Stories From the Persian City of Susa
By: Nazila Fathi
March 5, 2020
An Iranian mathematician in Canada emailed me last month to say he was delighted that I had named my children’s book project after his hometown, Susa.
Then, Nasser Heydari, the mathematician, told me about his own project which made me feel more certain about the importance of Susa.
Mr. Heydari said he was working on ancient mathematical tablets which belonged to 1750 BC, the ancient Elam civilization. A team of French archeologists had excavated them in Susa in 1933.
The tablets showed for the first time that those who produced them had a good knowledge of geometry, he wrote.
“As you see, Susa has made a contribution to mathematics too,” he added.
By naming my project Susa Inc, I intended to remind people that Susa, or Shush in Persian, has many stories to tell.
For 6000 years, people have continuously lived in Susa. Archeological findings in Susa unveil the rise and fall of one historic era after another, putting their glory and downfall on full display.
Religious texts have also referred to stories that took place in Susa. Most of the events in the Jewish Book of Easter took place in Susa, or Shushan, as it is referred to in the Book. According to the story, it was in this city that Esther, the Jewish wife of King Ahasuerus, saved the Jews.
Susa remained a thriving trade and religious center until the 13th century when the invading Mongols destroyed it.
The Story in Susa’s Artifacts
Susa was the capital of Elam, the oldest civilization in Iran, which became dominant in the year 2000 BC. Elam was a formidable force up until the Muslim conquest in the 7th century.
French explorers recovered thousands of ceramic pots in Susa many of which are in the Louvre now. The items, handmade and eloquently painted, are a testimony to the artistic and technical achievements of their makers and the society that commissioned them.
You can also find a seven-foot-tall black stone stele, shaped like an index finger and inscribed with the Code of Hammurabi, a well-preserved Babylonian code of law of ancient Mesopotamia dated to about 1754 BC. A limestone column whose top is decorated with two kneeling bulls is also on display.
Thanks to an agreement between the French and Iranian governments, the French had a monopoly to dig in Susa and take whatever they found to France. That agreement ended when Reza Shah came to power in 1925. He negotiated a new deal in 1928 that required the two countries to share the discoveries.
But the 1979 Islamic Revolution put an end to the joint project too.
The Palace of Darius Is in Susa
Susa became the administrative capital of the empire under the rule of Darius, the king of the Persian Empire. Darius introduced law, order and bureaucracy to the vast land under his rule from this city.
To impress visitors and show the grandeur of the empire, he built a magnificent palace in Susa. The construction began at the same time when Darius started to build Persepolis, the ceremonial capital of the empire which is better known to most people.
To build the complex in Susa, they dug a deep foundation until they reached rocks, according to the translation of an inscription Darius left near a monumental gate to the complex.
The royal complex redefined Persian art. It reflects the tapestry of cultures, customs and races that created it. Darius used material and skills from near and far. This is how the inscription explains it:
The workers were Babylonians; the cedar timber was brought by the Assyrians to Babylon from a mountain in Lebanon; from Babylon, the Carians and Ionians brought it to Susa. The yaka-timber came from Kandahar (Gandara) and Kerman (Carmania). The gold came from Sardis and from Bakhtrish (Bactria). The precious stone lapis lazuli and carnelian, which were crafted in Susa, came from Suguda (Sogdiana). The precious stone turquoise came from Uvarazmish (Chorasmia) …. Many of the craftsmen were Egyptian.
A Mass Wedding in Susa
The politics of marriage to unite noble families is well-known. But little has been said about the politics of a mass wedding.
In February 324, Alexander of Macedon conquered Persia and overthrew the empire founded by Cyrus. To unify the two civilizations, he forced his officers to marry noble Persian women.
So, he arranged a mass wedding in Susa.
Some 10,000 unions were registered, wrote to Greek author Arrian of Nicomedia who offered the most detailed description of the ceremony. The ceremony was according to Persian customs. The grooms sat on chairs and after they had drinks, the brides walked in and each woman sat down next to her groom.
“They took them by the hand and kissed them,” Nicomedia wrote.
“The king began the ceremony, for all the weddings took place together. More than any action of Alexander this seemed to show a popular and comradely spirit.”
Despite Alexander’s effort, his plan failed. After his death, the officers abandoned their Persian brides, revealing how they felt about the unions.
Unlike Persepolis, which Alexander destroyed, Susa maintained its importance even after Alexander’s death and became part of the Seleucid Empire.