The construction date of the city is unclear due to uncertainty in the chronology of the reign of Untash-Napirisha but is clearly sometime in the 14th or 13th century BC.

[2] In 1979, Chogha Zanbil became the first Iranian site to be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

These included Nabu, Adad, Shala, Inanna, Ninegal, Humban, Shimut, Pinikir, Manzat, and Nuska.

Some scholars speculate, based on the large number of temples and sanctuaries at Chogha Zanbil, that Untash-Napirisha attempted to create a new religious center (possibly intended to replace Susa) which would unite the gods of both highland and lowland Elam at one site.

The ziggurat was given a facing of baked bricks, a number of which have cuneiform characters giving the names of deities in the Elamite and Akkadian languages.

Though the ziggurat now stands only 24.75 metres (81.2 ft) high, less than half its estimated original height, its state of preservation is unsurpassed.

[7] Chogha Zanbil was excavated in six seasons (a total of 21 months) between 1951 and 1962 by Roman Ghirshman with the French Archeological Mission.

Excavations exposed a quadrangle 1300 square foot wall enclosed sacred area with temples and courtyards.

At each gate there were half life sized statues, one, of blue-glazed terracotta with an inscription dedicated to the god Inshushinak.

One read: "I, Untaš-Napiriša, son of Humbanumena, king of Anšan and of Susa, anxious for my life to be continually prosperous, so that I may noy be granted the extinction of my prosperous lineage, a temple of baked bricks and a sanctuary of glazed bricks I built; I gave it to Inšušinak of the Siyan-kuk and I a temple tower erected.