manufactured at Shushtar. For example, al-Istakhri (writing 933) listed dibaj (brocade) and tiraz; al-Maqdisi (writing 1000) listed dibaj, anmat (carpets), cotton, and Merv-style clothes; and Hafiz-i Abru (writing 1430) recorded dibaj, tiraz, and harir (silk). Shushtar's commercial importance was recognized by its being chosen to produce the Kiswah (the embroidered covering for the Kaaba) in 933 — a major honor with political importance. According to al-Maqdisi's account, there was a cemetery right in the middle of Shushtar. Nanette Marie Pyne says that this is "not as unusual a phenomenon as it sounds: cemeteries in this part of Iran are often placed on the highest ground, in some places to avoid the raised water table, in others to avoid taking cultivable land out of production." In the case of Shushtar, the highest ground would have been in the middle of the city, on top of the settlement mound formed by Parthian and Sasanian occupation. Al-Maqdisi also describes that Shushtar's mosque was located "in the middle of the markets in the cloth merchants' area." A second cloth market was located by the city gate. The cloth fullers' area was located by the bridge, which was nearby. Al-Maqdisi described Shushtar as being surrounded by orchards including date palms, grapes, and citrons. An alternate manuscript also lists "fine pomegranates" and "superior pears". Ibn Battuta visited, noting "On both banks of the river, there are orchards and water-wheels, the river itself is deep and over it, leading to the travelers' gate, there is a bridge upon boats." The ancient fortress walls were destroyed at the end of the Safavid era. 1831 cholera epidemic In 1831, a cholera epidemic ravaged Shushtar, killing about half of the city's inhabitants. The Mandaean community was hit particularly hard during the Plague of Shushtar, as all of their priests had died in the plague. Yahya Bihram, the surviving son of a deceased priest, went on to revive the Mandaean priesthood in Shushtar. Late 1800s to present Shushtar benefited from the Karun steamship service established in 1887. It was the farthest point upstream that the boats went, and goods had to be unloaded here and sent overland by caravan. It developed into the main commercial center in southwestern Iran, and by 1938 it had 28,000 residents. During the early 20th century, the city suffered from unrest between its Haydari and Ne'mati factions. The typical Haydari-Ne'mati rivalry also took on a political