Dezful (دزفول, pronounced, in local dialect دسفیل, also Romanized as Dezfūl and Dezfool; also known as Dīzfūl and Ab I Diz is a city and 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. Dezful is located 721 kilometers away from the national capital of Tehran and 155 kilometres away from the provincial capital of Ahvaz. The city is located 300 kilometres from the Persian Gulf and is at an altitude of 143 meters. The city is located at the foot of the Zagros Mountains and has a history that dates back to the Sassanian era. The area around Dezful has been home to civilizations for 5000 years. Located in an area with a history that extends back to ancient civilization, the city houses a bridge that dates back to 300 AD.
Etymology
The name Dezful has been derived from the two words diz + pul, which in combination could stand for 'the bridge to the fortress' or 'fortified bridge'. The original name of the city was Dezhpul, but after the Muslim conquest of Persia, the city was renamed Dezful. since the arabic language does not have 'p' and 'zh' sounds.
History
Dezful is one of the oldest cities in the Khuzestan province. According to Walther Hinz excavations, Awan was located in Dezful. The bridge was built during the reign of Shapur I who used Roman prisoners of war after the Battle of Edessa 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. In the middle of the river, close to the bridge, you can see remains of several water mills built ca. 300 AD. 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.
People
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.
Archaeology
North Khuzestan was home to some of the oldest civilizations in the world. The Chogha Mish hills have more than 8,000 years of treasures from different periods, and archaeologists have called on the city of dawn. Susa Zanbil temple symbolizes the people of knowledge in this area over 3000 years ago. Apadana Palace is a symbol of the greatness of the Iranians. Shushtar waterfalls are a symbol of Iranian engineering and technology. Dezful Old Bridge is a symbol of Persian authority. Cole Farah Izeh symbol of nobility of the people. These attractions put Dezful Area in the list of archaeologists' main study areas.
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 from Dezful, on the opposite side of the Dez River.
Climate
Dezful has a hot semi-arid climate with extremely hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall is higher than most of southern Iran, but is almost exclusively confined to the period from November to April, though on occasions it can exceed per month or per year.
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 Dam, 203 m high, completed in 1963, is 32 km 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.
Dezful Vahdati Air Force Base is the 4th IRIAFAir Force base and it is operational for F-5A, E, F and B fighters. The base was bombarded and shelled by the Iraqi Air Force and Iraqi Army 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. Held from March 21 to April 4, 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 the past 20 years, but finally, based on an agreement between military commanders and Dezful civil governors, regular daily flights were established at the end of 2007 by two domestic airlines, Iran Air Tour and Aseman. There are currently at least one or two flights from this base to Tehran and back from Tehran every day.
Transportation
There are direct flights from Tehran to Dezful at least twice a day. There are also weekly flights from Dezful to Mashhad. 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. Trains of the Trans-Iranian Railway serve the neighboring town of Andimeshk.
