Behbahan

Behbahan is a city in and the capital of Behbahan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. To the north of the city lie the ruins of the ancient city Arjan, built during the Sassanian period, where important remnants from the Elamite era can be found. The people of Behbahan (Behbahanis) speak a Persian dialect distinct to their group, as well as Sassanid language Middle Persian, and may still use words of Khuzi origin, the language of the original inhabitants of Khuzestan. The name (Behbahan) was not mentioned in text books earlier than the 14th century. the land of what is currently known as Behbahan was part of Arya-gan (Arjan=Arregan=Argan) city instead; back then, the land of the current Behbahan was not inhabited. Arjan Elamite city is located 10 kilometers north of the city of Behbahan in Khuzestan province. A grave belonging to the New Elamite era was discovered during the construction of a dam on Maroon River in fall 1982. The grave belongs to Kidin Hutran, an Elamite king who ruled during the seventh century BC. A unique and remarkable gold ring with the design of two winged lions on two sides of a holly tree was also discovered in this grave. On this ring, a phrase written in the Elamite cuneiform is evident which reads: “Kidin Hutran son of Cyrus”. Some clay relics belonging to the New Susan era (about 4500 years BC) and the Lapoyi era were found in Homayoon Tepe. In addition, remains of a kind of special clay from the beginning of the writing period (around 3500 BC) were discovered during the 1970s in Tal Sabz (a pre-historical site five kilometers east of Arjan). All of these discoveries indicate to a continuous settlement in Behbahan plain for some 6500 years.