Dezful
Encyclopedia
Dezful is a city in and the capital of Dezful County
, Khuzestan Province
, Iran
. At the 2006 census, its population was 228,507, in 55,711 families.
The city houses a bridge that dates back to 300 BC.
In 2006, the city had 235,819 inhabitants.
, 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, whence the 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
and sometimes considered the most archaic of Persian dialects.
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.
, 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.
and cream from local buffalos. Various vegetables, fruit and grains are grown in Dezful. Meat, poultry and fish are also produced.
Air Force base and it is operational for F-5A, E, F and B fighters. The base was bombarded by the Iraqi Air Force
during the early stages of the Iran–Iraq War. There is an annual air show
for the remembrance of War Heroes at the beginning of the Iranian New Year (Nowruz
): hold from March 21 to 4 April, it is the only military Air show in Iran
.
The Dezful Air force base is also used for domestic passenger flights. there have been occasional bans of passenger flights in Dezful Air-Base because of military security matters in past 20 years, but at last based on an agreement between Military commanders and Dezful civil governors, a regular daily program of flights settled and obeyed at about end of 2007 by two domestic airlines, Iran Air Tour and Aseman. There are currently at least 1 or 2 flights from this base (which is now called Dezful airport) to Tehran and back from Tehran
everyday.
Buses are available from almost all Iranian major cities to Dezful or one of its adjacent cities.
Dezful County
Dezful County is a county in Khuzestan Province in Iran. The capital of the county is Dezful. At the 2006 census, the county's population was 384,851, in 87,205 families. The county is subdivided into three districts: the Central District, Sardasht District, and Choghamish District...
, Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq's Basra Province and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahwaz and covers an area of 63,238 km²...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At the 2006 census, its population was 228,507, in 55,711 families.
The city houses a bridge that dates back to 300 BC.
In 2006, the city had 235,819 inhabitants.
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 conquest of PersiaIslamic conquest of Persia
The Muslim conquest of Persia led to the end of the Sassanid Empire in 644, the fall of Sassanid dynasty in 651 and the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion in Persia...
, the city was renamed Dezful. The bridge was built during the reign of Shapur I
Shapur I
Shapur I or also known as Shapur I the Great was the second Sassanid King of the Second Persian Empire. The dates of his reign are commonly given as 240/42 - 270/72, but it is likely that he also reigned as co-regent prior to his father's death in 242 .-Early years:Shapur was the son of Ardashir I...
who used Roman prisoners of war to build the bridge.
The Academy of Gundishapur
Academy of Gundishapur
The Academy of Gondishapur , also Jondishapur , was a renowned academy of learning in the city of Gundeshapur during late antiquity, the intellectual center of the Sassanid empire. It offered training in medicine, philosophy, theology and science. The faculty were versed in the Zoroastrian and...
, 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
Dezfuli
Dezfuli and Shushtari is a Persian dialect spoken in Dezful and Shushtar two adjacent cities of Khozestan province in Iran. Dezfuli is closely related to the dialect of Shushtar.In fact Desphili and Shushtari have no significant difference aside from accents...
- a dialect distinct to Dezful and Shushtar
Shushtar
-External links:** Hamid-Reza Hosseini, Shush at the foot of Louvre , in Persian, Jadid Online, 10 March 2009, .Audio slideshow: .* .* * , PressTV, 13 June 2010....
and sometimes considered the most archaic of Persian dialects.
Geography
Dezful sits close to the foothills of the Zagros MountainsZagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
on the main north-south highway from Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
to Ahvaz
Ahvaz
-History:For a more comprehensive historical treatment of the area, see the history section of Khūzestān Province.-Ancient history:Ahvaz is the anagram of "Avaz" and "Avaja" which appear in Darius's epigraph...
, 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
Dezfūl 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 DamDez Dam
The Dez Dam is a large hydroelectric dam built in Iran in 1963 by an Italian consortium.The dam is on the Dez River in the Northwestern province of Khuzestan, the closest city being Andimeshk. It is high, making it one of the highest in the world, and has a reservoir capacity of...
, 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 yoghurtYoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
and cream from local buffalos. Various vegetables, fruit and grains are grown in Dezful. Meat, poultry and fish are also produced.
Dezful Air Force base and airport
Dezful Vahdati Air Force Base is a 4th IRIAFIslamic Republic of Iran Air Force
The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force ' is the aviation branch of the Iranian armed forces. The present Air Force came into being in the early 1980s when the former Imperial Iranian Air Force was renamed....
Air Force base and it is operational for F-5A, E, F and B fighters. The base was bombarded by the Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
during the early stages of the Iran–Iraq War. There is an annual air show
Air show
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
for the remembrance of War Heroes at the beginning of the Iranian New Year (Nowruz
Nowruz
Nowrūz is the name of the Iranian New Year in Iranian calendars and the corresponding traditional celebrations. Nowruz is also widely referred to as the Persian New Year....
): hold from March 21 to 4 April, it is the only military Air show in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
The Dezful Air force base is also used for domestic passenger flights. there have been occasional bans of passenger flights in Dezful Air-Base because of military security matters in past 20 years, but at last based on an agreement between Military commanders and Dezful civil governors, a regular daily program of flights settled and obeyed at about end of 2007 by two domestic airlines, Iran Air Tour and Aseman. There are currently at least 1 or 2 flights from this base (which is now called Dezful airport) to Tehran and back from Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
everyday.
Transportation
There are direct flights from Tehran to Dezful (and reverse) at least once a day. There are also weekly flights from Dezful to Mashhad ( mawhad or mašhad). Dezful can also be reached by the Iranian railways.Buses are available from almost all Iranian major cities to Dezful or one of its adjacent cities.