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Susa (also called Shushan, Greek Susiane), was one of the city-states of ancient Elam which later became the winter capital of the Persian Achaemenian kings (c. 675 - 330 BCE). There is evidence that Susa has been continuously inhabited from 4,200 BCE placing it among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. In addition, there are traces at Susa of a village inhabited around 7,000 BCE and painted pottery dating from ca. 5,000 BCE at the site.

Susa (numit, de asemenea, Shushan sau Susiana), a fost unul dintre oraşele-stat ale Elamului, care mai târziu a devenit capitala de iarnă a regilor persani Ahemenizi (c. 675 - 330 î.Hr.). Există dovezi că Susa a fost locuită continuu din 4200 î.Hr, situându-se printre cele mai vechi oraşe locuite continuu din lume. În plus, există urmele unui sat locuit în jur de anul 7.000 î.Hr iar la sit s-a găsit ceramică pictată datând din jurul anului 5000 î.Hr. 

Elamite states were among the leading political forces of the ancient near east. In classical literature, Elam was more often referred to as Susiana, a name derived from its capital, Susa.

Elam, care a durat între aprox 2700 î.Hr. până în 539 d.Hr., este una dintre cele mai vechi civilizaţii cunoscute. Elam s-a situat în vestul şi sud-vestul Iranului de azi, precum şi în porţiuni ale sudului Irakului.

The archaeological site includes the ruins of the Achaemenian palace complex of Darius I, the Great, and is located on a fifteen meter high artificial raised terrace. It has suffered greatly in the past seventy years. The problem is the reckless spread of urbanization close to the main citadel and over unexcavated area immediately surrounding the mound

Site-ul arheologic include ruinele complexului palatului lui Darius cel Mare, şi este situat pe o terasă supraînălţată artificial (15 metri înălţime). Darius I, numit Darius cel Mare (549 î.Hr. – 486 î.Hr.), fiu al lui Hystaspes a fost rege al Persiei în perioada 522 i.Hr. – 486 î.Hr. Site-ul arheologic a suferit foarte mult în ultimii şaptezeci de ani. O problemă este urbanizarea nesăbuită, chiar până lângă cetate şi pe zona neexcavată din jurul ei.

In addition, the site is being greatly harmed by illegal excavations, garbage dumping, and a hotel on unexcavated land. The surviving walls have been greatly eroded. To add to this tragedy, the site was also heavily damaged by Iraqi bombardment during the first Gulf War.

În plus, site-ul este grav afectat de săpăturile ilegale, de acumularea gunoaielor, şi de construirea unui hotel pe terenul încă neexplorat. Zidurile care au supravieţuit sunt foarte erodate. Pentru a mări această tragedie, site-ul a fost, de asemenea, puternic afectat de bombardamentele armatei Irakiene în timpul războiului din Golf.

Susa became part of the Persian Empire under Cyrus II, the Great in 538 or 539 BCE. During the balance of Achaemenian period (to 330 BCE), Susa functioned as one of the rotating capitals (a winter capital) of the Achaemenian Kings. Darius I, the Great, built an extensive palace complex ca. 510 BCE, and Herodotus mentions Susa as being the capital of Darius' empire.

Aşezare preistorică datând cel puţin din ai IV-lea mileniu î.Hr., Susa a devenit o importantă cetate elamită cam pe la mijlocul mileniului al III-lea. Shush a fost incendiată în jurul anului 640 î. Hr. de către asirianul Ashurbanipal, care a distrus în acelaşi timp şi Choga Zanbil, dar a devenit iarăşi un centru important; epoca sa de aur a început odată cu venirea la domnie a lui Cyrus cel Mare, întemeietorul imperiului ahemenid al Iranului.

The palace complex - whose building continued under Darius' son Xerxes - was destroyed by a fire during the reign of Artaxerxes I (465-424 BCE) and then restored fifty years later by his grandson, Artaxerxes II (404-358 BCE).Alexander of Macedonia captured Susa in December 330 BCE and plundered the city, seizing some 40,000 talents of gold and silver from the treasury.

Marea expediţie a lui Xerxes împotriva grecilor a pornit din Susa. Deşi el nu a izbutit să subjuge în întregime Grecia, a prădat atât Delphi cât şi Atena şi la întoarcere a depus în tezaurul de la Susa bogăţiile pe care le jefuise. Alexandru cel Mare a ocupat şi jefuit oraşul în anul 331 î.Hr.  

Musée du Louvre, Paris

In Darius' inscription found in Susa's great hall, he notes: "The materials, ornamentation and artisans for this palace which I built at Susa have come from afar. "For its foundations, the earth was dug until I reached rock. When the excavation was complete, foundation rock was packed down some 40 cubits to 20 cubits in depth. On that foundation the palace was constructed using sun-dried brick. These tasks were performed by 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 was brought from Kandahar (Gandara) and Kerman (Carmania)."The gold was brought from Sardis and from Bakhtrish (Bactria) was wrought here. The precious stone lapis lazuli and carnelian which were crafted here was brought from Suguda (Sogdiana). The precious stone turquoise that was brought from Uvarazmish (Chorasmia) was crafted here. The silver and ebony were brought from Egypt. The ornamentation with which the wall was adorned was brought from Ionia. The ivory which was crafted here, was brought from Ethiopia, Sind and Harauvatish (Arachosia)."The stone columns which were crafted here, were brought from a village named Abiradu, in Elam. The stone-cutters who crafted the stone were Ionians and Sardians. "The goldsmiths who crafted the gold were Medes and Egyptians. The men who crafted the wood were Sardians and Egyptians. The men who crafted the baked brick were Babylonians. The men who adorned the walls were Medes and Egyptians."The work Susa was one of excellence. Me may Ahuramazda protect me, Vistasp my father, and my country.”

„Am înălţat acest palat. Podoabele sale sunt aduse de departe... S-a săpat în pământ până când am dat de teren solid şi s-a făcut un şant... şi pietrişul care a fost pus în el, şi cărămizile care au fost plămădite - au fost cei din Babilon care au făcut aceste lucruri. Lemnul numit naucia (cedru) a fost adus din muntele numit Liban".Inscripţia aceasta ne arată că Darius a adus nu numai materiale ci şi muncitori din toate colţurile vastului său imperiu.

The palace complex occupied the northern terrace of Susa, and included the Apadana or audience hall and royal residence. The palace complex occupied five hectares and were built on a artificially raised 12-hectare raised area.

Complexul palatului se afla pe terasa de nord a cetăţii Susa, şi a inclus sala Apadana (sala pentru audienţe) şi reşedinţa regală.Complexul palatului ocupa cinci hectare şi a fost construit pe o terasă supraînălţată în mod artificial.

Access to the palace complex was on a pavement of bricks from the south through the Royal City. The pavement passed through a colossal, covered 24 m square passageway which had two halls and two porticoes each with two columns (cf. Perrot, Ladiray, and Vallat cited at Encyclopaedia Iranica). Turning at a right angle, the road crossed a brick causeway and ended at the Gate of Darius.

La palat se ajungea pe un drum pavat cu cărămizi, de la sud, prin oraşul regal. Acest drum trecea printr-un colosal pasaj acoperit de 24 m², care a avut două săli şi două porticuri fiecare cu câte două coloane (cf. Perrot, Ladiray, şi Vallat citat de Enciclopedia Iranica). Revenind în unghi drept, drumul pavat cu cărămidă ajungea la Poarta lui Darius. 

Musée du Louvre, Paris

Capiteliul unei coloane de la sala de audienţe Apadana) a palatului lui Darius, 510 î.Hr.

This colossal capital from one of the 36 monumental columns that supported the roof of the Apadana at Susa is evidence of an architectural tradition that is purely Iranian. The 36 columns of the hall stood 21 meters in height. Each consists of a square base inscribed with the name of the king, and a fluted shaft recalling the Ionian style, surmounted by three successive elements: a basket-like ensemble of palm-fronds borrowed from Egypt, an arrangement of double volutes with rosettes taken from the temple of Artemis at Ephesus, and above this the foreparts of two kneeling bulls, back to back. The beam rested in the gap between the necks of the animals. This pair of bull reproduces an Mesopotamian old motif symbolizing the cosmic equilibrium.

Musée du Louvre, Paris

Located on a hill near the ancient city of Susa, the Susa Castle was built by French civil engineer, geologist and archaeologist Jacques Jean-Marie de Morgan (1857-1924), who carried out excavations in the region. To build the monument, De Morgan used ancient bricks which had been scattered at nearby archeological sites such as Haft-Tappeh and Tchogha Zanbil.

Pătrunzând pe porta dinspre şosea, observi numaidecât fortăreaţa din vârful celei mai înalte coline, Acropole.Această construcţie, neobişnuită pentru un şantier arheologic, a fost realizată de Serviciul Arheologic Francez la sfârşitul sec. al XIX-lea datorită necesităţii de a se apăra de triburile arabe nepacificate din regiune şi este acum cea mai impresionantă construcţie din Susa.

After some first soundings in 1854, systematic excavation started in 1884. In order to protect themselves, the French archaeologists, led by Jacques de Morgan, built a castle in Crusader style. Research has continues into the twentieth century.

The French government of the time agreed to sponsor the construction project to provide a safe place for De Morgan and his team during their stay.

The construction of the castle which began in 1897 was finished under the supervision of Iranian architect Mostafa Dezfouli in 1912.

Unfortunately, even the ruins were not left alone: they were partly destroyed during the First Gulf War.

According to a report published in 2007, about 90,000 artifacts are kept in nonstandard conditions in the underground storerooms of the Susa Castle. The relics belong to different eras of the ancient Persia and include artifacts discovered by French archaeologist Roman Ghirshman in the 1940s.

Mormântul proorocului Daniil, real sau presupus, se află pe malul stâng al râului Shur, la mică distanţă spre vest de colina cea mare de la Susa.

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