Arikah Map

Shiraz, Iran

Shiraz, Iran:Eram Garden, Shiraz' most popular garden.
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Eram Garden, Shiraz' most popular garden.

Shirāz (شیراز in Persian) is a city in southwest Iran (Persia).

Its elevation is 1486 metres (or about 5000 feet) above sea level amidst the Zagros Mountains, and it is the capital of Fars Province. The city had an estimated population of 1,255,955 in 2005.[1]

Shiraz is an ancient city and throughout its history it has been the capital of Iran on several occasions. Most recently, it was the capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty from 1750 until 1781 and capital of southern Iran from 1781 until 1794, as well as briefly during the Saffavid period.

It is known as the city of Poetry and Roses. It has a moderate climate and has been a regional trade center for more than a thousand years.


Contents

Geography

Shiraz, Iran:Map of Iran and surrounding countries, showing location of Shiraz

Official Website: www.ShirazCity.org

Shirāz is located in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains at 29°37′N 52°32′E and elevation of about 1500 meters (5200 ft).

In relation to its neighboring provinces, Yazd and Khouzestan,Shirāz has a more moderate climate, with warm/hot summers and mild/cool winters.

The city's economic base is in its provincial products: it produces grapes,citrus fruits, cotton and rice.

In Shirāz itself, industries such as cement production, sugar, fertilizer, textile products, wood products, metalwork and rugs dominate.

Shirāz is also a major center for Iran's electronic industries and has a major oil refinery as well.

Shirāz is famous for its carpet production and flowers as well. It is also believed that the name of the Shiraz grape originates from here as well (although the grape itself has been shown, through genetic testing, to have originated in France[citation needed].)

Attractions of Shiraz

Shiraz, Iran:Eram Garden is a famous tourism attraction.
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Eram Garden is a famous tourism attraction.
Shiraz, Iran:Shirāz is Iran's city of poets, as some of Persian poetry's giants are buried here.
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Shirāz is Iran's city of poets, as some of Persian poetry's giants are buried here.
Shiraz, Iran:Saadi tomb.
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Saadi tomb.

Major popular attractions in Shirāz include:

Nearby Shiraz are located:

and more than 200 other sites of historical significance, according to Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization.

History of Shiraz

Shiraz is most likely more than 4000 years old. The earliest reference to the city is on Elamite clay tablets dated to 2000 BC, found in June of 1970, while digging to make a kiln for a brick making factory in SW corner of the city. The tablets written in ancient Elamite, name a city called Tiraziš. Phonetically, this is interpreted as /tiračis/ or /ćiračis/. This name became Old Persian /širājiš/; through regular sound change comes the modern Persian name Shirāz. The name Shiraz also appears on clay sealings found at Qasr-i Abu Nasr, a Sassanid ruin, east of the city, (2nd century A.D.) . As early as the 11th century several hundred thousand people inhabited Shiraz. It's size has decreased through the ages. Incidentally the oldest sample of wine in the world dating to approximately 7000 years ago was also discovered on clay jars recovered outside of Shiraz.

Shirāz was once capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty. Seen here is the Vakeel Mosque.
Shiraz was once world famous for its many gardens and aromatic flowers. The Ghavam House Garden is one of few remaining gardens still to be found today.
Shirazi Qajar era architecture: The arcade of Nasir al-Molk mosque.
Shiraz University Central Library overlooks the city of Shiraz.
The Zand Citadel is another remnant of the Zand era in downtown Shiraz.
Interior of Shah Cheragh Mausoleum.
Afif abad garden is yet another example of late Qajarid era architecture in Shiraz, and a fine example of Persian gardens.
Qajarid era architecture of Shiraz.
Fars province is home to three capitals in Persian history. The massive ruins of the Persian Empire's grand palace Persepolis, about 2500 years old, are about 60 km northeast of Shiraz, as a witness to the ancient glory of the Achaemenid empire. Persepolis, Firouzabad, and Pasargadae are nearby ancient cynosures of this ancient civilization.We know of Shiraz during the Sassanid era, (2nd to 6th century A.D.) as has been written in p126 of Hudud ul-'alam min al-mashriq ila al-maghrib, where two fire temples and a fortress called "Shahmobad" are reported. Hamdollah Mostowfi also verifies the existence of pre-Islamic settlements in Shiraz in his Nozhat ol-Qolub, p112. Shirāz as a city however began to grow in the 7th century when the power of the former regional capital Istakhr was broken by the Arabs. The major events during and after the Islamic conquest of Iran are:Recently many historical sites in the city were renovated. The Shiraz International Airport is expanded.Agriculture has always been a major part of the economy in and around Shiraz. This is partially due to a relative abundance of water compared to the surrounding deserts. The Gardens of Shiraz and "Evenings of Shiraz" are famous throughout Iran and the middle east. The moderate climate and the beauty of the city has made it a major tourist attraction.Shiraz is also home to many Iranian Jews, although most have immigrated to the United States and Israel in the last half of the twentieth century, particularly after the Islamic Revolution. Along with Tehran and Esfahan Shiraz is one of the handful of Iranian cities with sizable Jewish populations and more than one active synogogue.

Shiraz in poetry

Baba Taher

شوم یک سر برونم تا به شیراز
که در هر منزلم صد آشنایی

"Straight to Shiraz I will flee,
a hundred friends I'll find at every stop."


Hafez, "The Nightingale of Shiraz"


خوشا شیراز و وضع بی مثالش
خداوندا نگهدار از زوالش

"Pleasant is Shiraz and its incomparable state.
Oh lord, preserve it from decline!"

شیراز و آب رکنی و این باد خوش نسیم
عیبش مکن که خال رخ هفت کشور است

"Shiraz and the water of Roknabad, and this pleasant breeze,
Fault it not! For it is the beauty of seven nations."



The mausoleum of Hafez attracts millions of visitors yearly. Not far, is the tomb of Shah Shoja, his patron.
The tomb and mausoleum of the famous mystic poet Sa'di.
Above the Quaran gate, buried in the rocks is Khwaju Kermani, another mystic poet of Shiraz.
The tomb of the 9th century sage Ibn Khafif is today a public library and gathering place for youngsters.

Research and Higher education

Shiraz is home to a vibrant academic community. The major universities in or nearby Shirāz today are:

Shiraz, Iran:Shiraz International Airport.
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Shiraz International Airport.

Transportation

Shiraz is accessible via freeways to Isfahan, and roadways to Bushehr and the Persian Gulf. A metro urban railway system is being built by the Shiraz urban railway organization.[2]

Airports

Shiraz International Airport serves as the largest airport in the south provincial region of Iran. It has direct flight connections to Dubai, Bahrain, and Qatar.

Sports

Shiraz is home to Bargh Shiraz football club.

Notable people

Categories


Articles with unsourced statements | Cities in Iran | Iranian provincial capitals | Fārs

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