| |
| Fars Province |
| |
| |
 |
Located in southern
Iran, this one of the famous provinces of ancient and
modern Iran. This expansive land has been the cradle of
an ancient civilization and the governmental center of
Iranian King of Kings for centuries. Before the advent
of Islam, the land has given birth to two Great Iranian
leaders each of which was a founder of a great dynasty,
the Archemenians (Cyrus the Great) and Sassanians (Ardeshir
Babakan). It is this heartland of Iran that has given
its name to the Persian Language “Farsi”. This
is the land of historic monuments, poets and philosophers,
warriors and kings, orchards, roses and fragrant blossoms.
Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, lies in a pleasant
green valley surrounded by high mountains, in the vicinity
of lake Maharlou. Thanks to its high altitude (1,600 m),
its climate is agreeable and generally temperate with
a maximum temperature not exceeding 40 degrees and a minimum
temperature not falling below –3 degrees centigrade.
The home of Sa’di and Hafez, two of the most renowned
Iranian poets, Shiraz is also called the “Poetic
Capital of Persia.” Shiraz was the capital of Iran
during the reign of Karim Khan Zand, a virtuous king of
the 18th century who contributed greatly to
its prosperity by building mosques, bazaars, roads, citadels
and other structures in the town. Modern Shiraz, famous
for its University and Hospital as well as its numerable
electronic, chemical, spinning, weaving and cement factories
and together with its flourishing agriculture, it is a
prosperous city of considerable standing in Iran. |
|
 |
Site seeing in Shiraz |
| The
Koran Gate
This gate was originally built as an ornamental entrance
to the northern sector of the town about 1,000 years
ago. Karim Khan Zand placed a volume of the holy Koran
in the small room built on the top of the gate so as
to bless those who pass under it guarantee them a safe
return to their abode. The original gate was demolished
in the early fifties and a local merchant erected the
present one on its site.
Vakil Mosque
By far the most impressive Vakil monument in Shiraz,
the mosque was completed in 1773 and restored in 1825.
The ivans and the court are decorated with typical Shirazi
haft rangi tiles, a characteristic feature of the art
and industry of Shiraz during the latter half of the
18th century. Their gay colors and flowery
designs attract the admiration of visitors and give
a special charm to this unusual building. |
|
| |
 |
| Shah-e
Cheragh Shrine
Seyed Amir Ahmad, known as Shah-e Cheragh, the brother
of Imam Reza, came to Shiraz in the latter half of the
8th century. He passed away in the city and
his tomb is now a respected place of pilgrimage. The
structure, tile work and the dome of the mausoleum have
been rebuilt several times over the centuries. The tomb,
the beautiful silver doors and the exquisite mirror
work are the handicrafts of masters and contemporary
artists of Shiraz
Shah-e Cheragh Museum
This museum, founded within the Shah-e Cheragh complex,
comprises of a large hall wherein priceless Koran, books,
coins, textiles, metal and porcelain dishes, enamelware
and artifacts collected through purchase, donation and
endowment are displayed.Visiting hours : daily from
07:00 to 22:00.
Sa’dieh
Mausoleum of Sa’di: Here lie the earthly remains
of one of Iran’s greatest poets-Sa’di. Even
from the very early days after the poet’s death,
the mausoleum of Sa’di became a place of pilgrimage
to lovers of poetry and literature. In 1808 AD Karim
Khan Zand renovated the mausoleum. The tomb was rebuilt
in the early 50’s. The porch with its tall columns
of pinkish marble is a traditional feature of Iranian
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,
lived all his life here, sang its praises in unsurpassed
verse and was buried in a garden known after him as
the Hafezieh, in the northeast part of the city. The
extraordinary popularity and the wide appeal of this
great poet among all Persian-speaking people make his
tomb a cherished placed, visited by all. This mausoleum
too was rebuilt in the early 50’s. A flight of
stone steps reaches to the tomb under a tiled cupola
resembling a dervish’s hat. The tombstone is beautifully
inscribed with two of Hafez’s poems or Ghazals.
Visitors to the tomb can still, as they have done for
centuriesm take the omens, or faals, by picking a page
at random from a volume of Hafez, kept for this purpose.
Pars Museum
This is an octagonal, small and graceful Zand period
structure where Karim Khan Zand received foreign ambassadors.
The building later became his mausoleum according to
his will. However his rival Aga Mohammad Khan Qajar
desecrated his tomb and took his remains to Golistan
Palace in Tehran. The rusty sward of Karim Khan Zand
lies on the spot where his body was buried. A beautiful
and priceless Koran, written by Imam Ali, son-in-law
of the Prophet, adorns a showcase. Many beautiful oil
paintings which depict Moses wooing and Abraham sacrificing,
tile works showing Solomon’s enthronement and curious
objects dating from the prehistoric to modern times
can be seen in the many showcases of the museum |
|
| |
|
|
|
