Shiraz is known as the city of poets, literature, wine, and flowers. It is also considered to be the city of gardens, due to its many gardens.
Shiraz is known as the city of poets, literature, wine, and flowers. It is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens, due to the many gardens and fruit trees that can be seen in the city. Shiraz is a city steeped in history and poetry and should be found at the top of any tourist’s itinerary.
1. Persepolis
A trip to Shiraz is not complete without a day tour to Persepolis, the ancient capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Persepolis, or Takht-e Jamshid in Persian, was the magnificent ceremonial capital of the ancient Achaemenid Empire, over 2500 years ago. Ransacked by Alexander the Great, the site represents the pinnacle of ancient Iran’s political and architectural achievements.
2. Nasir ol-Molk Mosque
Not far from Shah-e Cheragh, the Nasir ol-Mulk Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque, is one of Shiraz’s most famous buildings. If you go by 9 am, you will enjoy a wonderful interplay of lights and shades caused by the sun rays seeping through the colorful stained glass of doors and windows. Stained-glass windows, intricately painted tiles, and arches, and innumerable Persian carpets create a mesmerizing, kaleidoscopic aesthetic that can’t fail to astound.
3. Eram Garden
Eram falls within Shiraz University’s botanical gardens and is replete with cypress trees, trimmed hedges, and rosebushes. For its important role this Persian Garden has always played within the Iranian society, architecture, traditions, UNESCO has included it in its heritage sites’ list. The garden is located just north of the Khoshk River, opposite the university.
4. Tomb of Hafez
The Tomb of Hafez and its associated memorial hall, the Hāfezieh, are two memorial structures erected in the northern edge of Shiraz, in memory of the celebrated Persian poet Hafez. Considered the master of the ghazal (a short, amorous, rhyming poem), Iranians from all walks of life can quote his verses on demand. His tomb resides in a well-kept garden in northeast Shiraz; more than a tourist attraction, it functions as a site of pilgrimage for his admirers the world over.
5. Vakil Bazaar
Absolutely not to miss is the Vakil Bazaar located right in the heart of the city, Darb’e Shahzadeh, near Vakil mosque. Considered one of the masterpieces of the Zand dynasty, brick-vaulted walls are among its main architectural features. Satisfyingly labyrinthine, the bazaar is the place for buying rugs, spices, jewelry, and household goods.