Ahvaz (; ) is a city in the Central District of

Ahvaz County Ahvaz County () is in Khuzestan Province, Iran. Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. History After the 2006 National Census, Bavi District was separated from the county in the establishment of Bavi County. After the 2011 census, Hamidiyeh ...

Khuzestan Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's ...

province, Iran, serving as capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is home to

Persians Persians ( ), or the Persian people (), are an Iranian ethnic group from West Asia that came from an earlier group called the Proto-Iranians, which likely split from the Indo-Iranians in 1800 BCE from either Afghanistan or Central Asia. They ...

Arabs Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...

and other groups such as Qashqai and

Kurds Kurds (), or the Kurdish people, are an Iranian peoples, Iranic ethnic group from West Asia. They are indigenous to Kurdistan, which is a geographic region spanning southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northeastern Syri ...

. Languages spoken in the area include

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

, Khuzestāni Arabic,

Southern Kurdish Southern Kurdish () is one of the dialects of the Kurdish language, spoken predominantly in northeastern Iraq and western Iran. The Southern Kurdish-speaking region spans from Khanaqin in Iraq to Dehloran southward and Asadabad eastward in ...

Neo-Mandaic Neo-Mandaic, also known as Modern Mandaic, sometimes called the "''ratna''" ( "jargon"), is the modern reflex of the Mandaic language, the liturgical language of the Mandaean religious community of Iraq and Iran. Although severely endangere ...

, and dialects such as Bakhtiari,

Dezfuli Dezfuli is one of the southwestern dialects of Iran, which is the dialect of a part of the people of Dezful, who are known as Dezfuli. Dezfuli and Shushtari share common features with the surrounding Luri dialects. A glottologist places Dezfuli ...

and Shushtari. Ahvaz is home to over 1.3 million people within its metropolitan area. Census results suggest a steady increase in population. As the most watery river in Iran, the

Karun The Karun (, ) is the Iranian river with the highest water flow, and the country's only navigable river. It is long. The Karun rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as ...

flows through the center of the city, which is one of the two navigable rivers in Iran, alongside the

Arvand Rud The Shatt al-Arab () is a river about in length that is formed at the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the town of al-Qurnah in the Basra Governorate of southern Iraq. The southern end of the river constitutes the Iran– ...

. Ahvaz has earned the reputation of being the City of Bridges due to its numerous big bridges built on the

to facilitate better communication between the east and west parts of the city, although since the beginning of the 20th century, this city has always been known as the Oil Capital of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, along with other cities of

province. This city has a long history, dating back to the

Achaemenid period The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, i ...

. In ancient times, the city was one of the main centers of the

Academy of Gondishapur The Academy of Gondishapur or Academy of Jondishapur (, Farhangestân-e Gondišâpur), also known as the Gondishapur University, was one of the three Sasanian centers of education (Ctesiphon, Ras al-Ayn, Gundeshapur) and academy of learning ...

Etymology

The original inhabitants of the

Khuzestan province Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's R ...

, the Huzi, are the source of the name "Ahvaz".

History

Ancient history

Later the name was changed to ''Hormazd-Ardašēr'' (Persian: ''Hormozd ardeshir'') and it became abbreviated to Daravashir later, but as a matter of fact, it's not quite clear if this change was by the King

Ardashir I Ardashir I (), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180–242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire, the last empire of ancient Iran. He was also Ardashir V of the Kings of Persis, until he founded the new empire. After defeating the last Par ...

, in 230 (cf. ''Encyclopædia Iranica'',

al-Muqaddasi Shams al-Din Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abi Bakr, commonly known by the '' nisba'' al-Maqdisi or al-Muqaddasī, was a medieval Arab geographer, author of ''The Best Divisions in the Knowledge of the Regions'' and ''Description of Syri ...

, et al.) or by his grandson

Hormizd I Hormizd-Ardashir, better known by his dynastic name of Hormizd I (also spelled Hormozd I or Ohrmazd I; ), was the third Sasanian King of Kings (''shahanshah'') of Iran, who ruled from May 270 to June 271. He was the third-born son of Shapur I (), ...

(according to the Middle Persian ''Šahrestānīhā ī Ērānšahr ( shahrestān hā-ye Irānshahr)''. The city had two sections; the nobles of the city lived in one part while the other was inhabited by merchants.

Modern history

In the 19th century, "Ahvaz was no more than a small

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

inhabited mainly by

Sabeans Sabean or Sabaean may refer to: * Sabaeans, ancient people in South Arabia ** Sabaean language, Old South Arabian language * Sabians, name of a religious group mentioned in the Quran, historically adopted by: ** Mandaean Sabians, Gnostic sect f ...

(1,500 to 2,000 inhabitants according to Ainsworth in 1835; 700 according to Curzon in 1890)." In the 1880s, during the

Qajar era The Guarded Domains of Iran, alternatively the Sublime State of Iran and commonly called Qajar Iran, Qajar Persia or the Qajar Empire, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Qajar dynasty, which was of Turkic peoples, Turkic origin,Cyrus G ...

, the Karun River was dredged and re-opened to commerce. A newly built railway crossed the Karun at Ahvaz. The city again became a commercial crossroads, linking river and rail traffic. The construction of the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...

further stimulated trade. A port city was built near the old village of Ahvaz, and named ''Bandar-e-Naseri'' in honor of Naser ed-Din Shah Qajar. Oil was found near Ahvaz in the early 20th century, and the city once again grew and prospered as a result of this newfound wealth. From 1897 to 1925, the city of Ahvaz was in the hands of heshmatoddoleh Ghajar, who acted as governor and

Sarhang Reza Gholi Khane Arghoon Sarhang may refer to: * Sarhang (rank) * Male name in Kurdish. * Sarhang Mohsen, Iraqi footballer * Sarhang, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, a village in Iran * Sarhang, Razavi Khorasan, a village in Iran {{dab ...

commander of Ghajari's army based in Khuzestan. Sheikh Khaz'al was recognized by

Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar (; 23 March 1853 – 3 January 1907) was the fifth Qajar shah of Iran, reigning from 1896 until his death in 1907. He is often credited with the creation of the Persian Constitution of 1906, which he approved of in ...

as hereditary ruler of Mohammerah,

Sardar Asad Bakhtiari Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been used to denote a chief ...

as the most powerful leader of Khuzestan's Bakhtiaries. He had power and authority over most regions of Khuzestan, such as Dezful, Shushtar, Izeh, even Ahvaz and Amir mojahede bakhtiari in Ramhormoz and Behbahan. At this time, the newly founded Ahvaz was named ''Nâseri'' in honour of its founder Nasser ed-Din Shah Qajar. Afterwards, during the

Pahlavi era The Imperial State of Iran, officially known as the Imperial State of Persia until 1935, and commonly referred to as Pahlavi Iran, was the Iranian state under the rule of the Pahlavi dynasty. The Pahlavi dynasty was created in 1925 and lasted ...

, it resumed its old name, ''Ahvaz''. The government of the

Khūzestān Province Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's ...

was transferred there from Shûshtar in 1926. The

Trans-Iranian Railway The Trans-Iranian Railway () was a major railway building project started in Pahlavi Iran in 1927 and completed in 1938, under the direction of the then-Iranian monarch Reza Shah. It was entirely built with indigenous capital, and links the capit ...

reached Ahvaz in 1929 and by

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Ahvaz had become the principal built-up area of the interior of Khūzestān. Professional segregation remained well marked between various groups in that period still feebly integrated:

, sub-groupings of Persians and

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

s. Natives of the

Isfahan Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...

region held an important place in retail trade, owners of cafes and hotels and as craftsmen.

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

attempted to annex Khūzestān and Ahvaz in 1980, resulting in the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...

(1980–1988). Ahvaz was close to the front lines and suffered badly during the war. Iraq had pressed its claims to Khūzestān. Iraq had hoped to exacerbate ethnic tensions and win over popular support for the invaders. Most accounts say that the

Iranian Arab Iranian Arabs ( ; ) are the citizens of Iran who are ethnically Arab. In 2008, their population stood at about 1.6 million people. They are primarily concentrated in Khuzestan province. Overview The presence of Arabs in Iran dates back to the 7 ...

inhabitants resisted the Iraqis rather than welcome them as liberators. However, some Iranian Arabs claim that as a minority they face discrimination from the central

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

; they agitate for the right to preserve their cultural and linguistic distinction and more provincial autonomy. See '' Politics of Khūzestān''. In 1989, the ''Foolad Ahvaz'' steel facility was built close to the town. This company is best known for its company-sponsored

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club,

Foolad F.C. Foolad Khuzestan Football Club (, ''Bāshgāh-e Futbāl-e Fulād-e Khuzestān'') is an Iranian professional football club based in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, that plays in Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1971 and is owned by Foolad Khuze ...

, which was the champion of

Iran's Premier Football League The Persian Gulf Pro League (, ''Lig-e Bartar-e Xalij-e Fârs''), formerly known as the Iran Premier League (, ''Lig-e bartar-e Irân''), is a professional association football league in Iran and the highest level of the Iranian football league s ...

in 2005. In 2005 the city witnessed a series of bomb explosions. Many government sources relate these events to developments in Iraq, accusing foreign governments of organizing and funding Arab separatist groups. The Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz claimed credit for several of the bombings, including four bombs on 12 June 2005, that killed 8 people. Gunmen killed at least 29 people in an attack on a crowd watching a military parade on 22 September 2018.

People

It is common to encounter people from various ethnic groups while strolling through Ahvaz's streets and markets.

Languages

Persian serves as the official language and is widely spoken across Ahvaz. Many Ahvazis are

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...

, speaking both

and one of the following languages/Dialects. The Arabic spoken in Ahvaz is a variety of

Khuzestani Arabic Khuzestani Arabic is a dialect of South Mesopotamian Arabic (SMA or "''Gələt'' Arabic") spoken by the Iranian Arabs in Khuzestan Province of Iran. While it is a variety of SMA, it has many similarities with Gulf Arabic in neighbouring Kuwait ...

. Another part of Ahvazis speak

Bakhtiari dialect Bakhtiari dialect is a dialect of the Luri language spoken by Bakhtiari people in Chaharmahal-o-Bakhtiari, Bushehr, eastern Khuzestan and parts of Isfahan and Lorestan provinces. It is closely related to the Boir-Ahamadi, Kohgiluyeh, and Mamasa ...

Modern Mandaic Neo-Mandaic, also known as Modern Mandaic, sometimes called the "''ratna''" ( "jargon"), is the modern reflex of the Mandaic language, the liturgical language of the Mandaean religious community of Iraq and Iran. Although severely endangered, ...

(or ''Mandae'') language is also spoken among the

Mandaeans Mandaeans (Mandaic language, Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ) ( ), also known as Mandaean Sabians ( ) or simply as Sabians ( ), are an ethnoreligious group who are followers of Mandaeism. They believe that John the Baptist was the final and ...

of Ahvaz. It is a descendant of the

Classical Mandaic Mandaic, or more specifically Classical Mandaic, is the liturgical language of Mandaeism and a South Eastern Aramaic variety in use by the Mandaean community, traditionally based in southern parts of Iraq and southwest Iran, for their religiou ...

language that has been partially influenced by Khuzestani Persian. Mehrdad

Bridges

There are 9 bridges over the

river.

Pol-Siah ( Black Bridge)

The Black Bridge, also known as the Victory Bridge, was the first modern bridge over the Karun River. The bridge was built during

and used to supply the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

and had a major impact on Allied victory.

Pol-Sefid ( White Bridge)

White Bridge is an

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...

completed on 21 September 1936 and inaugurated on 6 November 1936. The bridge remains a symbol of the city still today. The other 7 bridges are third bridge, Naderi bridge, Fifth bridge, Sixth bridge, Seventh bridge (also named ''Dialogue among civilizations bridge''), Cable bridge, and Ninth bridge.

Geography

Location and roads

Ahvaz is located 100 km north-east of

Abadan Abadan (; ) is a city in the Central District (Abadan County), Central District of Abadan County, Khuzestan province, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The city is in the southwest of the coun ...

and is accessible via following routes in addition of a single runway airport: *

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

Khorramshahr Khorramshahr (; ) is a city in the Central District of Khorramshahr County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is also known in Arabic by the local ethnically Arab population as Al-Muhamma ...

national railway * Iran First Level Road 39

Ahvaz-

expressway (145 km) * Iran First Level Road 37

Ahvaz-

Andimeshk Andimeshk () is a city in the Central District of Andimeshk County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. The city is about north of Shush, on the main road and the rail line between Tehran and ...

(152 km) expressway * Ahvaz-

Bandar Imam Khomeini Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni () is a city in, and the capital of, Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni District of Bandar Mahshahr County, Khuzestan province, Iran. It also serves as the administrative center for Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni Rural District. Banda ...

freeway (175 km). Ahvaz, being the largest city in the province, consists of two distinctive districts: the newer part of Ahvaz which is the administrative and industrial center, which is built on the right bank of the

Karun river The Karun (, ) is the Iranian river with the highest water flow, and the country's only navigable river. It is long. The Karun rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as ...

while residential areas are found in the old section of the city, on the left bank. ]

Climate

Ahvaz has a subtropical climate, subtropical

hot desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk'') is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: ''BWh'') with long, extremely hot summers and cool, short winters. Summer temperatures are regularly at least , sometimes exceeding , with many sandstorms and duststorms common during the summer period. However, in winters, the minimum temperature can fall to around . Winters in Ahvaz have no snow. The average annual rainfall is around 230 mm. On 29 June 2017 the temperature reached . Furthermore, the dew point peaked at which is unusually humid for the usual dry heat. Despite the fact that it has never snowed in Ahvaz, frost has been recorded in every winter month, as well as in early spring and late autumn, and it has fallen down to before. Ahvaz-Atisha

Pollution

In 2011, the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...

ranked Ahvaz as the world's most air-polluted city. The reason Ahvaz is so polluted is because of its oil industry. The

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

can be very dangerous, causing different types of diseases, and can be harmful to plants.

Transportation

Airport

Ahvaz International Airport Ahvaz International Airport (Persian: فرودگاه بین‌المللی اهواز) is an airport serving the city of Ahvaz, Iran. It offers flights to domestic destinations as well as regional international destinations, such as Dubai, Kuwait ...

(

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

: AWZ,

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...

: OIAW) (

: فرودگاه بین‌المللی اهواز) is an airport serving the city of Ahvaz,

Railway

Ahvaz railway station (''

:'' ايستگاه راه آهن اهواز, ''Istgah-e Rah Ahan-e Ahvaz'') is located in Ahvaz,

Khuzestan Province Khuzestan province () is one of the 31 Provinces of Iran. Located in the southwest of the country, the province borders Iraq and the Persian Gulf, covering an area of . Its capital is the city of Ahvaz. Since 2014, it has been part of Iran's R ...

. * Ahvaz is accessible via freeways from

and

Shiraz Shiraz (; ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As of the 2016 national census, the popu ...

, and roadways to

. * A metro urban railway system is being built by the Ahvaz urban railway. The system is planned to have a total of four lines. Line 1 will be a 23 km underground line with 24 stations.

Sport

Traditionally, Khuzestan province has been a major soccer hub in Iran. The city has two existing sport complexes: Takhti Stadium and the newly constructed Ghadir Stadium. There are several other smaller complexes for martial arts, swimming pools and gymnasiums. Also, a new privately owned

stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...

is currently under construction by Foolad F.C. in Ahvaz.

Football

Football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

is a major part of the city's culture. The abundant enthusiasm has made Ahvaz home to three Iranian major

clubs:

Foolad Foolad Khuzestan Football Club (, ''Bāshgāh-e Futbāl-e Fulād-e Khuzestān'') is an Iranian professional football club based in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, that plays in Persian Gulf Pro League. The club was founded in 1971 and is owned by Foolad Khuze ...

Esteghlal Khuzestan Esteghlal Khuzestan Football Club (, ''Bašgâh-e Futbâl-e Esteqlâl-e Xuzestân''), commonly known as Esteghlal Khuzestan, is an Iranian Football (soccer), football club based in Ahvaz, Iran. The club currently competes in the Persian Gulf Pr ...

are currently playing in the

Persian Gulf Pro League The Persian Gulf Pro League (, ''Lig-e Bartar-e Xalij-e Fârs''), formerly known as the Iran Premier League (, ''Lig-e bartar-e Irân''), is a professional association football league in Iran and the highest level of the Iranian football league s ...

, and

Esteghlal Ahvaz Esteghlal Ahvaz Football Club (, ''Bashgah-e Futbal-e Esteqlâl Ahvaz''), commonly known as Esteghlal Ahvaz, was an Iranian football club based in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, that competed in the khuzestan province league The club was founded in 1948 as Taj ...

is playing in

Azadegan League The Azadegan League (, ''Lig-e Âzâdegân''), also known as League 1 (, ''Lig-e Yek''), is the second highest division of professional football in Iran. It was the top-level football league in Iran from its foundation in 1991 until 2001, when t ...

. Foolad have won the league on two occasions, the 2013–2014 season and the 2004–2005 season. Esteghlal Ahvaz finished runners–up in the league in the 2006–2007 season. In 2016,

won the league for the first time. A number of other teams such as Foolad B the second team of Foolad and Karun Khuzestan play in the 2nd Division.

Futsal

Ahvaz has also two teams in the

Iranian Futsal Super League The Iranian Futsal Super League (, ''SuperLig-e Futsāl-e Irān''), is a professional futsal league competition for clubs located at the highest level of the Iranian futsal league system founded in 2003. The Super League is the top tier of an ex ...

, which are

Sherkat Melli Haffari Iran FSC Sherkat Melli Haffari Iran Futsal Club (, ''Bashgah-e Futsal-e Shirkât-e Mili-ye Hefari Iran'') is an Iranian professional futsal club based in Ahvaz Ahvaz (; ) is a city in the Central District of Ahvaz County, Khuzestan province, Iran, s ...

and Gaz Khozestan FSC.

Colleges and universities

Ahvaz is also known for its universities as well as its role in commerce and industry. Ahvaz institutes of higher learning include: *

Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (AJUMS) is a medical school in Khuzestan Province of Iran. Located in southwestern Iran in the city of Ahvaz, the university was established as a ''College of Medicine'' administered by the Shahid ...

Petroleum University of Technology The Petroleum University of Technology () is an Iranian public university funded by the Ministry of Petroleum particularly by its main company, the NIOC. It was founded in 1939 in Abadan in response to the increasing industrialization of Iran ...

Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz is an Iranian University in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, Iran. By the ISC ranking, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz was 13th largest and top university in Iran in 2015. SCU University is considered one of Iran's "Grade A ...

* Jahad Daneshgahi Khouzestan *

Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch The Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz Branch (IAUA) (Persian language, Persian: دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد اهواز), also known as the Islamic Azad University of Ahvaz, is a private university in Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province, K ...

*Islamic Azad University - Science & Research Branch, Khuzestan *Institute for Higher Education ACECR Khouzestan *Payame Noor University of Ahvaz *Amiralmoemenin University *Rahnama Institute of Higher Education Ahvaztashrifat2

Notable people

Ahmad Mahmoud Ahmad E'ta (), better known by his pen name Ahmad Mahmoud (); (December 25, 1931 – October 4, 2002) was a prominent Iranian novelist from Ahvaz city in the southwest of Iran. One of his works, ''The Neighbours'' stands out as one of the most ...

(1931–2002), Persian novelist * Ali Sajadi Hoseini (1953–1994), filmmaker *

Ali Shamkhani Ali Shamkhani (born 29 September 1955) is an Iranian naval officer and politician who served as the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran from 2013 to 2023. He is a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran and p ...

(1955–2025), Iranian Minister of Defense (1997–2005) *

Amir Taheri Amir Taheri (; born 9 June 1942) is an Iranian-born journalist, author, intellectual, scholar of Middle Eastern politics and activist based in Europe. His writings focus on the Middle East affairs and topics related to Islamic terrorism. He i ...

(born 1942), Iranian conservative author * Ezzat Negahban (1926–2009), patriarch of modern Iranian archaeology *

Hamed Haddadi Hamed Ehdadi Haddadi (, , born May 19, 1985) is an Iranian professional basketball player for Palayesh Naft Abadan of the Iranian Basketball Super League (IBSL). He played at the center position and is tall and weighs . Haddadi was the first ...

(born 1985), NBA basketball player *

Hamid Dabashi Hamid Dabashi (; born 1951) is an Iranian-American professor of Iranian studies and comparative literature at Columbia University in New York City. He is the author of over twenty books. Among them are ''Theology of Discontent'', several books ...

(born 1951), intellectual historian, cultural and literary critic * Hamid Zangeneh, economist, author, and activist *

Hossein Kaebi Hossein Kaebi (, born 23 September 1985) is an Iranian former professional footballer who last played for Sepidrood and Perspolis among other clubs in Persian Gulf Pro League. Club career Kaebi started his football in Esteghlal Ahvaz F.C. yo ...

(born 1982), national football player * Hossein Karimi (born 1992), bodybuilder *

Jabbar Choheili Sheikh (''Rabbi'') Ganzibra Jabbar Choheili (, also known as Sheikh Jabbar Ṭawūsī Al-Kuhaili, ; born 1923, died December 27, 2014) was an Iranian Mandaean priest, the head of the Mandaean Council of Ahvaz, which presides over the Mandaea ...

(1923–2014), Mandaean priest * Jalal Kameli Mofrad, Iranian football player *

Mehdi Daghagheleh Mehdi Daghagheleh (, born 30 January 1990 in Khuzestan) is an Iranian football striker who plays for Naft Maysan in Iraqi Premier League. Club career Early career He began his career in Esteghlal Ahvaz, he played three seasons for Esteghla ...

, Iranian football player * Manuchehr Shahrokhi, Professor of Finance, California State University; Editor, Global Finance Journal; Executive Director, Global Finance Association-Conference *

Meamar Meamar is an Iranian artist based in the United States. Biography Meamar was born Ali Meamar in Ahvaz, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to th ...

(born 1956), Iranian artist * Mehdi Yarrahi (born 1981), Iranian Musician *

Mehrangiz Kar Mehrangiz Kar (; born 10 October 1944 Ahvaz, Iran), a human rights lawyer from Iran, is an internationally recognized writer, speaker and activist who advocates for the defense of women’s and human rights in Iran and throughout the Islamic worl ...

(born 1944), human rights activist *

Mohammad Ali Mousavi Jazayeri Ayatollah Sayyid Mohammad-Ali Mousavi Jazayeri () (born 1941) is an Iranian Twelver Shia cleric, who was the representative of Vali-Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) in Khuzestan province from 1983 to 2019. He was elected by the order of ...

, former Wali-Faqih representative in Khuzestan, former Ahvaz Friday Imam *

Mohammad Hossein Adeli Seyed Mohammad Hossein Adeli (, born in 1953 in Ahvaz) is an Iranian politician, diplomat, economist and academic. He was the Secretary General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum from 2014 until 2018. He is the founder of Ravand Institute. H ...

(born 1953), Iranian economist and diplomat * Mohammad-Reza Eskandari (born 1960), Iran's former Minister of Agriculture *

Muhammad ibn Falah Muhammad ibn Falah (1400 in Wasit, Iraq – 1461 in Hoveizeh, Iran) was an Iraqi-born theologian who founded the '' Musha'sha'iya'', a Shi'a sect. He received his theological education in the city of al-Hillah, and there came to believe himself to ...

, theologian *

Najah Choheili Ganzibra Najah Choheili () is an Iranian Mandaean priest who currently serves as the head of the Mandaean community in Iran. Biography Najah Choheili was born in Ahvaz, Iran into the Kuhailia (Persian pronunciation: ''Choheili'') family. His fa ...

, Mandaean priest * Parviz Abnar (born 1958), Iranian Sound recordist * Patrick Monahan (born 1976), Irish Iranian comedian * Saleh Hosseini, Translator, Critic, Professor of English Literature * Samira Abbassy (born 1965), Iranian-born British painter, born in Ahvaz * Siavash Ghomayshi (born 1945), Musician, Singer and Songwriter * Sousan S. Altaie, PhD Scientific Policy Advisor, OIVD CDRH, FDA * Mehdi Rabbi (born 1980), writer

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References

External links

Foolad Ahvaz Football Club
{{Provincial capitals of Iran Arab settlements in Khuzestan province Ardashir I Cities in Khuzestan province Iranian provincial capitals Populated places in Ahvaz County