Masjed Soleyman

For the administrative subdivision, see Masjed Soleyman County.

Masjed Soleyman مسجدسليمان
—  city  —
Masjed Soleyman
Coordinates: 31°56′11″N 49°18′14″E / 31.93639°N 49.30389°E / 31.93639; 49.30389Coordinates: 31°56′11″N 49°18′14″E / 31.93639°N 49.30389°E / 31.93639; 49.30389
Country	Iran
Province	Khuzestan
County	Masjed Soleyman
Bakhsh	Central
Population (2006)
- Total	106,121
Time zone	IRST (UTC+3:30)
- Summer (DST)	IRDT (UTC+4:30)

Masjed Soleyman (Persian: مسجدسليمان; also Romanized as Masjed Soleymān, Masjed-e Soleymān, Masjed Soleiman, and Masjid-i-Sulaiman)^[1] is a city in and the capital of Masjed Soleyman County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 106,121, in 22,393 families.^[2] Masjed Soleiman is a historical city which is located among the Zagros Mountains

Geography

Masjed Soleyman was inhabited by various clans of Bakhtiari tribes but oil exploration in this area attracted other people from other parts of Bakhtiari zones to this city for trade or jobs.

Main sights

Masjed Soleiman's most interesting parish is Tembi, and historical and ancient site is Sarmasjed Temple in the northeast. Sarmasjed temple is on the verge of Sarmasjed terrace, in ancient time fire had been continuously flaming inside it. And according to historians was the capital of Achaemenian Reign. Among other Masjed Soleiman ancient relics, we can suggest the ancient Temple of Bard-e-Neshande.

History

Ancient history and Etymology

According to historical scripts, when the Arians of Parsova were forced to decamp, they took refuge in Bakhriarian Mountains from outskirts of Oromiieh Lake.

They founded the city of Parsomash in memory of their motherland near the city of Anshan which is the fatherland of Pasargadae and Persepolis.

This ancient city changed its name to Masjed Soleyman, after the Arab destructive attack to Iran.

Contemporary history

French archaeology expedition under the supervision of Professor Roman Ghirshman made some important discoveries. Ghirshman believes the present site of Masjed Soleyman (Parsomash) was the oldest capital of the Achaemenian Kingdom.

Masjed Soleyman's importance today is in oil exploration. William Knox D'Arcy, by contract with King Mozaffaroddin Qajar, obtained permission to explore for oil for the first time in the Middle East, near this city. This event changed the history of Iran and the Middle East. The oil discovery led to petrochemical industry development and also the establishment of industries that strongly depended on oil.

References

1. ^ Masjed Soleyman can be found at GEOnet Names Server, at this link, by opening the Advanced Search box, entering "-3074315" in the "Unique Feature Id" form, and clicking on "Search Database".
2. ^ "Census of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1385 (2006)" (Excel). Islamic Republic of Iran. http://www.amar.org.ir/DesktopModules/FTPManager/upload/upload2360/newjkh/newjkh/06.xls.