The waterfalls
Between rocks.
Elaheabed — CC BY-SA 4.0 · الهام باقری — CC BY-SA 4.0 · الهام باقری — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kheirollahnezhad — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wojciech Kocot — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System is an ancient irrigation network in the city of Shushtar in southwest Iran. Small waterfalls drop between rock walls, past old water mills, canals and cut tunnels, with green-blue water running between brown rocks. The system dates from the Sasanian era and is made up of 13 dams, bridges, canals and structures that work together to share the water of the Karun River between the city and the fields. They include the Gargar bridge-dam above the mills and falls, and the Dahaneye Shahr tunnel, which carries water to the mills. The Band-e Kaisar was a weir about 500 m long across the Karun, built in the 3rd century AD on Sasanian orders. The system was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009. You walk the paths between the falls and mills and go down into the tunnels; it is loveliest at dusk, when the falls are lit. It is in the centre of Shushtar. Summers are very hot, so visit in winter. 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.
Between rocks.
Centuries old.
At dusk.
Central Shushtar, Khuzestan province
In winter; summers are very hot.
Usually, depending on the river.