One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital of Elam and the winter capital of the Achaemenid Empire, and remained a strategic centre during the Parthian and Sasanian periods.

Aug 29, 2022 · The Persians ruled their vast empire from three capital cities, including the ancient city of Susa in Elam. Thus, it was in Susa that Esther became the new queen of Persia and thwarted Haman’s plans to destroy the Jews.

Susa, capital of Elam (Susiana) and administrative capital of the Achaemenian king Darius I and his successors from 522 bce. It was located at the foot of the Zagros Mountains near the bank of the Karkheh Kūr (Choaspes) River in the Khuzistan region of Iran.

In classical literature, Elam was also known as Susiana (US: / ˌsuːʒiˈænə / UK: / ˌsuːziˈɑːnə /; Ancient Greek: Σουσιανή Sousiānḗ), a name derived from its capital Susa.

Nov 12, 2018 · Susa was a principal city of the Elamite, Achaemenid Persian, and Parthian empires and was originally known to the Elamites as 'Susan' or 'Susun'. The Greek name for the city was Sousa and the Hebrew, Shushan.

Oct 14, 2023 · Susa was not an independent city of Elam anymore, but it became one of the administrative and most prosperous capital cities of the first Persian Empire. This fantastic, intriguing city was conquered and taken over by Macedonians, Greeks, Parthians, and Sassanians, but it successfully recovered many times.

Dec 11, 2024 · In the Proto-Elamite and Susa III period, Susa became the center of Elamite civilization, introducing Proto-Elamite tablets and an indigenous script. As the capital of Susiana, it was a contested region among Elam, Sumer, and Akkad.

Mar 18, 2019 · Susa had once been a great city, founded in the fourth millennium B.C. and rising to its apex as the capital of Elam in the 13–12th centuries, during which time its king conquered Babylonia and carried the Code of Hammurabi back to Susa.

After the fall of the Achaemenid empire and the reign of Alexander the Great, Susa became part of the Seleucid empire. It was now called Seleucia on the Eulaeus.

Nov 13, 2022 · As the lower Zagros Mountains of Persia drop into Mesopotamia, Susa was formerly a component of the legendary kingdom of Elam between Babylon and ancient Persia.