Susa 60413 220032349 2008-06-17T23:33:29Z Sa.vakilian 1293253 Modern {{coor title d|32.18922|N|48.257785|E}} {{otheruses}} {{redirect|Shushan}} {{location map of|Iran|label=Susa|lat=32.19|long=48.26|caption=Location of the city of Susa, [[Iran]]|float=right}} '''Susa''' ([[Biblical Hebrew language|Biblical]] {{lang-he|'''שושן'''}} ('''Shushan'''); also [[Greek language|Greek]]: Σουσα, [[transliterated]] as '''Sousa''' ; [[Latin language|Latin]] '''Susa''') was an ancient city of the [[Elam]]ite, [[Persian Empire|Persian]] and [[Parthia]]n empires of [[Iran]], located about 250 km (150 miles) east of the [[Tigris River]]. The modern town of [[Shush, Iran|Shush]] is located at the site of ancient Susa. ==History== [[Image:Sphinx Darius Louvre.jpg|thumb|200px|Winged [[sphinx]] from the palace of [[Darius the Great]] at Susa.]] Susa is one of the oldest-known settlements of the region and indeed the world, possibly founded about 4200 BCE (''See [[List of oldest continuously inhabited cities]]''); although the first traces of an inhabited village have been dated to ca. 7000 BCE. Evidence of a painted-pottery civilization has been dated to ca. 5000 BCE. In historic times, Susa was the primary capital of the Elamite Empire. Its name in [[Elamite language|Elamite]] was written variously ''Šušan'', ''Šušun'', etc. The city appears in the very earliest Sumerian records, eg. in ''[[Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta]]'' it is described as one of the places obedient to [[Inanna]], patron deity of [[Uruk]]. [[Image:Daniel Barry Kent.JPG|thumb|left|150px|Tomb of Daniel]] Susa is also mentioned in the [[Ketuvim]] of the [[Hebrew Bible]], mainly in [[Book of Esther|Esther]], but also once each in [[Book of Nehemiah|Nehemiah]] and [[Book of Daniel|Daniel]]. Both Daniel and Nehemiah lived in Susa during the [[Babylonian captivity of Judah]] of the 6th century BCE. [[Esther]] became queen there, and saved the Jews from genocide. A tomb presumed to be that of Daniel is located in the area, known as ''Shush-Daniel''. The tomb is marked by an unusual white, stone cone, which is neither regular nor symmetric. Many scholars believe it was at one point a [[Star of David]]. Susa is further mentioned in the ''[[Book of Jubilees]]'' (8:21 & 9:2) as one of the places within the inheritance of [[Shem]] and his eldest son Elam; and in 8:1, "Susan" is also named as the son (or daughter, in some translations) of Elam. Šušan was incorporated by [[Sargon the Great]] into his [[Akkadian Empire ]] in approximately 2330 BC. It remained capital of an Akkadian province until ca. 2240 BC, when its Elamite governor, [[Kutik-Inshushinak]], rose up in rebellion and liberated it, making it a literary center. However, following this, the city was again conquered by the neo-Sumerian [[Ur-III]] dynasty, and held until Ur finally collapsed at the hands of the Elamites under [[Kindattu]] in ca. 2004 BC. At this time Susa again became an Elamite capital. The Elamites under [[Shutruk-Nahhunte]] plundered the original [[stele]] bearing the [[Code of Hammurabi]] in ca. 1175 BC and took it to Susa, where it was found in 1901. However, [[Nebuchadrezzar I]] of the [[Babylonia]]n empire managed to plunder Susa in return, around fifty years later. ===Assyrians=== {{mainarticle|Battle of Susa}} [[Image:Susa-destruction.jpg|thumb|250px|<small>[[Ashurbanipal]]'s brutal campaign against Susa in 647 BCE is triumphantly recorded in this relief. Here, flames rise from the city as [[Assyria]]n soldiers topple it with pickaxes and crowbars and carry off the spoils.</small>]] In 647 BCE, the Assyrian king [[Assurbanipal]] leveled the city during a war in which the people of Susa apparently participated on the other side. A tablet unearthed in 1854 by [[Austen Henry Layard]] in [[Nineveh]] reveals Ashurbanipal as an "avenger", seeking retribution for the humiliations the Elamites had inflicted on the Mesopotamians over the centuries: [[Image:Ninhursag1.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Ninhursag with the spirit of the forests next to the seven spiked cosmic tree of life. Relief from [[Susa]].]] "''Susa, the great holy city, abode of their gods, seat of their mysteries, I conquered. I entered its palaces, I opened their treasuries where silver and gold, goods and wealth were amassed... I destroyed the [[ziggurat]] of Susa. I smashed its shining copper horns. I reduced the temples of Elam to naught; their gods and goddesses I scattered to the winds. The tombs of their ancient and recent kings I devastated, I exposed to the sun, and I carried away their bones toward the land of Ashur. I devastated the provinces of Elam and on their lands I sowed salt.''"<ref>"Persians: Masters of Empire" ISBN 0-8094-9104-4 p. 7-8</ref> The city was taken by the [[Achaemenid]] Persians under [[Cyrus the Great]] in 538 BCE. Under Cyrus' son [[Cambyses II]], the capital of the empire moved from [[Pasargadae]] to Susa. The city lost some of its importance when [[Alexander the Great|Alexander of Macedon]] conquered it in 331 BCE and destroyed the first Persian Empire. After Alexander, Susa fell to the [[Seleucid Empire]] and was renamed '''Seleukeia'''. ===Parthian period=== [[Image:ArtabanIIIGreekLetter.JPG|thumb|Letter in Greek of the Parthian king [[Artabanus III of Parthia|Artabanus III]] to the inhabitants of Susa in the 1st century CE (the city retained Greek institutions since the time of the [[Seleucid empire]]). [[Louvre Museum]].]] Approximately one century later when [[Parthia]] gained its independence from the [[Seleucid Empire]], Susa was made one of the two capitals (along with [[Ctesiphon]]) of the new state. Susa became a frequent place of refuge for Parthian and later, the Persian [[Sassanid dynasty|Sassanid]] kings, as the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] sacked Ctesiphon five different times between 116 and 297 CE. Typically, the Parthian rulers wintered in Susa, and spent the summer in Ctesiphon. The Roman emperor [[Trajan]] captured Susa in 116, but was soon forced to withdraw, because of revolts to his rear. This advance marked the easternmost penetration by the Romans. [[Image:Rose cup Susa Louvre MAOS53.jpg|thumb|200px|Islamic art: Cup with rose petals, 8th–9th centuries]] Susa was destroyed at least three times in its history. The first was in 647 BCE, by Assurbanipal. The second destruction took place in 638 CE, when the [[Muslim]] armies first conquered [[Persian Empire|Persia]]. Finally, in 1218, the city was completely destroyed by invading [[Mongols]]. The ancient city was gradually abandoned in the years that followed. ==Modern== [[Shush, Iran|Shush]] at the site of ancient [[Susa]] is the administrative capital of the [[Shush County]] of Iran's [[Khuzestan]] province. It had a population 64,960 in 2005.<ref>[http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Iran.html World city populations: Susa]</ref> <gallery> Image:Anthropoid sarcophagus Louvre Sb14393.jpg|Anthropoid sarcophagus Image:Lion Darius Palace Louvre Sb3298.jpg|Lion on a decorative panel from [[Darius I]]'s palace Image:Palmtree vase Susa Louvre MAOS383.jpg|Islamic art: Vase with palmtrees, 8th–9th centuries Image:Susa louvre.jpg|Susa section, Louvre museum, Paris <!-- Deleted image removed: image:danielburial3.jpg|Tomb of [[Daniel]], Susa, is a popular attraction in Iran's [[Persian Jews|Jewish community]] --> </gallery> ==Sources and notes== <div class="references-small"> <references/> </div> ==See also== * [[History of Iran]] * [[Code of Hammurabi]] * [[Elamite Empire|Elam]] * [[Khuzestan]] * [[Choqa Zanbil]] * [[Roman Ghirshman]] * [[Monsieur Chouchani]] ==External links== {{Commons|Susa|Susa}} *[http://www.susacity.com Susa City] *[http://www.irantour.org/Iran/city/SUSA.html Susa] *[http://www.livius.org/a/iran/susa/susa1.html Livius.org pictures of Susa] *[http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/MUS/PA/IRAN/PAAI/IMAGES/ASF/10G11_72dpi.html Aerial views of Susa] *[http://www.letsgoiran.com/susa/susa-travel-guide Susa's Photos & Video] {{Iranian Architecture}} [[Category:Settlements established in the 5th millennium BC]] [[Category:Archaeological sites in Iran]] [[Category:Babylonia]] [[Category:Cities, towns and villages in Iran]] [[Category:Ancient Greek sites in Iran]] [[Category:Hellenistic colonies]] [[Category:Hebrew Bible cities]] [[Category:Elamite cities]] [[Category:Ancient cities]] [[am:ሱሳ]] [[ar:شوشان]] [[ast:Susa]] [[ca:Susa]] [[cs:Susy]] [[de:Susa (Persien)]] [[el:Σούσα]] [[es:Susa]] [[eo:Suzo]] [[fa:شوش (شهر باستانی)]] [[fr:Suse (Élam)]] [[gl:Susa]] [[ko:수사 (메소포타미아)]] [[it:Susa (Elam)]] [[he:שושן הבירה]] [[lt:Šušas]] [[nl:Susa (Iran)]] [[ja:スーサ]] [[no:Susa]] [[pl:Suza]] [[pt:Susa (Irão)]] [[ro:Susa]] [[ru:Сузы]] [[sk:Súsy]] [[sh:Susa]] [[fi:Susa]] [[sv:Susa]] [[tg:Шӯш]] [[tr:Susa]] [[zh:蘇薩]]