Shiraz

The present -day capital of Fars Province, the heartland of Iran, this gave its name to the Persian language: Farsi.

The city of historic monuments, poets and philosophers, warriors and kings, orchards, orangeries, roses, adonises and fragrant blossoms, in southern Iran.

Shiraz is located in an altitude of 1,600 m, and 895 km to the south of Tehran.

Shiraz with a population of 973,161 inhabitants lies in a pleasant green valley surrounded by high mountains, in the vicinity of Lake Maharlou. Its climate is extremely agreeable and generally temperate because of the city's altitude (1,600 m).

During Now Ruz (the Iranian New Year beginning on 21st March) the city becomes a field of flowers and greenery, heady with scent of orange-blossom.

The heat on very hot summer days does not exceed 40 degrees centigrade nor does the cold on winter days drop below minus 3 degrees centigrade.

The home of Sa`di and Hafez has seen many an ancient day, the clay tablets Persepolis referring to wages paid to workers from Shi-Razi-Ish, or what is known today as Shiraz.

The prosperity and magnificence of Shiraz are, however, products of Islamic era.

Sights to See

• The Koran Gate
  The Koran Gate was originally built as an ornamental entrance to the north of the town by the Buvayhids about 1,000 years ago.

• Sa`dieh: Mausoleum of Sa`di
  Sa`di is one of the greatest poets of the world. He (1209-1291) was born into a learned and accomplished family, and died in Shiraz. His tomb though modern in its simplicity, the portico or talar with its tall columns of pinkish marble is a traditional feature of Persian architecture.

• Hafezieh: Mausoleum of Hafez
  Hafez (1324-1391), the greatest master of Persian lyric poetry and the literary giant of the 14th century, was born in Shiraz. The present mausoleum, standing in a lovely garden, dates from 1936-38.

• Bagh-e Eram
  Bagh-e Eram (the Garden of Paradise): this is a large garden dates from the time of Qajars. Its architect built the hand some two-story structure in it. In the center of the building is a gallery overlooking the garden and hall around are various rooms, with orris and alcove and a beautiful hall of mirrors.
  Facing the gallery is the main walk of the garden with small ponds bordered on both sides by fine cypress trees.

• Bagh-e Delgosha
  Bagh-e Delgosha (the Garden of Heart`s-ease) is the large and pleasant Garden. Flowerbeds decorate the center of the wide main trees borders the two sides.

• Golshan Garden
  Also called Afif Abad being transformed into a military museum by the Islamic Republic of Iran Army in 1988. It houses a beautiful two-story edifice following a combination of Achaemenian and Qajar architecture.

• The Khalili Garden
  This is a spacious garden overflowing with flowers. Geraniums, sweetbriers, bougainvilleas, yellow roses, blue water lilies and ornamental trees cover a large area of the garden.

• Bazaar
  The Bazaar, which Karim Khan had built in the city, is unique in Iran for its size, solidity and the beauty of its brickwork. In this bazaar are the coppersmiths at their craft, makers of fine inlaid woodwork called khatam kari, delicately fashioning mosaics for jewel-boxes and fine tribal carpets called kilims of different dimensions.

• Saray-e Moshir
  Built in 1871. Over the past century, it was the center of transactions for the merchants of Vakil Bazaar. Its architecture is that of original Iranian style, which was repaired and restored before the Islamic Revolution with certain minor alterations.

• Karim Khan's Citadel
  This brick citadel, with four towers in the corners, was the imperial palace and the government's seat, during the Zandiyeh era. Its date back to the 18 century AD.

• Vakil Mosque
  This mosque was completed in 1773 and restored in 1825. It has only two Ivans instead of the usual four, the Ivans and court are decorated with typical Shirazi haft rangi tiles.

• Shah-e Cheragh Shrine
  The brother of Imam Reza`s mausoleum. The tomb, the beautiful silver doors and the exquisite mirror work of the sanctuary are the works of the 19th century Shirazi masters and contemporary artists.

• Shah-e Cheragh Museum
  This museum is founded within the Shah-e Cheragh Complex. It comprises a large hall, wherein priceless Koran, books, coins, textiles, metal and porcelain dishes, enamel ware, marquetry, and artifacts collected through purchase, donation, and endowment are displayed.

• Attiq Friday Mosque
  The most interesting and oldest of the buildings in the old town of Shiraz, begun in 894 by the Saffarid Amribn-e Laith. It was built in imitation of Ka`ba at Mecca, round which pilgrims were bound as a religious act to circumambulate seven times.

• New Mosque (Masjid-e Now)
  This is an immense mosque, its rectangular courtyard alone covering an area of 20,000 sq. m. The construction was undertaken in 1219 AD and completed after 17 years of work.

• Mosque of Nasir-ol Molk
  The mosque and house of Nasir-ol Molk are located next to each other, and display very remarkable tile-works and architectural style. The date of its structure is 1887 AD.

• The Ghavam Orangery
  The Ghavam Orangery (Narenjestan Museum) is a large house built in the last century (1881). The luxury and the elegance of the building catch the attention of the visitor right from the start.

• Armenian Church
  A very interesting 17th century church built in the Safavid period. The church has a rectangular structure.

• Simon the Zealot Church
  It contains a unique set of Persian stained glass windows in intricate geometrical patterns.

Excursions around Shiraz

• Persepolis
  The center of the great Persian Empire, ceremonial capital of the Achaemenians and the showpiece of Achaemenian art, Persepolis (Capital of Persia, in Greek) is a historic site in Fars Province, 60 km to the northeast of Shiraz by road, for which the Iranians have got their own name: Takht-e Jamshid (The throne of Jamshid), Jamshid being the first, probably mythical, ruler of Iran.
  Thkht-e Jamshid complex of palaces is considered as the historic marvel of Iran and the world. Its construction was started in the reign of Darius I and it took about 150 years to complete. The grandeur of these monuments fascinates the visitor. In 330 B.C. Alexander the Macedonian put this grand complex on fire, and today only small ruins are left from those magnificent edifices. Even so, the ruins are so magnificent that few ancient monuments can be found anywhere in the world, to match them.
  This complex covers an area of 125,000 sq m consisting of several small and large palaces, a government treasury, impose gates and some guard-houses. the major palaces are known as *Apadana, * Tripylon (Assembly-Shora), * Hall of Hundred Columns (Sad Sotun), * Palace of Xerxes, * Tachara (winter palace of Darius), * Hadish (an unfinished palace of Artaxerxes III), and * Queens Palace (is used as museum now)

• Naqsh-e Rostam
  A pre-Achaemenian and Sassanian Persian holy archaeological site 7 km northwest of Persepolis, Naqsh-e Rostam is a sort of "Valley of Kings", dominated by tall ocher-colored cliffs, cracked and wrinkled by the wind through the ages.

• Pasargadae
  The first capital of the Iranian tribes and the Achaemenian empire, Pasargadae is situated between the present-day Marvdasht and Sa`adat Abad 130 km to the northeast of Shiraz, not far from Esfahan-Shiraz road and less than 50 km from Persepolis.

• Naqsh-e Rajab
  It is located in the intersection of Shiraz-Esfahan and the Naqsh-e Rostam highway. Entering the recess three large carvings of the Sassanian Age (third and forth centuries AD) will be found.

• Bishapur
  West of Shiraz lies this ancient town of Sassanian origin, and nearby the Shapur Cave with the enormous statue of King Shapur can be visited.

• Fasa and Firuzabad (Ruins)
  In these two towns in the surrondings of Shiraz important remains of the Sassanian period can be visited.