Behbahan

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City in Khuzestan province, Iran

title: "Behbahan" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cities-in-khuzestan-province", "populated-places-in-behbahan-county"] description: "City in Khuzestan province, Iran" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behbahan" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary City in Khuzestan province, Iran ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameBehbahan
native_name
native_name_langfa
settlement_typeCity
image_skylineRing of Power Statue, Symbol of Ancient Behbahan (Arjan Square).jpg
image_captionRing of Power, the historical symbol of Behbahan
pushpin_mapIran
coordinates
coordinates_footnotes
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameIran
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Khuzestan
subdivision_type2County
subdivision_name2Behbahan
subdivision_type3District
subdivision_name3Central
unit_prefMetric
area_footnotes
population_footnotes
population_as_of2016
population_total122604
population_density_km2auto
timezoneIRST
utc_offset+3:30
website
::

| name = Behbahan | native_name = | native_name_lang = fa | settlement_type = City | image_skyline = Ring of Power Statue, Symbol of Ancient Behbahan (Arjan Square).jpg | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = Ring of Power, the historical symbol of Behbahan | image_flag = | flag_alt = | image_seal = | seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | etymology = | nickname = | motto = | image_map = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Iran | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption = | pushpin_label_position = | coordinates = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Iran | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Khuzestan | subdivision_type2 = County | subdivision_name2 = Behbahan | subdivision_type3 = District | subdivision_name3 = Central | established_title = | established_date = | founder = | leader_title = | leader_name = | leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | unit_pref = Metric tags --| area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = | population_as_of = 2016 | population_total = 122604 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_note = | population_demonym = | timezone = IRST | utc_offset = +3:30 | postal_code = | area_code = | website = | module = | footnotes =

Behbahan () is a city in the Central District of Behbahan County, Khuzestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.

Etymology

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Coin_of_either_Hormizd_V_or_Hormizd_VI,_minted_in_Veh-az-Amid-Kavād.jpg" caption="Sassanid]] coin of either [[Hormizd V]] or [[Hormizd VI]], minted in present-day Behbahan" alt="Coin of either Hormizd V or Hormizd VI, minted in Veh-az-Amid-Kavād"] ::

The origin of word 'Behbahan' can be traced back to two distinct ideas. According to some scholars like Nowban, while the first part of the word, 'beh', means 'good', the latter, 'bahan', means palace or a very big house surrounded by orchards and gardens. This is well-documented that the region was an agricultural hub producing mainly olive, dates, citruses as well as flower gardens. The term Behbahan thus means a nice living area surrounded by gardens and farms.

Alternatively, it is suggested that the latter component of the word, namely 'bahan', might had been used to refer to a type of tent used in old times. In other words, after the downfall of the ancient city of Arrajan due to a series of devastating earthquakes, survivors unsurprisingly had to live in tents for some time. As they started to reconstruct the city, the name 'Behbahan' was used to denote that the new settlement is better than tents. However, the use of the word 'beh' as 'better' rather than 'good' is rarely, if ever, reported in Persian language. Also, there is no actual document of people using 'bahan' tents after the above-mentioned earthquakes. Resultantly, there needs to be more research on the etymology of the word Behbahan.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/ChaharTaqi-KheirAbad_Darafsh_(4).jpg" caption="Arjan" alt="Sassanid Era Zoroastrian Fire-Temple of Arjan, Behbahan"] ::

History of Behbahan is indispensably intertwined with the ancient Iranian city of Argan (Arrajan) from Elamite era (3200–539 BC). During a dam construction project on Marun river in 1982, an accidental find was reported shocking local archeologists. It was identified as a neo-Elamite tomb (600-550 BC) of a noble person who later turned out to be the Elamite ruler Kidin-Hutran son of Kurlush. The tomb contains a large bronze coffin which had a golden ring of power, ninety-eight golden buttons, ten cylindrical vessels, a dagger, a silver bar, and a bronze tray called Arjan bowl with various images found with the coffin.

However, Arjan saw its downfall as it was hit by a series of earthquakes destroying almost all of its infrastructure. In the cross-road of Elamite and Persian empires, as claimed by Alvarez-Mon, the city had to be rebuilt.

The reconstruction was done by Kavadh I who was the Sasanian King of Kings of Iran from 488 to 531, with a two or three-year interruption. In 502-503, the king launched a campaign as part of the Anastasian War against northern Roman Mesopotamia, This is why the names 'Ram-Qobad', 'Beram-Qobad', 'Abar-Qobad' and 'Beh az Amed-e Kavad' all used by later historians to refer to the reconstructed Arjan, include an element referring to king Kavad I.

Through time, Arrajan experienced ups and downs of the history and managed to survive even the Arab Muslim invasion albeit at the cost of almost all residents having to convert from Zoroasterianism to Islam. The name, as discussed above, was changed to Behbahan in the Islamic period.

Demographics

|title = Population history |align =right |clear = |direction = |percentages = |state = |type = |shading = |width = |subbox = |pop_name = |year_name = |percent_name = |footnote = |source = |graph-pos = |graph-width = |graph-height = |percol = |cols = |perrow = |rows = |1956 |29,886 |1966 |39,874 |1976 |49,378 |1986 |78,694 |1991 |85,846 |1996 |88,213 |2006 |99,204 |2011 |107,412 |2016 |122,604

Population

At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 99,204 in 24,204 households. The following census in 2011 counted 107,412 people in 29,280 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 122,604 people in 35,826 households.

Gallery

File:A Replica of Arjan bowl.jpg|A replica of Arjan bowl File:Ring of Power Statue, Symbol of Ancient Behbahan (Arjan Square).jpg|Ring of Power Statue, Symbol of Ancient Behbahan (Arjan Square) File:Khuzestan,bahbahan2.jpg|Ruins of Arjan Briges on Marun River in Northern Behbahan File:Ring arjan.jpg|Arjan Ring of Power from Elamite king Kidin-Hutran File:ChaharTaqi-KheirAbad Darafsh (32).jpg|Arjan Zoroasterian Fire-Temple from Sassanid Era File:سنگفرش راه کوهستانی باستانی در ارجان بهبهان.jpg|A stonepaved Achamenid Era road in Zagros Mountain Range, Behbahan File:Pelaj marun.jpg|Marun Dam Public Resort File:قلعه‌ای در روستای برج بهبهان.jpg|An outpost from Sassanid Era near Borj village, Behbahan File:نرگس خودروی بهبهان.jpg|Main souvenir of Behbahan, daffodils File:ارجان.jpg|Bowl of Arjan File:Khuzestan.behbahan1.jpg|Ruins of Arjan town walls in northern Behbahan File:Map of Bihbahān, 1950.jpg|1950s map of Behbahan File:کلیسای نستوری تشان. عکس از مهدی یگانه.jpg|Ruins of a Nestorian church in Tashan village, Behbahan File:Coin of either Hormizd V or Hormizd VI, minted in Veh-az-Amid-Kavād.jpg|Coin of either Hormizd V or Hormizd VI, minted in Veh-az-Amid-Kavād (present-day Behbahan)

Climate

Behbahan has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh), characterised by sweltering and rainless summers and pleasant winters with occasional heavy rainfall.

|location = Behbahan (1993-2010) |metric first = Y |single line = Y |width = auto |Jan high C = 17.4 |Feb high C = 20.4 |Mar high C = 25.2 |Apr high C = 31.6 |May high C = 39.0 |Jun high C = 43.7 |Jul high C = 44.8 |Aug high C = 44.8 |Sep high C = 41.0 |Oct high C = 35.4 |Nov high C = 26.1 |Dec high C = 20.1 | Jan mean C =12.0 | Feb mean C =14.1 | Mar mean C =18.0 | Apr mean C =23.9 | May mean C =30.5 | Jun mean C =34.7 | Jul mean C =36.6 | Aug mean C =36.2 | Sep mean C =31.9 | Oct mean C =26.7 | Nov mean C =18.9 | Dec mean C =13.9 |Jan low C = 6.7 |Feb low C = 7.9 |Mar low C = 10.8 |Apr low C = 16.3 |May low C = 22.0 |Jun low C = 25.7 |Jul low C = 28.5 |Aug low C = 27.6 |Sep low C = 22.7 |Oct low C = 17.9 |Nov low C = 11.7 |Dec low C = 7.8

| precipitation colour = green | Jan precipitation mm =83.6 | Feb precipitation mm =33.5 | Mar precipitation mm =48.4 | Apr precipitation mm =20.1 | May precipitation mm =3.7 | Jun precipitation mm =0.8 | Jul precipitation mm =0.0 | Aug precipitation mm =0.4 | Sep precipitation mm =0.2 | Oct precipitation mm =3.0 | Nov precipitation mm =42.0 | Dec precipitation mm =81.6 | year precipitation mm =

| Jan humidity =75 | Feb humidity =64 | Mar humidity =52 | Apr humidity =41 | May humidity =23 | Jun humidity =17 | Jul humidity =20 | Aug humidity =25 | Sep humidity =26 | Oct humidity =33 | Nov humidity =52 | Dec humidity =70 | year humidity =

| Jan sun =186.0 | Feb sun =197.5 | Mar sun =232.9 | Apr sun =240.1 | May sun =312.3 | Jun sun =348.4 | Jul sun =335.9 | Aug sun =336.3 | Sep sun =309.4 | Oct sun =283.7 | Nov sun =218.3 | Dec sun =187.4 | year sun =

|source = Iran Meteorological Organization(temperatures), (precipitation), (sun), (humidity) |date=February 2025}}

Notes

References

References

  1. ((OpenStreetMap contributors)). (17 December 2024). "Behbahan, Behbahan County".
  2. {{GEOnet3. -3055917
  3. Habibi, Hassan. (26 July 2014). "Approval of the organization and chain of citizenship of the elements and units of the national divisions of Khuzestan province, centered in the city of Ahvaz". Ministry of the Interior, Political and Defense Commission of the Government Board.
  4. Nowban, Mehrozaman. (1998). "Names of Geographical Places across Time". Mah.
  5. Qubadiani-Balkhi, Naser Khosrow. (2007). "Book of Travels". Amirkabir.
  6. "گنجور » ناصرخسرو » سفرنامه » بخش ۹۲ - ارجان".
  7. Iranica Encyclopedia. "Arrjan".
  8. Ebn-e Athir, Ezzoddin. (2005). "The Full History". Asatir.
  9. (2011-07-14). "Meaning of Behbahan - معنى بهبهان".
  10. Dehkhoda, Ali Akbar. (2007). "Dehkhoda Dictionary of Persian Language". Tehran University Publications.
  11. (2023-06-21). "Historical mansion in Behbahan to turn into handicrafts center".
  12. "Behbahan".
  13. زارع, بابک. (2021-07-30). "گنجینه ارجان".
  14. (2020-12-12). "داستانِ اشتباهی که در هدیه‌ی تاریخی بهبهانی‌ها به المپیک توکیو رخ داد".
  15. "پنج گنج بزرگ ایرانی که به طور اتفاقی کشف شدند".
  16. Vallat, Francois. "Kidin-Hutran et l'epoque néo-élamite". Akkadica.
  17. Alizadeh, Abbas. (1985). "A Tomb of the Neo-Elamite Period at Arjan, Near Behbahan". Archaologische Mitteilungen aus Iran und Turan.
  18. "Peeters Publishers Leuven".
  19. "On the Antiquity of the Yurt: Evidence from Arjan and Elsewhere".
  20. محمد, آزغ. "ارجان شهری متعلق به دوره ی ساسانی یا عیلامی". اولین کنفرانس سالانه پژوهش های معماری، شهرسازی و مدیریت شهری.
  21. Wicks, Yasmina. "The Encyclopedia of Ancient History". John Wiley & Sons Inc.
  22. "در مورد ارجان در ویکی تابناک بیشتر بخوانید".
  23. admina. (2023-07-29). "حلقه‌‌ قدرت، شاهکار زرّین هنر ایرانی".
  24. Vatandust, R.. "A Preliminary Report on the Conservation and Technical Studies of Some of the Arjan Material". Asar.
  25. زارع, بابک. (2021-07-30). "گنجینه ارجان".
  26. (2020-12-12). "داستانِ اشتباهی که در هدیه‌ی تاریخی بهبهانی‌ها به المپیک توکیو رخ داد".
  27. Alvarez-Mon, Javier. (2022). "Between Picasso and Piradi On tour with Saltimbanques and Musicians from ancient Iran (ca. 600 BC)". Journal of Iran National Museum.
  28. ایران, عصر. "داستان حلقه رازآمیز پادشاه / تابوتی که همه را شگفت‌زده کرد (فیلم)".
  29. Alvarez-Mon, Javier. (2010). "The Arjan Tomb: At the Crossroads of the Elamite and the Persian Empires". Peeters.
  30. Tyler-Smith, Susan. "The Kavād Hoard". The Numismatic Chronicle.
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  39. "AVERAGE OF MEAN DAILY TEMPERATURE IN C. STATION: BEHBAHAN (40834)". Iran Meteorological Organization.
  40. "AVERAGE OF MINIMUM TEMPERATURE IN C. STATION: BEHBAHAN (40834)". Iran Meteorological Organization.
  41. "AVERAGE OF MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE IN C. STATION: BEHBAHAN (40834)". Iran Meteorological Organization.
  42. "MONTHLY TOTAL OF PRECIPITATION IN MM. STATION: BEHBAHAN (40834)". Iran Meteorological Organization.
  43. "MONTHLY TOTAL OF SUNSHINE HOURS STATION: BEHBAHAN (40834)". Iran Meteorological Organization.
  44. "AVERAGE OF RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN PERCENT STATION: BEHBAHAN (40834)". Iran Meteorological Organization.

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cities-in-khuzestan-provincepopulated-places-in-behbahan-county