The stepped ziggurat
A mass of red brick.
ninara — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jb-mhr — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hedayat Bazafkan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Iman Yari — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany — CC BY-SA 2.0
Chogha Zanbil is an ancient Elamite complex in Khuzestan Province and one of the few ziggurats outside Mesopotamia. UNESCO describes it as the best preserved example of the stepped pyramid form, and it listed the site in 1979. Its stepped brick mass looks strong and majestic, standing alone on a green plain with few visitors. The exact date of the city is uncertain because of doubts about the reign of King Untash-Napirisha, but it belongs to the 14th or 13th century BC, with 1250 BC the conventional date. It is now thought that the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal destroyed it about 645 BC along with the Elamite capital of Susa. You walk around the ziggurat and see its tiers of red brick and the walls that surround it in successive rings. Some bricks carry small cuneiform inscriptions, so look for them along the walls. Do not climb the ziggurat, as it is protected and fragile, and keep to the marked paths. The finest light comes in the morning and at sunset, when the brick glows. It is about 33 km in a straight line from Shush and 80 km north of Ahvaz. The heat is harsh for most of the year, so visit from November to March and bring plenty of water and a hat. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Iran and warns that British nationals risk detention, so check official guidance before making any plans. We could not confirm the current state of this site.
A mass of red brick.
On some of the bricks.
Around the ziggurat.
South-east of Shush, Khuzestan Province, Iran
No, it is protected and fragile, so keep to the marked paths.
November to March, as the heat is harsh for most of the year.