Ahvaz

Ahvaz is the capital of Khuzestan province. This city is located 825 kilometres southwest of Tehran. It has a hot climate in the summer and a mild climate in the winter. This city is twelve metres above sea level. The Karun River passes through Ahvaz dividing it into two parts. The White Bridge in Ahvaz on the Karun River is one of the most important and beautiful bridges in Iran, which was built in 1926.

Ahvaz is one of the most important industrial cities of Iran; steel and iron industries and related products such as pipe, iron girder and steel profiled sheets manufacturing are very important.

Ahvaz is located on the road from Tehran to Khorramshahr, Abadan and the port of Mahshahr and has great economic and commercial importance. There are paved roads, a railway and an airport in this city, which connect it to other cities in Iran.

Ahvaz has fertile land, and its agricultural products, especially fruits and vegetables, are very famous.

The Karun River, through which ships could move from Ahvaz to the Arvandroud (Shatt al-Arab), connects this city to the Persian Gulf via Khorramshahr.

Ahvaz is one of the academic centres of Iran. Jondishapour University, which was established in 1955, is its most important university. Today, this university is named after the martyr Dr. Mostafa Chamran. Ahvaz is an old city and was prosperous during the Achaemenid period. For this reason, some historians believe that Ahvaz was built during the Elamite Empire. During the time of the Sassanid king Ardeshir I, this city was rebuilt and named Hormazd Ardeshir, and it was the capital of Suziana (Khuzestan) until the end of the Sassanid rule.

When the Arabs reached Suziana, they called this city “Souq al-Ahwaz” which means the market of Khuzis. The Khuzi people were good and skillful fighters who are regarded as the original inhabitants of this area. That is why this region has called Khuzestan.

In the early 15^th century, the dam that had been built on Karun by the order of Ardeshir broke. (the Ahvaz Railway Bridge is currently in that location.) The destruction of the dam destroyed Ahvaz. Political conflicts and the outbreak of the plague in 1831 caused further destruction, so in the middle of the Qajar period, this city turned into a small village. During the reign of Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, Ahvaz became prosperous again and it was called Naseriyeh after Shah Qajar. The existence of oil in Khuzestan province increased its importance and turned it into an industrial hub that was always mixed with politics.

In 1935, following the approval of the government, Naseriyeh officially regained the name of Ahvaz. This industrial and commercial city also played an important role during the Islamic Revolution. The nationwide strike of oil company employees and the shutdown of this huge industry crippled the economic arm of the second Pahlavi regime. The people of Ahvaz expressed their opposition to the monarchy in Iran by organizing large and small gatherings and demonstrations. The most important event related to the Islamic Revolution took place on January 17, 1979. One day after the Shah departed from Iran, the people of Ahvaz took to the streets and started celebrating. But the attack of the armed forces, in which a large number of people were martyred and injured, turned this joy into mourning. This day is called “Black Wednesday” in Ahvaz.

Ahvaz was the closest centre in the province to the southern fronts during the war between Iraq and Iran (1980-1988). For this reason, from the first day of the war, it was attacked and bombarded extensively and suffered a lot of damage. Ahvaz played a serious and decisive role in supporting the war, especially on the southern fronts, providing supplies and establishing military training bases for fighters. The people of this city endured hardships and difficulties during the eight-year war and the Islamic Revolution, which resulted in the martyrdom of 3,956 people. Today, Ahvaz is considered one of the most important cities in Iran both economically and geographically. According to the 2005 census, it has a population of 1,338,126.

Reference: The Encyclopedia of the Islamic Revolution