Speedbird: Shiraz

Shiraz Iran

The capital of Fars province, city of poets, wine and flowers Renowned for its Persian lyrics, roses, cypresses and nightingales Shiraz is the capital of Fars and one time capital of the empire. Little is known of the city’s pre-Islamic past other than that a settlement certainly existed here during the Achaemenid era and that the Sassanian king Ardashir (212-41) held court here. It became a provincial capital around 693 and by 1044 was said to rival Baghdad in importance as a cultural and artistic center. Its rulers saw the wisdom of tribute and the city was spared by both Mongols and Timur – and these eras become among the most successful in Shiraz’s development. Shiraz’s modern history is closely associated with the Zand Dynasty when Karimkhan Zand chose it as his capital in 1747 – the most famous relics of this era being the Vakil Mosque and the Arg-e-Karim. Shiraz is also the birthplace of the nation’s two greatest poets – Saadi and Hafez who are immortalized here in lovely mausoleums. The most interesting buildings in Shiraz are located in the old part of the town. Among them are about a dozen mosques, some with bulb- shaped domes, and others with pear shaped domes and cupolas. These mosques are mostly scattered in among the old houses.

Wikipedia

Recommended airport

Shiraz Shahid Dastghaib Intl (SYZ)

Nearby destinations

Marvdasht a 38.70 km

Shiraz, Iran

Shiraz Iran