Ahvaz is one of Iranian metropolises which is located at the central part of Ahvaz Township as the capital of Khuzestan province. Regards to the great area of this southern Iranian city, it is considered as the seventh largest Iranian city while embracing the greatest Iranian oil producer company.
Karun as the largest Iranian river and the only navigable waterway in Iran, has divided the city into western and eastern parts. This great river, Karun, has been the critical living component of Ahvaz through the whole past ages.
Through the whole Sassanid era, Ahvaz was considered as an important city within Khuzestan province while it was one of the greatest Christian associations. Based on the vicinity of Ahvaz to the great southern Iranian water way, Karun, it is one of the most important Iranian trade centers and an awesome store for gathering the trade merchandise.
Ahvaz is home to several ethnic groups, including Arabs and Bakhtiari people as one of the greatest Iranian ethnicities. Jewish were another ethnicity which have also been living in Ahvaz through different eras. Jewish population in Ahvaz through the whole medieval ages have had a great improvement in a way that during the occupation of southern Iran by British government, it was an important Zionism center that other Jewish have had decided to migrate to this city.
The city has a considerable Mandaean community (Sabian), who are the followers of John the Baptist. The Mandaeans can often be seen performing their weekly baptism rituals along the River Karun.
Ahvaz has a desert climate and experiences hot summers and short, mild winters. Ahvaz is one of the hottest cities in Iran with summer temperatures reaching 45 to sometimes 50 degrees centigrade. The city is often subject to sand and dust storms.
Ahvaz is known as the city of bridges for the 9 bridges that have been built over the Karoun River namely Pol-e Sefid (White Bridge), Black Bridge (Victory Bridge), Naderi Bridge (Fourth Bridge) and Dialogue of Civilizations Bridge.
