Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System
The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System is remembered as a masterpiece of creative genius and dates back to Darius the Great in the 5th century BC. It involved the construction of two main aqueducts on the Karun River, one of which is the Galgal Canal, which is still in use today. It supplies water to the mills and the city of Shushtar through a series of tunnels. It forms a spectacular cliff over which the water cascades down into a basin downstream. It then enters the plains south of the city, where 40,000 hectares of orchards and farms are cultivated, known as Mianâb (Paradise). The site features a range of striking attractions, including the Salâsel Castle, the centre of the operation of the entire hydraulic system, towers for measuring water levels, dams, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the skills of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as the more recent skills of the Nabataeans and the influence of Roman architecture.