BEHBEHAN, a town of Persia, 30° 35' N., 5o° 19' E., in the western part of the province of Fars, pleasantly situated in the midst of a cultivated plain, some Isom. west-north-west of Shiraz and about 5m. south of the Marun or Kurdistan river. Formerly a very flourishing and important city, it is now greatly shrunken and decayed. The present population is about 15,00o 20,000. It is on the route from Bandar Dilam to Isfahan, which is shorter, and in summer, easier than any other route. A motor road connects Behbehan with Ahwaz and the mule track from Behbehan to Shiraz could be made fit for wheels with little difficulty.
Close to Behbehan lie the ruins of the ancient and famous city of Arrajan, and of two magnificent bridges, one of which consisted of a single arch 8o paces in span and of almost equal height. It is referred to in a contemporary chronicle of Ibn Bat-uta as the finest in the world. Several of the piers of the other bridge are still standing. Not far off are the ruins of an even older town, near which was one of the principle fire temples of the Persians.