Dezful

Dezful دزفول
city
Rudband Shrine and the City along the Dez River
Nickname(s): دسفیل', 'دژپل
Dezful
Coordinates: 32°22′57″N 48°24′07″E / 32.38250°N 48.40194°E / 32.38250; 48.40194Coordinates: 32°22′57″N 48°24′07″E / 32.38250°N 48.40194°E / 32.38250; 48.40194
Country	Iran
Province	Khuzestan
County	Dezful
Bakhsh	Central
Elevation	150 m (490 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	420,000
Time zone	IRST (UTC+3:30)
• Summer (DST)	IRDT (UTC+4:30)
Area code(s)	061

Dezful (Persian: دزفول‎‎, pronounced [dɛzˈfuːl], in local dialect Persian: دسفیل‎‎, also Romanized as Dezfūl and Dezfool; also known as Dīzfūl) is a city in and the 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.

Located in an area with a history that extends back to ancient civilization, the city houses a bridge that dates back to 300 BC.

The name Dezful has been derived from the two words diz (fortress) + pul (bridge), which in combination could stand for 'the bridge to the fortress' or 'fortified bridge'. The original name of the city was Dizpul, but after the Islamic invasion of Persia, 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, hence its 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, which is sometimes considered the most archaic of Persian dialects.

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.