Compiled by Mohammad Ali Kiaeefar

Etymology

   The name Dezful has been derived from the two words dez (fortress) + pol (bridge), which in combination could stand for ‘the bridge to the fortress’ or ‘fortified bridge’. The original name of the city was Dezhpul, but after the Muslim conquest of Persia, the city was renamed Dezful. In local language, the city is called Desfil /desfi:l/ and the people born there are called Desfili.

Language

   The people of  Dezful are known as Dezfuli. Dezfulians speak – a dialect distinct to Dezful- which some historians consider as the most archaic version of Persian dialects. 

Geography

   Dezful is a city in Khuzestan Province in Iran. At the 2011 census, its population was 420,000 people in ۱۰۵,۰۰۰ families. Dezful is located 721 kilometers away from the national capital of Tehran and 155 kilometers away from the provincial capital of Ahvaz. The city lies at the foot of the Zagros Mountains at an altitude of ۱۴۳ meters, 300 kilometers away from the Persian Gulf.

Climate

   Dezful has a hot semi – arid climate 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.

Economy

   Most people Dezful is the primary commercial center for northern Khuzestan and one of the main producers of agricultural products in Iran. The city also contains a large cotton textile mill and many small- and medium-scale industries. TheDez Dam 203 m (666 ft) high, completed in 1963, is 32 km (20 mi) upstream from Dezful; the dam provides water and electricity for the city, as well as irrigation for nearby sugarcane farms.

Agriculture

   Dezfūl is an area of fertile soil. It is a land of farming and cultivation with many gardens surrounding it.   Most people in the suburb are ranchers engaged with animal husbandry. Agriculture around Dezful was modernized in the mid-1960s by an Iranian-American joint venture company. Flowers and citrus fruits from Dezful are held in high regard in the country. Also popular areyogurt and cream from local buffalos. Various vegetables, fruit and grains are grown in Dezful. Meat, poultry and fish are also produced.

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  Old Bridge of Dezful is located near the city of Dezful in South Western Iran. The bridge was built during the reign of Shapur1 who used Roman prisoners of war to build the bridge

One of its most iconic landmarks, the Dezful bridge, is the oldest still-standing bridge in the world. It remained in full functionality until recently. The ancient bridge was originally commissioned in 260 AD during the Sassanid era (circa 224-661 AD) by King Shapur I, who used 70,000 Roman prisoners of war to construct the great monument.

   In the middle of the river, close to the bridge, you can see remains of several water mills built in 300 AD. Most of them were actually used up to the beginning of the 20th century. The last one was in use up to 1985. The Academy of gundishapur, a teaching hospital that was the intellectual center of the Sassanid empire, was also founded near Dezful