ahvaz

Ahvaz’s history goes all the way back to the Achaemenid era. During the ancient times, Ahvaz was one of the most important hubs for the Academy of Gondishapur. Some of the ancient names of Ahvaz include Hormozd Ardeshir, Suq-ol-Ahwaz and Naseri. You will also find historians addressing it as Algenis.

Some believe that Ahvaz is constructed on the same site as the ancient city Taryana. Ardeshir Sassanid I has been credited for rebuilding Taryana and rechristening it Hormozd Ardeshir. Under the Sassanid rule, Ahvaz experienced a lot of success and prosperity and was made into the capital of Suziana instead of the city of Susa.

When the Arabs conquered Suziana, they renamed Hormozd Ardeshir as Suq-ol-Ahwaz. During the Umayyad and Abbasid eras, Ahvaz became a hub for sugarcane cultivation and it also attracted a lot of medieval scholars, geographers, and historians, including Ibn Hawqal, Ya’qubi Masudi, Tabari, and Mostowfi Qazvini. Also, during this time, the Academy of Gundishapur came up and gave Ahvaz several learned doctors and medicine men.

The Mongols wreaked havoc on Ahvaz during the 13th and 14th centuries, and the once flourishing and thriving city turned into a forlorn village. With no one to maintain the irrigation channels and dams, the village lost its sheen in the early 19th century. However, under the Qajar rule, Ahvaz once again tasted prosperity. Especially, after the Karun River was dredged and the waterways were reopened to facilitate trade and commerce.

Ahvaz has several universities, sports clubs, institutions, and major companies. Hence, its ethnicity is extremely diverse, consisting of Jews, Iranian Arabs, Persians, Lurs, Mandaeans and Iranian Armenians. Most people in the city speak Persian.

Well-Known People of Ahvaz

Ancient Ahvaz has given the city several celebrities like Abu Nuwas, who was a celebrated Muslim poet. He was born in this city in 756 AD and wrote homoerotic drinking songs.

Abu Saeed was another well-known person in this place. He was a doctor of medicine at the Academy of Gondishapur.

Ahvaz Tourist Attractions

You can also visit the edge of the city at night to see the oil wells flare up. It can be an attractive site against the backdrop of an inky black sky. You can also visit the White Bridge. Built by German engineers nearly 80 years ago, this bridge is a well-known symbol of the city.