Karkheh
Karkheh is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 32.65°, 47.97°
About Karkheh
The Karkheh or Karkhen (Persian: کرخه) (known as Choaspes Ancient Greek: Χοάσπης in ancient times; also called Eulæus, in Ancient Greek: Εὔλαιος or Εὐλαῖος; Hebrew: אולי Ulai) is a river in Khūzestān Province, in southwest Iran (ancient Susiana).
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: Karkheh River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Karkheh in Depth
Description
The river 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 16 kilometres (10 mi) 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.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Karkheh River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Karkheh: Key Facts
| Length | 870 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 220 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 50,000 km² |
| Source | Zagros Mountains |
| Mouth | Tigris |
| Drainage system | Persian Gulf Basin |
| Tributaries | Seimare River, Shavur River, Kashkan River |
Facts from Wikidata Q1472376 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
Karkheh: Quick Answers
- Where is Karkheh?
- Karkheh is located in Iran and Iraq, at 32.6535° N, 47.9654° E.
- Are there dams on the Karkheh?
- No dam on the Karkheh is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.