Susa
شوش
Susa is located in Iran
Susa
Susa
Shown within Iran
Susa is located in West and Central Asia
Susa
Susa
Susa (West and Central Asia)
LocationShush, Khuzestan Province, Iran
RegionZagros Mountains
Coordinates32°11′26″N 48°15′28″E / 32.19056°N 48.25778°E / 32.19056; 48.25778
TypeSettlement
Part ofSusa
History
Founded4400 BC
Abandoned1218 AD
EventsBattle of Susa
Site notes
ConditionAbandoned and in ruins
Official nameSusa
CriteriaCultural: i, ii, iii, iv
Reference1455
Inscription2015 (39th Session)

Susa (/ˈssə/ SOO-sə; Middle Elamite: 𒀸𒋗𒊺𒂗, romanized: Šušen;[1] Middle and Neo-Elamite: 𒋢𒋢𒌦, romanized: Šušun;[1] Neo-Elamite and Achaemenid Elamite: 𒀸𒋗𒐼𒀭, romanized: Šušan;[2] Achaemenid Elamite: 𒀸𒋗𒐼, romanized: Šuša;[2] Persian: شوش Šuš [ʃuʃ]; Hebrew: שׁוּשָׁן Šūšān; Greek: Σοῦσα Soûsa; Syriac: ܫܘܫ Šuš;[3] Middle Persian: 𐭮𐭥𐭱𐭩 Sūš or 𐭱𐭥𐭮 Šūs; Old Persian: 𐏂𐎢𐏁𐎠 Çūšā) was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about 250 km (160 mi) east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers in modern day Iran. One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital of Elam and the winter capital of Achaemenid Empire, and remained a strategic centre during the Parthian and Sasanian periods.

The site currently consists of three archaeological mounds, covering an area of around one square kilometre.[4] The modern Iranian town of Shush is located on the site of ancient Susa. Shush is identified as Shushan, mentioned in the Book of Esther and other Biblical books.

  1. ^ a b Hinz & Koch 1987, p. 1184.
  2. ^ a b Hinz & Koch 1987, p. 1183.
  3. ^ Thomas A. Carlson et al., “Susa — ܫܘܫ ” in The Syriac Gazetteer last modified June 30, 2014, http://syriaca.org/place/415.
  4. ^ John Curtis (2013). "Introduction". In Perrot, Jean (ed.). The Palace of Darius at Susa: The Great Royal Residence of Achaemenid Persia. I.B.Tauris. p. xvi. ISBN 9781848856219.