Country Elevation 1,312 m Population 235,819 (2006) University Jundishapoor University of Dezful | ||
Dezful (Persian: ?, pronounced , in local dialect Persian: ?, also Romanized as Dezful and Dezfool; also known as Dizful) is a city in and the capital of Dezful County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 420,000 people in 105,000 families. In 2006, the city had 235,819 inhabitants.
Contents
Map of Dezful
Located in an area with a history that extends back to ancient civilization, the city houses a bridge that dates back to 300 BC.
Dezful mosques and shrines
Dezful
History
The name Dezful has been derived from the two words dezj (fortress)+ pol (bridge), which in combination could stand for the bridge to the fortress or fortified bridge. The original name of the city was Dezjpol, but after the Islamic invasion of Persia, the city was renamed Dezful. The bridge was built during the reign of Shapur I who used Roman prisoners of war to build the bridge.
The bridge protected the city from military interventions, hence its name. The old part of the city adjacent to the bridge is known as the Qaleh (castle). In the middle of the river, close to the bridge, you can see remains of several water mills built ca. 300 BC. Most of them were actually used up to the beginning of the 20th century. The last one was in use up to 1985.
The Academy of Gundishapur, a teaching hospital that was the intellectual center of the Sassanid empire, was founded near Dezful.
The people of Dezful, known as Dezfuli, Dezfoolians or Dezfulians, speak Dezfuli – a dialect distinct to Dezful – and Shushtar, which is sometimes considered the most archaic of Persian dialects.
Geography
Dezful sits close to the foothills of the Zagros Mountains on the main north-south highway from Tehran to Ahvaz, the provincial capital of Khuzestan. The main rail line from Tehran to the Persian Gulf is 15 km (9 mi) from Dezful, on the opposite side of the Dez River.
Economy
Dezful is the primary commercial center for northern Khuzestan and one of the main producers of agricultural products in Iran. Dezful is also a market for the agricultural products of Lorestan Province. The city also contains a large cotton textile mill and many small- and medium-scale industries. The Dez Dam, 203 m (666 ft) high, completed in 1963, is 32 km (20 mi) upstream from Dezful; the dam provides water and electricity for the city, as well as irrigation for nearby sugarcane farms.
Agriculture
Agriculture around Dezful was modernized in the mid-1960s by an Iranian-American joint venture company. Flowers and citrus fruits from Dezful are held in high regard in the Country. Also popular are yogurt and cream from local buffalos. Various vegetables, fruit and grains are grown in Dezful. Meat, poultry and fish are also produced.