Ahvaz in Travelogues / From Travelers' Observations to Revisiting Khuzestan's History

Travelogues were examined as complementary sources for understanding the social, cultural and geographic history of Khuzestan at a specialized session titled 'Ahvaz in Travelogues,' attended by history and culture researchers.

According to the report of Aria Heritage reporter, the specialized meeting "Ahwaz Narrative in Travelogues" focusing on the review of the narratives of tourists, tour guides and some officials who have traveled to Khuzestan and Ahvaz in different periods, was held on Monday, October 20, at the roof of the National Registration Building of the Department of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Ahvaz city.

In this meeting, Mojtaba Ghestoni, a journalist and researcher and the founder of travelogue reading sessions in Khuzestan, and Fereydon Karaei, a researcher in the field of history, examined some of the historical narratives related to Khuzestan and Ahvaz in travelogues and historical reports.

Referring to the capacity of travelogues to recognize the social, cultural and geographical history of Khuzestan, Mojtabi Ghestoni said in this meeting: Travelogues are not just a description of a traveller's route, but they contain part of the information related to geography, social relations, economy, culture, customs, roads, cities and even people's way of life.

He added: In many travelogues written about Iran, traces of Khuzestan can be found; From military, political and commercial travelogues to religious, scientific, exploration and tourism travelogues. Each of these narratives presents a different picture of Khuzestan based on the social position, the purpose of the trip and the author's perspective.

Emphasizing the necessity of critical reading of travelogues, this journalist stated: Travelogues have sometimes recorded their observations of the people, culture and geography of Khuzestan with their own perspective and assumptions; Therefore, these texts should be examined while paying attention to their historical value, knowing the historical and social context of the time of writing.

He stated: travelogues can be used as complementary sources along with documents, historical books, oral narratives and archeological findings and provide a multi-layered picture of Khuzestan's past.

Travelogues; Part of the historical memory of Khuzestan

In another part of this meeting, Ghestoni said: If we see travelogues only as texts to narrate a trip, we have ignored an important part of their capacity; These texts can be a part of the historical and cultural memory of Khuzestan and can be used to recognize the changes of cities, villages, communication routes, rivers, buildings and people's way of life.

He added: Khuzestan, due to its geographical location, rivers, ports, trade routes and its historical position, has always been on the way of commuting of different groups, and this has caused various reports and narratives to be recorded about this land in different periods.

Referring to the history of travelogue reading meetings in Khuzestan, this journalist and researcher said: The purpose of holding such meetings is to return travelogues to the space of cultural dialogue and turn them into a tool to better understand the history and cultural geography of Khuzestan.

From historical Ahvaz to contemporary Ahvaz

In the continuation of this meeting, Fereydoun Karaei, a researcher in the field of history, focusing on the historical narratives related to Khuzestan and Ahvaz, explained the reports of tourists, tour guides and officials who passed through or stayed in this region in different periods.

Pointing out that part of the information related to the situation of Ahvaz and Khuzestan in different periods has been recorded in the reports and writings of travelers, Karaei emphasized the necessity of re-reading these sources to understand the historical developments of the region.

He stated: In historical sources, including reports about Ahvaz, information about the Karun River, communication routes, the state of the city, the economy and social relations of the region has been recorded. Historical sources also show that the caroon and the possibility of shipping it played an important role in communication and movement in Khuzestan in different periods.

This history researcher considered the Khuzestan travelogue of Abdul Ghaffar Najm al-Molk as one of the significant sources and said: Abdul Ghaffar Najm al-Molk traveled to Khuzestan during the Qajar period and on the orders of Naser al-Din Shah to investigate Ahvaz Dam and engineering issues and recorded the narrative of this trip. Also, in the contemporary period, foreign administrative and political reports and notes about Khuzestan and Ahvaz have provided information about the condition of roads, bridges, trade, agriculture, ports and social developments in the region; including the collection of British reports about Khuzestan and Ahvaz in the 1930s, which are kept in historical archives.