Dezful

Dezful (pronounced ) is a city in the Central District of Dezful County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.

Etymology
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' in Persian language. 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 (capital of the first Elam empire) 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.

Language
The people of Dezful, known as Dezfuli, Dezfoolians or Dezfulians, speak Persian dialects of Dezfuli – a dialect distinct to Dezful – and Shushtari, which is sometimes considered the most archaic of Persian dialects.

Historically, Dezful was home to a Mandaean community for many centuries. One of Dezful's best-known residents was the Mandaean priest Ram Zihrun.

Population
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 228,507 in 55,711 households. The following census in 2011 counted 248,380 people in 66,715 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 264,709 people in 78,348 households.

Geography
Dezful is 650 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 lies 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.

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 (9 mi) from Dezful, on the opposite side of the Dez River.

Climate
Dezful has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh) 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 250 mm per month or 600 mm per year.

Snowfall in this city is a very rare event.But in 2020, for the first time, the city of Dezful witnessed snowfall, which led to the happiness of the people of this city.

Historical monuments
In an area with a history that extends back to ancient civilization, the city houses a bridge that dates back to 300 AD.

Transportation
There are direct flights from Tehran to Dezful (and reverse) at least twice a day. There are also weekly flights from Dezful to Mashhad (mawhad or mašhad). 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.

Twin towns – sister cities

 * Tyre, Lebanon