Choaspes River (Iran)
Encyclopedia
The Karkheh or Karkhen is a river in Khūzestān Province
, Iran
(ancient Susiana
) that rises in the Zagros Mountains
, and passes west of Shush
(ancient Susa
), eventually falling in ancient times into the Tigris
just below its confluence with the Euphrates
very near to the Iran-Iraq
border. In modern times, after approaching within 10 miles of the Dez River
, it turns to the southwest and then, northwest of Ahvaz
, turns northwest and is absorbed by the Hawizeh Marshes that straddle the Iran
/Iraq
border. Its peculiarly sweet water was sacred to the use of the Persian kings. Ancient names for the Karkheh should be treated as conjectural because the bed of the river has changed in historic times, and because a nearby watercourse between the Karkheh and the Dez River
, the Shaur, confuses the identification.
The problem with the ancient names is that while the Karheh flows a mile or two west of Susa, another major watercourse flows parallel to the Karkheh within a few miles east of Susa. When these rivers are in flood stage, the entire area south of Susa can be flooded, as the waters of the two watercourses mingle. The watercourse a mile or two east of Susa, now called the Shaur, flows east between the Haft Tepe and Shaur ridges into the Dez River
, north of where the Dez and Karun rivers merge. At some previous time, the Karkheh may have joined the eastern end of the Shaur. The timing of these changes is not known with any certainty. The ancient name of the Shaur may have been the Choaspes.
The river is mentioned in the Bible
, Book of Daniel
8:2,16, and should not be confused with the Choaspes River
in modern-day Afghanistan
, which flows into the Indus
.
The river is currently the location of the Karkheh Dam
and hydro-power plant in Iran.
Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq's Basra Province and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahwaz and covers an area of 63,238 km²...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
(ancient Susiana
Susa
Susa was an ancient city of the Elamite, Persian and Parthian empires of Iran. It is located in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris River, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers....
) that rises in the Zagros Mountains
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
, and passes west of Shush
Shush, Iran
Shush is a city in and the capital of Shush County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 53,897, in 10,689 families. Shush is located near ancient Susa....
(ancient Susa
Susa
Susa was an ancient city of the Elamite, Persian and Parthian empires of Iran. It is located in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris River, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers....
), eventually falling in ancient times into the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
just below its confluence with the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
very near to the Iran-Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
border. In modern times, after approaching within 10 miles of the Dez River
Dez River
The Dez River , the ancient Coprates , is a tributary of the Karun River and is 400 km long. It is the site of the Dez Dam.It is believed that a fortress protected a strategic bridge across the river at Dezful, whence the name, although no trace of this castle remains. The old part of the city...
, it turns to the southwest and then, northwest of Ahvaz
Ahvaz
-History:For a more comprehensive historical treatment of the area, see the history section of Khūzestān Province.-Ancient history:Ahvaz is the anagram of "Avaz" and "Avaja" which appear in Darius's epigraph...
, turns northwest and is absorbed by the Hawizeh Marshes that straddle the Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
/Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
border. Its peculiarly sweet water was sacred to the use of the Persian kings. Ancient names for the Karkheh should be treated as conjectural because the bed of the river has changed in historic times, and because a nearby watercourse between the Karkheh and the Dez River
Dez River
The Dez River , the ancient Coprates , is a tributary of the Karun River and is 400 km long. It is the site of the Dez Dam.It is believed that a fortress protected a strategic bridge across the river at Dezful, whence the name, although no trace of this castle remains. The old part of the city...
, the Shaur, confuses the identification.
The problem with the ancient names is that while the Karheh flows a mile or two west of Susa, another major watercourse flows parallel to the Karkheh within a few miles east of Susa. When these rivers are in flood stage, the entire area south of Susa can be flooded, as the waters of the two watercourses mingle. The watercourse a mile or two east of Susa, now called the Shaur, flows east between the Haft Tepe and Shaur ridges into the Dez River
Dez River
The Dez River , the ancient Coprates , is a tributary of the Karun River and is 400 km long. It is the site of the Dez Dam.It is believed that a fortress protected a strategic bridge across the river at Dezful, whence the name, although no trace of this castle remains. The old part of the city...
, north of where the Dez and Karun rivers merge. At some previous time, the Karkheh may have joined the eastern end of the Shaur. The timing of these changes is not known with any certainty. The ancient name of the Shaur may have been the Choaspes.
The river is mentioned in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, Book of Daniel
Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
8:2,16, and should not be confused with the Choaspes River
Choaspes River (Afghanistan)
The Choaspes is a river that rises in the ancient Paropamise range , eventually falling into the Indus near its confluence with the Cophes river...
in modern-day Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, which flows into the Indus
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
.
The river is currently the location of the Karkheh Dam
Karkheh dam
The Karkheh Dam is a large multi-purpose earthen embankment dam built in Iran on the Karkheh River in 2001 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps ....
and hydro-power plant in Iran.
External links
- Choaspes (Karkheh), Photographs of the river: Livius.
- Karkheh river marshes, BirdLife IBA Factsheet, BirdLife International.