Kul-e Farah

Kul-e Farah is a small gorge in the hills about seven kilometres from Izeh, in the Zagros mountains of eastern Khuzestan. A seasonal stream runs through it, and on the boulders and rock faces along its sides are six reliefs carved by the Elamites. Together they form an open-air sanctuary, one of the most important groups of Elamite rock art anywhere.

In antiquity the Izeh valley was the land of Aiapir, a highland centre within the Elamite world. The earliest reliefs at Kul-e Farah show large ritual gatherings, with long rows of figures, around 140 in one scene and about 200 in another, taking part in ceremonies that include musicians, the sacrifice of animals and a banquet. They give rare glimpses of Elamite religious life outside the great lowland cities.

The best-known relief shows Hanni, ruler of Aiapir, son of Tahhi. A long inscription in Elamite runs across his figure, in which he describes himself as a vassal of the Elamite king Shutur-Nahhunte, son of Indada, who ruled in the late seventh or early sixth century BCE, and names the god Tirutir.

Not far away, at Eshkaft-e Salman, another Elamite sanctuary holds further reliefs of Hanni and his family. Visiting Kul-e Farah means walking into a quiet valley of oak and stone, where the carved figures, worn by weather, still stand in their long rows.