Shiraz tourist attractions have been attracting travelers curious about culture, architecture and poetry for centuries, and Shiraz is a veritable jewel of Persian culture. Admittedly, it’s hardly a large metropolis, with a population of 1.5 million at most and hectic traffic, but it still has the quiet atmosphere of a provincial town, with a university that has kept its reputation. That’s why many foreign visitors are surprised that the city itself has few preserve historic monuments, while the surrounding countryside abounds in them. But, as elsewhere, recurrent earthquakes have left their mark. Shiraz, located near the Achaemenid ceremonial capital Persepolis, began to flourish at the beginning of the Islamic era, then developed into a fortified city. Local conflicts in the 11th and 12th centuries weakened the city, but it survived the damage caused by the Mongol armies and, thanks to its peaceful surrender to Tamerlane in 1387 enjoyed great prosperity under the rule of his grandson.
The happy events that had favored the town’s well-being did not last. In 1668, severe floods, deaths and plagues followed. Barely recovered, the people of the cities found themselves in conflict with Afghan invasions beginning in 1722 , razed to the ground the traces of an already well-worn Safavid authority, decimating the population. At the beginning of the 18th century, Karim Khan Zand (r. 1751–1779), still remembered with admiration today, restored Shiraz’s prosperity as the Zand capital for more than twenty years.
But this period of tolerance was short-lived: the Jewish community still represented a significant minority at the beginning of the 19th century, but there are hardly any Jews left today.
For the moment, it’s the place to stock up on fragrant Shiraz roses flavored with rosewater. It’s a place to stroll through the gardens of Shiraz, to admire this garden like the Ferris wheel in Azadi Park, or these traffic circles sometimes crowded with enthusiastic students in chadors fluttering in the wind, paying for carpets in the bazaar.These tourist attractions in Shiraz offer a fascinating journey through Persian history, poetry and architecture.
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Shiraz is often described as a city where beauty, spirituality, and humanity flourish—and the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque perfectly reflects this spirit. The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, or Pink Mosque, in Shiraz, Iran, appears so beautiful and enchanting that it has been attracting crowds of visitors from all over the world since it was built in the Qajar era in 1888, living up to the expectations of its expertly and entirely dedicated builders, who all agree in praising its beauty to anyone who will listen, as soon as the doors of its illumination open onto its interior.
It’s not the outside that amazes visitors, but the inside that stimulates perception. Once through the front door, a kaleidoscope unfolds before our eyes, thanks to daylight converted into a thousand and one sparkles by colorful glass windows. The interplay of vivid colors produces an exceptional interplay of light and shadow in the prayer hall, which gives it its name. The finely crafted ornamentation of the Nasir al-Mulk mosque, the architectural complexity of the period, is sumptuous. Delicate arabesque patterns, glazed tiles, stalactite vaults and muqarnas wrap the monument’s ceiling. In the mihrab, completed with tiles and Islamic calligraphy, designating the direction of Mecca, is a work of art. It is as if every square centimetre of the mosque had been given the most scrupulous attention, so rigorous was the respect for the art and spirituality of the period that this sumptuously rendered completion was possible…
The Pink Mosque is one of Shiraz’s most emblematic tourist attractions.The best time to appreciate the spiritual beauty of the Pink Mosque is in the morning, when the sun illuminates the monument’s glass roof, bringing rainbows to life on the floor and translucent walls. The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, with its impressive architecture, is also a place of devotion, prayer and contemplation for the community; visitors are invited to respect its sacred destination, and it’s important not to forget this place where the meeting of times, from the profane to the sacred, must be played out, an hour to be shared.
The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, or Pink Mosque, is not only an architectural structure of rare beauty, it is also the setting for a cultural and artistic heritage of exceptionally long durability in the history of Iran. Its fascinating aesthetics know no time or borders, and leave their mark on all those lucky enough to discover it. A visit to this enchanting site and sanctuary, punctuated by the colors of pink, is an initiation to an inner journey through the country’s art, spirituality and history, an experience that will live long in the memories of those who have seen it.
Persepolis, more than any other ancient site in Iran, symbolizes the architecture of the splendor and decline of the Persian Empire. Here, Achaemenid kings entertained guests, celebrated the New Year and ruled the world before Alexander the Great sacked the entire site during his conquest of the world. It is possible to travel from Shiraz to Marv-Dasht by bus, but there are no lines to and from Persepolis. Consequently, the best option is to hire a cab (for a round trip) from Shiraz (located about 50 km to the south-east of Persepolis), while Marv-Dasht is some 15 km away. If possible, we recommend two visits to the site: early in the morning, when the light is much “whiter”, and around sunset time (about an hour and a half), when the stone takes on a softer, golden hue. Most of the stone today has a rough, grey appearance, the result of dust raised by the wind over so many millennia. Don’t forget to visit the National Museum of Teheran to admire Persepolis’s “waxed” reliefs and columns, and its thick, dark-brown stone, interwoven with creamy limestone, the original color.If you can only afford a round trip, you’ll need at least three hours to wander around and photograph the site, especially if you want to see the Achaemenid royal tombs, located behind, promising a fine view of the whole. Remember to take a telephoto lens or small binoculars to contemplate the tombs, which will also come in handy if you visit Naqsh-i Rustam (shifted on the same day).this listed site remains one of Shiraz’s top tourist attractions for history buffs.
Originally built as a citadel and royal residence for Karim Khan Zand, the Arg later served as a prison but today stands as a masterpiece of military and residential architecture. The citadel has the dual face of military and residential architecture, as it was the residence of Karim Khan and the main military center of the dynasty. This historic monument, right in the heart of the city, perfectly illustrates Shiraz’s wealth of tourist attractions, combining defensive architecture and royal residences.
The Vakil bazaar is close to the main bazaar, which can be reached on foot from the Arg. As its name suggests, it was built under the reign of Karim Khan Zand, known as “Vakil al-Ra’aya” (advocate of the people), whose rents from the bazaar and hammam enabled the construction of the Vakil mosque, also built around 1773 and long refused to foreign tourists.Although large, it has remained intimate enough to be laid out on a two-ivan plan. The sanctuary space is marked by forty-eight squat stone columns, each carved with barley-sugar spirals. The original mihrab, dating from 1634, which suggested the existence of an earlier mosque, is no longer there; only the 14-step minbar, carved from a single block of marble and dating from the Age of Enlightenment, remains. The exterior panels reveal the interior’s earthenware decoration. Purists may be wary of the fiery florals and accents and the colorful pastels, but we’re enchanted by so much cheerful ornamentation. Not all are original, having been restored in 1828 and later. On the same terrace, towards the main street, you can see the public baths, which in 2001 became a tea room and restaurant, but which are now closed by the administration. Recently transformed into a private museum devoted to traditional arts and crafts, this building at least allows you to contemplate the charm of its interior. On the other hand, if you retrace your steps after visiting the mosque, you’ll come to the bazaar’s carpet department. The structure of the Bazaar-e Vakil retains much of its late 18th-century character, with its extension oriented along the north-east-south-west axis (towards Mecca), a layout already established a century earlier. In the 20th century, a main road was built across it, and two of the caravanserais were destroyed when the road was widened.bazar-e Vakil is also a must-see among Shiraz’s tourist attractions for lovers of local crafts.
A place of meditation and poetry, this tomb is a must-see tourist attraction in Shiraz. Hafiz (Aramgah-e Hafiz), originally from Shiraz (1326-1390), this great (lyrical) poet who wrote marvelous poems about love and the beloved, supposedly charged with an amiable Sufi mysticism, himself designating the famous epithet “Hafiz” (he who knows) for having memorized the Quran from heart and memory. Even today, the tomb remains a place of poetry and reflection, where visitors and mystics alike gather to honor Hafiz’s legacy, while families enjoy the small garden at the far left of a pleasant 18th-century hay-khaneh. In 1773, King Karim Khan Zand commissioned a real tomb for Shiraz’s most famous son, before it was demolished in 1938 and replaced by the octagonal kiosk we know today. Further embellishments were made for the 1971 Pahlavi show. And that’s enough. The bookshop, on the far left of the first porticoed terrace, sometimes has the right selection of English-language history and art books, maps and postcards, but then again, Hafiz’s English translations make his poetry indecipherable.Before taking leave of the city, why not give you a glimpse of the future? For a small fee, a volume of the Divan, Hafiz’s most famous anthology, will be randomly opened to a page, where a canary will draw cards with verses on them; and these verses are all omens of the future.
The Holy Shrine of Ali Ibn Hamzeh, a relative of the 4th Imam, is a Qajar-era monument famous for its dazzling mirror work, built around the pre-Seljuk period to the glory of a relative of the fourth imam. Its two minarets, outer dome, entrance vestibule and courtyard rooms are mostly late 18th-early 19th-century constructions. If, as often happens nowadays, you can’t make it to the Shah-e Cheragh shrine during your stay, this shrine has similar large Qajar mirrors on its interior walls and vaults.
Access to this holy site is unique (women are asked to wear a chador). The qibla wall is just to the right, so it’s a good idea to move more quickly to one side or the other, so as not to disturb those praying.Although less well known, this shrine is one of Shiraz’s tourist attractions, bearing witness to the city’s religious and artistic wealth.
This large complex is home to an extensive network of gardens, including a colorful palace and a network of small artificial rivers that flow throughout the site. Tourists will appreciate the beautiful flora or the arranged system of small canals. It is best visited on a sunny day to fully appreciate its beauty! One of the most emblematic parts of the Eram Gardens is the reflective pond that reflects the incredible vegetation and the Qavam house, providing a postcard setting for photographers and nature lovers. The garden is ordered with canals and fountains according to the ancient Persian concept of the “chahar bagh”, a quadrilateral garden cut into four parts representing the four elements: earth, water, air, fire.Eram’s garden represents not only a space of aesthetic value, but also a cultural and historical dimension. This emblematic garden is one of Shiraz’s finest tourist attractions for lovers of nature and history.
Hazrat Sayyid Amir Ahmad,also known as Shah Cheragh, is the noble son of Imam Musa Kazim( peace be upon him). Shah Cheragh’s mausoleum is located in the beautiful city of Shiraz, a city visited by many travellers every year.Shah Cheragh’s monument was built during the Atabakanperiod of Persia in the 6th century AH. The two main entrances to the Shah Cheragh courtyard pass under 2 large tiled gates on the south and north sides of the sanctuary and enter the vast courtyard of the sanctuary. The shrine of Shah Cheragh is on the west side of the courtyard, the shrine of Sayyid Mir Mohammad; brother of Shah cheragh is on the north-east side of the courtyard.
To the north of Shiraz stands the Quran Gate, originally built in the 10th century. Karim Khan Zand was responsible for installing a Quran at the gate so that all travellers could be blessed before resuming their business. In the 1950s, the growth in automobile traffic forced the construction of a new road, which led to the demolition of the gate, and its reconstruction was financed by a resident of Chīrāz. Above the gate, halfway up the hill, is the tomb of Khvaju Kirmāni (1335), one of eight known Qajar rock reliefs cl 824, depicting Fath Ali Shah (1834) on a dais supported by two of his many sons.More recently, these hills, topped with terraces, a few kiosks and a teahouse (Khajou) and waterfalls, dominate the urban area with the beauty of night-time urban illumination; but the footfall and pollution seem overwhelming.
The Qavam al-Saltaneh House is a historic monument from the Qajar period that recalls the striking diplomatic contradictions of its architectural charm. This place was used as the residence of Ahmad Qavam, who served as a diplomat for other countries, and later its administration was entrusted to Farah Diba to turn it into a museum site.
The entire building is set in a 7,000-square-meter courtyard and uses 50 different brick styles in its design. The building features a blend of Iranian and European architecture, with spiral staircases and opening windows, richly sculpted by Iranian art. After the revolution, new features and frames were added.
Today, Qavam House (Narenjestan-e Qavam) serves as a museum and cultural site, displaying fine examples of Qajar-era architecture with mirror work, painted ceilings, and beautiful gardens.
Whether you’re a lover of history, architecture or nature, Shiraz’s tourist attractions will provide you with an unforgettable experience.
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