The historic heart of Shushtar was Salosel Castle, on a prominent cliff-hill overlooking the river. This is where Shapur I is said to have imprisoned Roman Emperor Valerian. It’s also here that Persians held out for two years against the invading Arab-Muslim armies until secret tunnels were revealed to the attackers by a traitor. For centuries Khuzestan was governed from a palace (‘Kushk’) on this site and an impressive three-storey pyramidal building stood here until the 1920s. Sadly, above-ground, only a mound of rubble remains. However, the castle’s impressive Sassanian-era subterranean rooms and water channels have been rediscovered. As yet they are only open on special occasions such as No Ruz but at such times they are very imaginatively lit.
The site is one long block north of Shahrivar Sq then three minutes’ walk to the east.
