Ahvaz (; ) is a city in the Central District of Ahvaz County,

Khuzestan Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's ...

province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is home to

Persians Persians ( ), or the Persian people (), are an Iranian ethnic group from West Asia that came from an earlier group called the Proto-Iranians, which likely split from the Indo-Iranians in 1800 BCE from either Afghanistan or Central Asia. They ...

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

and other groups such as Qashqai and

Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...

. Languages spoken in the area include Persian, Khuzestāni Arabic, Southern Kurdish, Neo-Mandaic, and dialects such as Bakhtiari, Dezfuli and Shushtari. Ahvaz is home to over 1.3 million people within its metropolitan area. Census results suggest a steady increase in population. As the most watery river in Iran, the Karun flows through the center of the city, which is one of the two navigable rivers in Iran, alongside the

Arvand Rud The Shatt al-Arab () is a river about in length that is formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the town of al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq. The southern end of the river constitutes the Iran– ...

. Ahvaz has earned the reputation of being the City of Bridges due to its numerous big bridges built on the Karun to facilitate better communication between the east and west parts of the city, although since the beginning of the 20th century, this city has always been known as the Oil Capital of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, along with other cities of

province. This city has a long history, dating back to the Achaemenid period. In ancient times, the city was one of the main centers of the Academy of Gondishapur.

Etymology

The original inhabitants of the

Khuzestan province Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's R ...

, the Huzi, are the source of the name "Ahvaz".

History

Ancient history

Later the name was changed to ''Hormazd-Ardašēr'' (Persian: ''Hormozd ardeshir'') and it became abbreviated to Daravashir later, but as a matter of fact, it's not quite clear if this change was by the King

Ardashir I Ardashir I (), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180–242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire, the last empire of ancient Iran. He was also Ardashir V of the Kings of Persis, until he founded the new empire. After defeating the last Par ...

, in 230 (cf. ''Encyclopædia Iranica'', al-Muqaddasi, et al.) or by his grandson Hormizd I (according to the Middle Persian ''Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr ( shahrestān hā-ye Irānshahr)''. The city had two sections; the nobles of the city lived in one part while the other was inhabited by merchants.

Modern history

In the 19th century, "Ahvaz was no more than a small

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

inhabited mainly by Sabeans (1,500 to 2,000 inhabitants according to Ainsworth in 1835; 700 according to Curzon in 1890)." In the 1880s, during the Qajar era, the Karun River was dredged and re-opened to commerce. A newly built railway crossed the Karun at Ahvaz. The city again became a commercial crossroads, linking river and rail traffic. The construction of the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...

further stimulated trade. A port city was built near the old village of Ahvaz, and named ''Bandar-e-Naseri'' in honor of Naser ed-Din Shah Qajar. Oil was found near Ahvaz in the early 20th century, and the city once again grew and prospered as a result of this newfound wealth. From 1897 to 1925, the city of Ahvaz was in the hands of heshmatoddoleh Ghajar, who acted as governor and Sarhang Reza Gholi Khane Arghoon commander of Ghajari's army based in Khuzestan. Sheikh Khaz'al was recognized by

Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar (; 23 March 1853 – 3 January 1907) was the fifth Qajar shah of Iran, reigning from 1896 until his death in 1907. He is often credited with the creation of the Persian Constitution of 1906, which he approved of in ...

as hereditary ruler of Mohammerah, Sardar Asad Bakhtiari as the most powerful leader of Khuzestan's Bakhtiaries. He had power and authority over most regions of Khuzestan, such as Dezful, Shushtar, Izeh, even Ahvaz and Amir mojahede bakhtiari in Ramhormoz and Behbahan. At this time, the newly founded Ahvaz was named ''Nâseri'' in honour of its founder Nasser ed-Din Shah Qajar. Afterwards, during the Pahlavi era, it resumed its old name, ''Ahvaz''. The government of the Khūzestān Province was transferred there from Shûshtar in 1926. The Trans-Iranian Railway reached Ahvaz in 1929 and by

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Ahvaz had become the principal built-up area of the interior of Khūzestān. Professional segregation remained well marked between various groups in that period still feebly integrated:

, sub-groupings of Persians and

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

s. Natives of the

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

region held an important place in retail trade, owners of cafes and hotels and as craftsmen.

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

attempted to annex Khūzestān and Ahvaz in 1980, resulting in the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...

(1980–1988). Ahvaz was close to the front lines and suffered badly during the war. Iraq had pressed its claims to Khūzestān. Iraq had hoped to exacerbate ethnic tensions and win over popular support for the invaders. Most accounts say that the Iranian Arab inhabitants resisted the Iraqis rather than welcome them as liberators. However, some Iranian Arabs claim that as a minority they face discrimination from the central

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

; they agitate for the right to preserve their cultural and linguistic distinction and more provincial autonomy. See '' Politics of Khūzestān''. In 1989, the ''Foolad Ahvaz'' steel facility was built close to the town. This company is best known for its company-sponsored

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club, Foolad F.C., which was the champion of Iran's Premier Football League in 2005. In 2005 the city witnessed a series of bomb explosions. Many government sources relate these events to developments in Iraq, accusing foreign governments of organizing and funding Arab separatist groups. The Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz claimed credit for several of the bombings, including four bombs on 12 June 2005, that killed 8 people. Gunmen killed at least 29 people in an attack on a crowd watching a military parade on 22 September 2018.

People

It is common to encounter people from various ethnic groups while strolling through Ahvaz's streets and markets.

Languages

Persian serves as the official language and is widely spoken across Ahvaz. Many Ahvazis are

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

, speaking both Persian and one of the following languages/Dialects. The Arabic spoken in Ahvaz is a variety of Khuzestani Arabic. Another part of Ahvazis speak Bakhtiari dialect. Modern Mandaic (or ''Mandae'') language is also spoken among the

Mandaeans Mandaeans (Mandaic language, Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ) ( ), also known as Mandaean Sabians ( ) or simply as Sabians ( ), are an ethnoreligious group who are followers of Mandaeism. They believe that John the Baptist was the final and ...

of Ahvaz. It is a descendant of the Classical Mandaic language that has been partially influenced by Khuzestani Persian. Mehrdad

Bridges

There are 9 bridges over the Karun river.

Pol-Siah ( Black Bridge)

The Black Bridge, also known as the Victory Bridge, was the first modern bridge over the Karun River. The bridge was built during

and used to supply the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and had a major impact on Allied victory.

Pol-Sefid ( White Bridge)

White Bridge is an

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...

completed on 21 September 1936 and inaugurated on 6 November 1936. The bridge remains a symbol of the city still today. The other 7 bridges are third bridge, Naderi bridge, Fifth bridge, Sixth bridge, Seventh bridge (also named ''Dialogue among civilizations bridge''), Cable bridge, and Ninth bridge.

Geography

Location and roads

Ahvaz is located 100 km north-east of

Abadan Abadan (; ) is a city in the Central District (Abadan County), Central District of Abadan County, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The city is in the southwest of the coun ...

and is accessible via following routes in addition of a single runway airport: *

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

- Khorramshahr national railway * Iran First Level Road 39

Ahvaz-

expressway (145 km) * Iran First Level Road 37

Ahvaz- Andimeshk (152 km) expressway * Ahvaz- Bandar Imam Khomeini freeway (175 km). Ahvaz, being the largest city in the province, consists of two distinctive districts: the newer part of Ahvaz which is the administrative and industrial center, which is built on the right bank of the

Karun river The Karun (, ) is the Iranian river with the highest water flow, and the country's only navigable river. It is long. The Karun rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as ...

while residential areas are found in the old section of the city, on the left bank. ]

Climate

Ahvaz has a subtropical climate, subtropical

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''BWh'') with long, extremely hot summers and cool, short winters. Summer temperatures are regularly at least , sometimes exceeding , with many sandstorms and duststorms common during the summer period. However, in winters, the minimum temperature can fall to around . Winters in Ahvaz have no snow. The average annual rainfall is around 230 mm. On 29 June 2017 the temperature reached . Furthermore, the dew point peaked at which is unusually humid for the usual dry heat. Despite the fact that it has never snowed in Ahvaz, frost has been recorded in every winter month, as well as in early spring and late autumn, and it has fallen down to before. Ahvaz-Atisha

Pollution

In 2011, the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

ranked Ahvaz as the world's most air-polluted city. The reason Ahvaz is so polluted is because of its oil industry. The

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

can be very dangerous, causing different types of diseases, and can be harmful to plants.

Transportation

Airport

Ahvaz International Airport (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

: AWZ,

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...

: OIAW) ( Persian: فرودگاه بین‌المللی اهواز) is an airport serving the city of Ahvaz,

Railway

Ahvaz railway station ('' Persian:'' ايستگاه راه آهن اهواز, ''Istgah-e Rah Ahan-e Ahvaz'') is located in Ahvaz,

Khuzestan Province Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's R ...

. * Ahvaz is accessible via freeways from

and

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

, and roadways to

. * A metro urban railway system is being built by the Ahvaz urban railway. The system is planned to have a total of four lines. Line 1 will be a 23 km underground line with 24 stations.

Sport

Traditionally, Khuzestan province has been a major soccer hub in Iran. The city has two existing sport complexes: Takhti Stadium and the newly constructed Ghadir Stadium. There are several other smaller complexes for martial arts, swimming pools and gymnasiums. Also, a new privately owned

stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...

is currently under construction by Foolad F.C. in Ahvaz.

Football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

is a major part of the city's culture. The abundant enthusiasm has made Ahvaz home to three Iranian major

clubs: Foolad, Esteghlal Khuzestan are currently playing in the Persian Gulf Pro League, and Esteghlal Ahvaz is playing in

Azadegan League The Azadegan League (, ''Lig-e Âzâdegân''), also known as League 1 (, ''Lig-e Yek''), is the second highest division of professional football in Iran. It was the top-level football league in Iran from its foundation in 1991 until 2001, when t ...

. Foolad have won the league on two occasions, the 2013–2014 season and the 2004–2005 season. Esteghlal Ahvaz finished runners–up in the league in the 2006–2007 season. In 2016, Esteghlal Khuzestan won the league for the first time. A number of other teams such as Foolad B the second team of Foolad and Karun Khuzestan play in the 2nd Division.

Futsal

Ahvaz has also two teams in the Iranian Futsal Super League, which are Sherkat Melli Haffari Iran FSC and Gaz Khozestan FSC.

Colleges and universities

Ahvaz is also known for its universities as well as its role in commerce and industry. Ahvaz institutes of higher learning include: * Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences *

Petroleum University of Technology The Petroleum University of Technology () is an Iranian public university funded by the Ministry of Petroleum particularly by its main company, the NIOC. It was founded in 1939 in Abadan in response to the increasing industrialization of Iran ...

Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz is an Iranian University in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, Iran. By the ISC ranking, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz was 13th largest and top university in Iran in 2015. SCU University is considered one of Iran's "Grade A ...

* Jahad Daneshgahi Khouzestan * Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch *Islamic Azad University - Science & Research Branch, Khuzestan *Institute for Higher Education ACECR Khouzestan *Payame Noor University of Ahvaz *Amiralmoemenin University *Rahnama Institute of Higher Education Ahvaztashrifat2

Notable people

* Ahmad Mahmoud (1931–2002), Persian novelist * Ali Sajadi Hoseini (1953–1994), filmmaker * Ali Shamkhani (1955–2025), Iranian Minister of Defense (1997–2005) * Amir Taheri (born 1942), Iranian conservative author * Ezzat Negahban (1926–2009), patriarch of modern Iranian archaeology *

Hamed Haddadi Hamed Ehdadi Haddadi (, , born May 19, 1985) is an Iranian professional basketball player for Palayesh Naft Abadan of the Iranian Basketball Super League (IBSL). He played at the center position and is tall and weighs . Haddadi was the first ...

(born 1985), NBA basketball player *

Hamid Dabashi Hamid Dabashi (; born 1951) is an Iranian-American professor of Iranian studies and comparative literature at Columbia University in New York City. He is the author of over twenty books. Among them are ''Theology of Discontent'', several books ...

(born 1951), intellectual historian, cultural and literary critic * Hamid Zangeneh, economist, author, and activist * Hossein Kaebi (born 1982), national football player * Hossein Karimi (born 1992), bodybuilder *

Jabbar Choheili Sheikh (''Rabbi'') Ganzibra Jabbar Choheili (, also known as Sheikh Jabbar Ṭawūsī Al-Kuhaili, ; born 1923, died December 27, 2014) was an Iranian Mandaean priest, the head of the Mandaean Council of Ahvaz, which presides over the Mandaea ...

(1923–2014), Mandaean priest * Jalal Kameli Mofrad, Iranian football player *

Mehdi Daghagheleh Mehdi Daghagheleh (, born 30 January 1990 in Khuzestan) is an Iranian football striker who plays for Naft Maysan in Iraqi Premier League. Club career Early career He began his career in Esteghlal Ahvaz, he played three seasons for Esteghla ...

, Iranian football player * Manuchehr Shahrokhi, Professor of Finance, California State University; Editor, Global Finance Journal; Executive Director, Global Finance Association-Conference * Meamar (born 1956), Iranian artist * Mehdi Yarrahi (born 1981), Iranian Musician * Mehrangiz Kar (born 1944), human rights activist * Mohammad Ali Mousavi Jazayeri, former Wali-Faqih representative in Khuzestan, former Ahvaz Friday Imam * Mohammad Hossein Adeli (born 1953), Iranian economist and diplomat * Mohammad-Reza Eskandari (born 1960), Iran's former Minister of Agriculture * Muhammad ibn Falah, theologian * Najah Choheili, Mandaean priest * Parviz Abnar (born 1958), Iranian Sound recordist * Patrick Monahan (born 1976), Irish Iranian comedian * Saleh Hosseini, Translator, Critic, Professor of English Literature * Samira Abbassy (born 1965), Iranian-born British painter, born in Ahvaz * Siavash Ghomayshi (born 1945), Musician, Singer and Songwriter * Sousan S. Altaie, PhD Scientific Policy Advisor, OIVD CDRH, FDA * Mehdi Rabbi (born 1980), writer

Notes

References

External links

Foolad Ahvaz Football Club
{{Provincial capitals of Iran Arab settlements in Khuzestan province Ardashir I Cities in Khuzestan province Iranian provincial capitals Populated places in Ahvaz County