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Fars province embraces Shiraz as the ancient capital of Persia that plays the most significant role in Iran history.
Today Shiraz depicts all Persian majesties in the length of history as an ancient capital of Persia. Pars was the ancient name of Shiraz and the motherland of Persian culture with all legendary Achaemenids’ glories. Shiraz is the city of prose & poems, gardens and flowers in Iran. Historical ornaments such as Persepolis and Pasargadae narrate ancient stories of the city. Also, spirituality always associates with the story of the Zoroastrians and Muslims in the city.
Realize imperial majesties since 500 B.C. during the reign of Cyrus the Great ‘the founder of the Achaemenid empire. Cyrus the Great established the first Persian empire in Shiraz. After that, Sassanid reshaped the imperial power of Persia after the Achaemenids in Pars. Touching archaeological remains such as cities, palaces, gardens and necropolises.
Feel people’s customs and traditions of ancient Iran as Persian legacies convince you to call Persia; the ‘Cradle of Civilization. Unearth your expectations by experiencing the Zand dynasty’s glories such as baths, citadels and gardens. Sense Poets such as Hafiz and Saadi are the pinnacle of Persian literature.
Shiraz is also the land of Persian civilization with all its legendary masterpieces, love and orange blossoms. Ancient archives with extraordinary skills inherited since the reign of Cyrus the Great and Darius the Great decorated the city. The masterworks covered the whole Shiraz with symbols of Zoroastrians. Legends played an important role in shaping Shiraz as the capital of the greatest empire in the world. Let’s visit shiraz attractions.
Pasargadae is the ancient capital of Achaemenid in the north of Shiraz. Cyrus the Great ordered building of Persepolis with the famous fourfold Persian model of the garden. Pasargadae explains the nobility of Cyrus the Great and his necropolis. Cyrus the Great founded the magnificent capital of the Achaemenid Empire in 559-530 BC.
Pasargadae was the capital of the first multicultural empire that believed and stated Human Rights Declarations 2500 years ago. It is no wonder that UNESCO declared Pasargadae a World Heritage Site in 2004.
Persepolis, Parseh or “Takht-e Jamshid” is one of the ancient cities of Iran. The city was one of the three Achaemenid empire capitals. Darius the Great ordered the construction of Persepolis as a ceremonial capital to demonstrate the imperial majesty of the Achaemenid. Persepolis means “city of Persians” and is a great example of the Achaemenid architectural style.
The city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. Persepolis contains several palaces belonging to the Achaemenid kings since 518 BC. One of the architectural arts that proves Persian architectural art is the Golden Ratio in portals and columns. The total area of Persepolis palaces is 125,000 square meters in Marvdasht city of Shiraz.
Nasir-ol-Molk is an intellectual and artistic sacred place with no comparison to a typical mosque. Also, Spirituality lies inside when sunshine passes through the colourful glasses of windows to Persian carpet orchards. Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque is a Shiraz travel highlight that surprises travellers with its superb ceiling ceramic work.
When the sunlight passes through the colourful glasses and diffuses into the wanders happens through pleasant tiles. The light embraces the carved columns in the middle of the mosque and spreads on the carpets.
Eram Garden is one of the most prestigious Shiraz urban travel attractions. The garden is the original meaning of Paradise and displays Persia’s peculiar architecture through magnificent buildings and botanical gardens. Eram Garden is one of the 9 Persian gardens on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The rows of tall trees and the arrangement of glorious flowers invite you to spend time in a Persian atmosphere. The variety of flowers and colours is indescribable and proves the garden a Shiraz travel highlight. Shiraz travellers enjoy the cradle of roses’ fragrance in the Eram Garden. The spectacular mansion of Eram Garden is a remembrance of the Qajar period. Eram Garden embraces incredible paintings, plasterings, seven-colour tiles, inlaid wooden doors, and stone columns.
Hafezieh is the mausoleum of a poet whose romantic stories, spiritual beliefs and sagacious poems left Love behind. Hafiz’s poems and verses alleviate Shiraz travellers with a spiritual atmosphere. Hafez’s lyric poetries (Ghazals in Persian and Arabic) are famous in general and in particular.
Many consider Hafez the most dominant lyricist in the Persian language. The Divan of Hafez includes 500 lyric poems, 42 ruba’i, and several ode poems (qasidas). Hafez Shirazi, one of the most irreplaceable kings of Persian poetry is a literary heritage.
Vakil Historical Bath is an architectural masterpiece in Shiraz. Karim Khan Zand built Vakil Bath with gypsum, stone and brick. Vakil Bath is a Shiraz city highlight that dazzles eyes with unique examples of limestone and painting. Besides, the bath was a place for washing and also for gatherings and ceremonies. The theme of Vakil Bath beautifully shows significant sculptures.
Vakil Mosque is a holy place, which derives its fame from the art of architecture, calligraphy and columns engravings. The mosque is an old and magnificent mosque that remains from the reign of Zand in the centre of Shiraz. Vakil Mosque shows a two-nave design with two south and east naves, both of which have stunning architecture.
The mosque embraces inscriptions in Nastaliq, Naskh, Thuluth lines, and various tiles. The laudable architecture of the mosque is an example of Persian art. Vakil mosque architecture embraces remarkable and tangible harmony between artistic magnificence and religious culture.
Narenjestan-e Ghavam (Qavam House) is one of the most stunning and valuable works of the Qajar period. Several generations of the Ghavam family built and completed the mansion as a Shiraz travel attraction. The name “Naranjestan” comes from the orange trees in the courtyard. Qavam House is a unique model of Persian architecture which depicts most of the artistic value of the culture.
The house is a garden with fountains, flowers, palm trees, eye-catching mirror works and European-style paintings. In the picturesque building, traces of seven Persian arts are available. Those arts are stucco, traditional painting, mirror work, brickwork, sculpture, mosaic work, and inlay work.
Naqsh-e Rustam is a Necropolis where the emperors of Persian civilization are in rock cuts. The Necropolis embraces kings’ messages on rock reliefs. The Zoroastrian sacred place “ Cube of Zoroaster ” as a spiritual monument is next to the rock face. Naqsh-e Rustam is the last house to four of the greatest kings of this vast land north of Shiraz.
Necropolis is about 12 km northwest of Persepolis in Fars Province. Naqsh-e Rustam narrates Persia’s ancient stories in the heart of the mountain of Mercy. There is a group of ancient Persian rock reliefs into the cliff from both of the Achaemenid and Sassanid empires. Necropolis is a complex of 4 tombs belonging to Darius the Great, Xerxes, Ardashir I and Darius II.
Bishapur City, the valuable treasure trove of Sassanid works, is in a fence of mountains and rivers. The city is located in the southwest of Shiraz and is one of the cities with special design and engineering. Bishapur Ancient City (Sassanid Archaeological Landscape) was built-in admiration for the triumph over the Romans. The second king of the Sassanid empire ordered to build of such a city using Roman architects.
There are vertical & horizontal streets which display Roman influence on Persian architecture at the time. Rock reliefs and rock cuts depict the victory and the spiritual respect of the Kings for the god. People used to live in Bishapur Ancient City until the 17th century A.H.
Saraye Moshir is actually separate from Vakil Bazaar, but very close. Therefore, Everyone remembers Saraye Moshir as part of the Vakil bazaar. Saraye Moshir is a manifestation of the magnificent and charming architecture of the Qajar period.
The Moshir bazaar’s most picturesque part is the octagonal pool in the middle. Saraye Moshir is an adorning spot with tiles and Muqarnas, including a marble stone with engraved explanations.
The Cube of Zoroaster is a spiritual and sacred Zoroastrian monument close to Persepolis. Opposite the tombstones of Naqsh-e Rustam, there is a cubic building captured by a view of large stone bricks. It is the Cube of Zoroaster or Ka’ba-ye Zartosht, an ancient religious symbol since the Achaemenid religious ideology.
The elegance and splendour of the Achaemenid monuments are evident in this monument. Cube of Zoroaster is a great Shiraz historical attraction. There are different theories since the Achaemenid era, from the Avesta to the Holy Fire.
Sa’diyeh is a mausoleum of a poet who nourishes you with words and wisdom to enlighten your soul. Sa’adi gained global reputation for verses about Human Rights with the most valuable words heritage. His famous books are GOLESTAN & BOSTAN. Saadi Shirazi is one of the most famous figures in Persian literary history. The design of the Saadi Tomb depicts traditional Persian architectural elements.
By Plain:
Fars International Airport (SYZ).
Drive 20 km to the city center.
Each season shows its beauties in Shiraz. Spring always dazzles your eyes by smell of flowers since the beginning of March to the end of April. Don’t miss the time of Persian ice cream since the middle of September to the end of October.
A city with more than 2500 years of stories needs at least four days to cover the highlights. Not only at the city centre, but also for the excursions to take for visiting World Heritage Sites. Take walking tours for the attractions close to Shiraz bazaar and taking nightlife in Mausoleum of great poets.
Khatamkari as a Persian handicraft is the art of embellishing or covering the surface of wood and copper with tiny triangle mosaic works.
Faloodeh Shirazi is not a type of Shiraz sweets but one of the Shirazi desserts and, of course, one of the most famous Persian desserts.
Qashqai tribe has the largest nomadic population in the province. You can see the Qashqai people mostly in Fars province.
Sassanid Empire reunited Persia for the first time after the fall of the Achaemenids brought the Persian Empire under one flag again.
Darius I, son of Vishtasp, nicknamed Darius the Great, was the third Achaemenid king in 522 BC.
Cyrus the Great (1-6 BC), also known as Cyrus the Second, was the first king and founder of the Achaemenid empire.
Ardeshir I the Achaemenid, son of Khashayar Shah established comfort and well-being as a judge and a benefactor of Persia.
GoPersis DMC. maintains a longtime affiliation with international organisations and association as a tour and travel company in Iran. GoPersis team releases articles about Iran and Persia in UNESCO and Observatory Patrimoine d’Orient as a reference. Our services such as Iran hotels, flights and tour booking platform cause tourists satisfaction and partners trust.
