Khuzestan province lies in the far west of Iran, about 500km from Tehran, on a large flat plain irrigated by Iran’s longest river, the Karun. It produces much of the country’s essential crops as well as featuring some of Iran’s most important oilfields. Not far from the provincial capital of Ahwaz are three wonderful places to visit. Tchogha Zanbil is an impressive brick ziggurat built by King Untash Gal in the thirteenth century BC; it is the finest surviving example of architecture from the Elamite civilization of BC2500-1200. Close by, the small town of Shush houses the Tomb of Daniel (of lions’ den fame). For over a thousand years this has been a major pilgrimage spot for Jews from all over the Middle East, but Daniel is also revered by Muslims who flock in their thousands to kiss the shrine and seek favours. Above the modern town lies the beguiling ruins of the Achaemenian city brought to prominence by Darius I who made it his summer capital in BC521 at which time it was probably as extensive as Persepolis. Finally there is Shushtar, whose unique attraction is its third century watermills fed by a multiplex of underground tunnels and driving fourteen massive grinding wheels. When Sassanian ruler Shapur I captured Emperor Valerian in 260, he used the Roman soldiers to help build this masterpiece of engineering which was supposedly the first such “industrial-scale” use of water pressure.