19 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Iran’s legendary ruined city “Susa”

Ancient Susa is one of the oldest cities in the world. The Elamite, Persian, and Parthian empires formerly ruled over the UNESCO-designated city, which is now bordered by the contemporary city of Shush.

Susa is named Shushan in the Book of Esther and other Biblical writings. It is located in the lower Zagros mountain range, some 250 kilometers east of the Tigris river and between the Kharkeh and Dez rivers.

Archaeological evidence suggests that Susa has been continuously inhabited since 4200 BC. Moreover, in Susa, there are traces of a village inhabited around 7000 BC.

Susa’s potters created unrivaled quality pottery in an early period, which they adorned with patterns of birds, mountain goats, and other animals. The city became the capital of Elam in the fourth millennium (the “Uruk Period”) and was able to compete with Sumerian and Akkadian cities in southern Iraq at times.

The city itself expanded eastward to the part of the city that is now called the Royal City. From the written information, we know that there must be a ziggurat. The third part is the artisan area, located further east.

The kings of the Awan dynasty ruled Elam in the last third of the third millennium; they were contemporaries of Sargon of Akkad’s dynasty, which was able to briefly absorb Susa into his kingdom. However, the Awan kings managed to regain their freedom.

Susa- One of the World's Oldest Cities
Susa- One of the World’s Oldest Cities.

When the Gutians descended from the mountains and wreaked devastation on the alluvial plains of Elam and Mesopotamia, the Awan kingdom fell apart.

Elam became autonomous again after the disintegration of the Old Babylonian Empire, and a new dynasty, most likely from Anšan, took control in Elam. The Kidinuids were eventually supplanted by the Igehalkids and the Šutrukids. Susa flourished the most under these dynasties.

Susa after being conquered by Cyrus the Great, was used as the winter home of Persian rulers. In 538 or 539 BC, Cyrus II, the Great incorporated Susa into the Persian Empire.

King Darius the Great (522-486), one of his successors, constructed one of his palaces at Susa. The palace’s inscription, known as DSf, chronicles Darius’ construction. Susa was without a doubt his favorite palace. Another capital was unknown to Herodotus of Halicarnassus, a Greek scholar who wrote extensively on the Achaemenid empire.

According to said, Alexander of Macedonia captured Susa in 330 BC, plundered the city, and seized approximately 40,000 talents gold and silver from the treasury. Alexander the Great’s preference for Babylon kicked off Shushan’s decline, and soon after, after a rebellion, the city was razed to the ground. It was subsequently rebuilt by Sapor II (309-379 AD) and renamed Iranshahr Shapur, and later helped resist the Arab invasion in 645.

Ancient ruins in Susa, Iran ( UNESCO)
Ancient ruins in Susa, Iran ( UNESCO)

The city became part of the Seleucid empire with the collapse of the Achaemenid Empire and the marriage of Alexander the Great, who was reign at Susa. On Eulaeus, it was now known as Seleucia. Next to Darius’ palace, a Greek-style palace was built. The administrative center, on the other hand, was located in the city’s southern section, where almost all Greek and Parthian inscriptions were unearthed. In the Parthian age, the city minted coins.

During the Sassanid era, the city had a large Christian population. It was ransacked by Sassanian King Shapur II, who transferred the population to Iwan-e Karkheh.

Susa was still one of the important cities until the 13th century AD.

Glazed siliceous bricks at Susa, c. 510 BC depicting an Achaemenid soldier ( Wikimedia Commons )
Glazed siliceous bricks at Susa, c. 510 BC depicting an Achaemenid soldier ( Wikimedia Commons )

Susa in the Bible

Susa is well known in the Bible from the tale of Esther, in which Haman the Agagite plots to destroy the Jews of Persia. According to the legend, Esther outwitted Haman by convincing her husband, King Ahasuerus of Persia, to thwart Haman’s plot. According to Ancient Origins, the episode is commemorated each year during the Jewish Purim festival, which is characterized by costumed parties and other celebrations.

Susa is also referenced in the books of Nehemiah and Daniel, both of whom resided in the city during the 6th century BC, during the Babylonian captivity, when numerous Jews were taken hostage following Nebuchadnezzar’s assault of Jerusalem. The Shush-Daniel tomb is said to be that of Daniel himself. It is capped by an unusual white cone which some believe was formerly a stone ‘Star of David’.

Susa was also linked to Daniel’s vision of a ram and a goat in Belshazzar’s third year. Shushan, according to Esther, formerly possessed a splendid palace with a huge hall made up of majestic columns and an extremely striking facade. The palace was erected by the Persian kings Darius and Artaxerxes, according to inscriptions unearthed in the remains. Colored glazed brick panels may still be seen in the remains today, while wood from Lebanon, teak from Gandara, and gold from Sardis and Bactria are all mentioned in various sources.

Following some preliminary soundings in 1854, systematic excavation began in 1884. The French archaeologists, led by Jacques de Morgan, erected a Crusader-style fortress to defend themselves. Research has continued into the twentieth century. Unfortunately, remains were partly destroyed during the First Gulf War.

Source

R. Boucharlat, “Suse à l’ époque sassanide”, in: Mesopotamia 22 (1987) 316-322


R. Boucharlat, “Suse et la Susiane à l’ époque achémenide. Données archéologiques”, in: Achaemenid History 4 (1990) 149-175

Related Articles

Kurt Tepesi: The Silent Sentinel in the Shadows of Göbeklitepe and Karahan Tepe – Unearthing the Forgotten Sister

31 May 2025

31 May 2025

In the arid plains of southeastern Anatolia, a quiet giant slumbers. While Göbekli Tepe has dazzled archaeologists and the global...

A new magnetic survey of the ancient Assyrian capital of Khorsabad has revealed a 127-room villa twice the size of the U.S. White House

26 December 2024

26 December 2024

Archaeologists in northern Iraq have conducted an extensive magnetic survey using an exhaustive magnetic survey at Khorsabad, once the ancient...

From Türkiye to Iraq: Returning 6,000-Year-Old Cuneiform Tablets That Unlock Ancient Mesopotamia

2 July 2025

2 July 2025

Türkiye has made a significant contribution to cultural diplomacy and historical justice by returning six ancient cuneiform clay tablets to...

5,000-Year-Old public eating space with food still inside discovered in ancient Lagash

2 February 2023

2 February 2023

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a public eating space that’s nearly 5,000 years old in southern Iraq, the University...

Spain’s little-known Viking history is being uncovered

9 August 2021

9 August 2021

Spain has been subjected to more invasions and conquests than any other European country. And, while the Roman, Visigothic, and...

Foundations laid with human blood “Foundation sacrifices”

5 September 2021

5 September 2021

The custom of sacrificing a human being at the erection of a new house or fortress is very old. Foundation...

Ancient Tamil Nadu’s Metalworking Legacy Traced Back to 3300 BCE

7 February 2025

7 February 2025

Recent archaeological research has uncovered compelling evidence that Tamil Nadu’s metalworking traditions date back to at least 3300 BCE, highlighting...

Archaeologists discover a 4,000-year-old ancient city in the Iraqi Dhi Qar region

20 July 2021

20 July 2021

An astonishing find was made by archaeologists in Iraq‘s Dhi Qar province, where an ancient settlement estimated to be 4,000...

2700-year-old Assyrian carvings found near Mashki Gate destroyed by Isis

20 October 2022

20 October 2022

The U.S. and Iraqi archaeologists have unearthed ancient rock carvings believed to be more than 2,700 years old in Iraq’s...

The Oldest “Book” of Europe: Derveni Papyrus

4 September 2022

4 September 2022

The Derveni papyrus is considered Europe’s oldest legible manuscript still in existence today. It is an ancient Greek papyrus roll...

Rare African Script Offers Clues to the Evolution of Writing Systems

4 February 2022

4 February 2022

The world’s very first invention of writing took place over 5000 years ago in the Middle East, before it was...

Cyprus’ Lost Terracotta Warriors: Unearthing a 2,500-Year-Old Army at Agia Eirini

23 May 2025

23 May 2025

Hidden beneath the sands of time in the tranquil Morphou Bay lies Agia Eirini (Turkish: Akdeniz), a seemingly quiet village...

Delikkemer Aqueduct: A Roman Engineering Wonder Along the Lycian Way

17 May 2025

17 May 2025

Hidden among the lush forests of southwestern Turkey, the Delikkemer Aqueduct stands as a testament to ancient Roman ingenuity. Located...

Forged 5,000 Years Ago: The World’s Oldest Swords Discovered at Arslantepe Mound, Türkiye

10 June 2025

10 June 2025

In the arid plains of Eastern Anatolia, nestled along the western bank of the Euphrates River near Malatya, Turkey, lies...

Portugal’s Enigmatic Roman Building “Tower of Centum Cellas”

4 February 2024

4 February 2024

The Tower of Centum Cellas (also known as the “Tower of St. Cornelius”), located in the Mount of Santo Antão...