundeshapur functioned as an educational center, combining Persian, Greek, and Indian knowledge in medicine, philosophy, theology, and scientific disciplines.
The ruins lie about 14 kilometers southeast of Dezful in Khuzestan province and can only be reached by unpaved tracks. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and check with local authorities about the current condition of the site.
The academy drew scholars from Persia, Greece and India and developed a teaching hospital that served as a model for later institutions across the Middle East. Under the Abbasids the place remained a center of translation work, where Greek texts were rendered into Arabic.
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