page_title: Darreh Shahr
hierarchical_section_title: Darreh Shahr
caption_attribution_description: English: Darreh Shahr is a city in Ilam Province, Iran.
context_page_description: Darreh Shahr is a city, and seat of Darreh Shahr County, located in the south-eastern part of Ilam Province, in the northern foothills of Kabir Kuh ranges. According to the 2016 census there are 21,900 residents, making it the second-largest city in the province.
  It is believed that Darreh Shahr was once Madaktu, an important city in the Anshan Province of Elamite Kingdom with a population of about 74,000. The Elmite Kingdom had three important cities: Susa, Hidali and Madaktu. Madaktu served as an advance post toward Mesopotamia. The city was destroyed in 693 BC by Ashurbanipal during the Assyrian conquest of Elam.
  Madaktu saw many ups and down during centuries. After the Assyrian conquest, the city went into ruins and lost its significance. It did not regain its prosperity in the Achaemenid Empire. The Parthians era was a period of relative revival but it was during the Sasanian Empire that the city, then a settlement of about 5000 household and renamed to Seymareh, saw its utmost restoration and success. Nowadays, the ruins of Madaktu is abound with artifacts from that era, most of which are in display in Darreh Shahr Museum.
context_section_description: Darreh Shahr (Persian: دره‌شهر‎) is a city, and seat of Darreh Shahr County, located in the south-eastern part of Ilam Province, in the northern foothills of Kabir Kuh ranges. According to the 2016 census there are 21,900 residents, making it the second-largest city in the province.
  It is believed that Darreh Shahr was once Madaktu, an important city in the Anshan Province of Elamite Kingdom with a population of about 74,000. The Elmite Kingdom had three important cities: Susa, Hidali and Madaktu. Madaktu served as an advance post toward Mesopotamia. The city was destroyed in 693 BC by Ashurbanipal during the Assyrian conquest of Elam.
  Madaktu saw many ups and down during centuries. After the Assyrian conquest, the city went into ruins and lost its significance. It did not regain its prosperity in the Achaemenid Empire. The Parthians era was a period of relative revival but it was during the Sasanian Empire that the city, then a settlement of about 5000 household and renamed to Seymareh, saw its utmost restoration and success. Nowadays, the ruins of Madaktu is abound with artifacts from that era, most of which are in display in Darreh Shahr Museum.
  The modern-day Darreh Shahr was part of Lorestan Province. In 1964, some areas of Lorestan and Khuzestan provinces were annexed to create Ilam Governorate-General and was declared a province ten years later in 1974. For the same reason, most of the people of Darreh Shahr speak Laki and Luri as opposed to Kurdish, the main spoken language of the province.
  Darreh Shahr has very hot and dry summers and mild and wet winters with long-term average of 455.2 mm (17.92 in) precipitation, almost all of which come in form of rain during winter.
caption: City view to the North
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