Susa was an ancient city located in the lower Zagros Mountains of Iran, situated approximately 250 km (160 mi) east of the Tigris River between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers. The site is currently identified as the modern city of Shush.
As one of the most significant cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital of Elam and functioned as the winter capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It maintained its status as a strategic center throughout the Parthian and Sasanian periods.