Susa
Šuš
Iran · Khuzestan
In brief
Susa's archaeological layers extend from prehistory to the Islamic period; its final settlement phases date to the 13th century. Excavations of the Elamite and Achaemenid capital revealed palaces, houses and production areas.
What was found?
- 1Darius's Palace
The remains of the palace commissioned by Darius were uncovered on the Apadana mound. The building documents Susa's official status under Achaemenid rule.
- 2Bull capital
The monumental capital from the Apadana section of Darius's Palace bears facing bull figures. Its stonework and scale provide insight into the palace's columned architecture.
- 3Palace of Artakserkses II
The remains of another palace commissioned by Artakserkses II are also known. This building shows that royal construction continued after Darius.
- 4Superimposed settlement layers
Excavations uncovered residential, administrative, and palace buildings from different periods. Settlements built one above another make it possible to trace the city's long history.
What does it point to?
Susa bears tangible traces of reciprocal cultural interaction between the Iranian plateau and Mesopotamia. The palaces and settlement layers show the city's changing official and everyday functions under different administrations.
What did it teach us?
- It enabled comparisons of urban life during the Elamite, Persian, and Parthian periods through layers within the same site.
- It provided tangible evidence of the Achaemenid kings' major building programs in Susa.
- It revealed that residential areas expanded during the Parthian period.
Images


Record
- Culture
- Elamite, Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian
- Coordinates
- 32.1893°, 48.2496°
Sources
- whc.unesco.org
- archeologie.culture.gouv.fr
- iranohellenica.eie.gr
- UNESCO Dünya Mirası Merkezi
- Louvre Müzesi — Apadana sütun başlığı
Nearby excavations
- —
- —
- 12.000
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