Colorful Shiraz

Shiraz is located in Fars province in southwest Iran. In addition to its fame for being a major hub of "Electronic Industries" as well as "Medicine” in Iran, Shiraz is known as the “Cultural Capital” of Iran, which is inhabited by different ethnic groups. Shiraz is regarded as the “Paradise of the Tourists”. Its geographical features provide for a range of activities including skiing in the winter resorts just some kilometers away, mountain climbing, and hiking in the woods. There are also many places which serve as picnic sites. One can enjoy various water bodies such as a seasonal river, the Salt Lake, and some springs too. Annually, Shiraz receives a huge number of guests from all over the country and across the world. Shiraz is famous for its wonderful Gardens; however, it can be visited for a diversity of purposes. You can find history, religion, culture, and nature all in here, and you should definitely not miss May in Shiraz.

Among religious sights is Shahcheragh Shrine, housing the tomb of Ahmad ebne Musa, the brother of the eighth Imam Ali ebne Musa al-Reza, Vakil mosque, Nasir-ol-molk mosque, and Jame Atiq mosque. The splendid ornament and decoration found in these places impress any visitor. In Shahcheragh Shrine, for instance, the peaceful atmosphere is augmented with eye-catching mirror work all over the place. The other religious sight is Nasir-ol-molk mosque which charms the viewers by its colorful glass windows especially when the sun shines through them.

One popular tourist attraction is Persepolis or Takhte Jamshid. Situated on a large platform on the top of Rahmat Mountain, Persepolis is an excellent manifestation of the creative art of Iranian architects. The glorious palaces of Persepolis were built over 150 years, starting in 521 B.C. Reliefs, carvings, and stone tablets with inscriptions on them in Ancient Persian, Elamite and Babylonian languages and cuneiform alphabet express the dignity of Achaemenid dynasty and retell their stories.

Another sight attributed to Achaemenid era is Pasargad, which lies 43 Kilometers to the north of Persepolis. Pasargad was the first capital of the Achaemenid dynasty built in the reign of Cyrus the Great (559–530 BC). The main structure found in Pasargad is the tomb of Cyrus the Great.

Gardens and old houses of well-known people are some common destinations for tourists in Shiraz. They usually favor extraordinary architecture. In general, geometry plays a significant role in Iranian architecture. These houses and buildings in the gardens, like any other Iranian construction follow certain geometrical patterns. One element that these structures have in common is a pool in the center of the yard or garden. Delgosha garden, Afif abad garden, Eram garden and Janat garden are examples of renowned gardens. Zinatolmolk house, Narenjestane Ghavam, and Shapoori house are some of old houses in Shiraz.

Shiraz is also famous for being the city of poets, who were inspired by beautiful gardens of the city. Saadi, and Hafez are two most popular poets of Shiraz and Iran. Today, many people from all over the world come to visit their tombs. Visitors to Hafez tomb will normally face a place filled with flowers and trees, where traditional Iranian music is being played and people of different ages are reciting some sonnets of Hafez.