Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System


World Heritage Identification Number: 1315

World Heritage since: 2009

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇮🇷 Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific

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Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System: A Masterpiece of Creative Genius

The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009, is a testament to ancient engineering prowess and the harmonious integration of human settlements with their natural environment. This intricate network of dams, bridges, canals, and structures dates back to the Sasanian era, located in the modern-day Iranian city of Shushtar.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

Shushtar, Historical Hydraulic System, inscribed as a masterpiece of creative genius, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Kârun one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over an area of 40,000 ha. known as Mianâb (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salâsel Castel, the operation centre of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, dams, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the know-how of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as more recent Nabatean expertise and Roman building influence.

Encyclopedia Record: Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System

The Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System is a complex irrigation system of the island city Shushtar from the Sasanian era. It consists of 13 dams, bridges, canals and structures which work together as a hydraulic system.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 240.4152 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (i) — Masterpiece of human creative genius
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(v) — Outstanding example of traditional human settlement

Coordinates: 32.0186111111 , 48.8358333333

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Image of Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System

© Darafsh, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

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Country Information: Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Flag of Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Official Name: Islamic Republic of Iran

Capital: Tehran

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 91,567,738

Population (2023): 90,608,707

Population (2022): 89,524,246

Land Area: 1,622,500 sq km

Currency: Iranian rial (IRR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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