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Fars

Fars Persepolis Palaces (Takht-e Jamshid) Eram Garden Nasir al-Molk Mosque Maharlou Lake Hafezieh (Tomb of Hafez) Sa’dieh (Tomb of Sa’di) Arg-e Karim-Khan Quran Gate (Darvazeh Quran) Afif-Abad Garden Shapouri House Shah-Cheragh Shrine Zinat ol-Molouk House Jahan-Nama Garden (Bagh-e Jahan-Nama) Naqshe-e Rostam Tombs & Reliefs Pasargadae Ancient Complex Sassanid Archaeological Landscapes Tomb of Khajou Kermani Jame Atiq Mosque Pars Museum Anahita Temple Vakil Complex The Lost Paradise Qavam House Bamou National Park Shapour Cave & Statue Margoun Waterfall
Fars Province also known as Pars or Persia in historical context, is one of the thirty-one provinces of Iran and known as the cultural capital of the Iran, Fars administrative center is Shiraz. It has an area of 122,400 km2. The etymology of the word Persian found in many ancient names associated with Iran, is derived from the historical importance of this region. Fars Province is the original homeland of the Persian people.

Persepolis Palaces (Takht-e Jamshid)

Founded by Darius I in 518 B.C., Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. It was built on an immense half-artificial, half-natural terrace, where the king of kings created an impressive palace complex inspired by Mesopotamian models. The importance and quality of the monumental ruins make it a unique archaeological site. Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550-330 BC). It is situated on the northeast of Shiraz city in Fars Province. The earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. It exemplifies the Achaemenid style of architecture. UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.

Eram Garden

Eram Garden (Bagh-e Eram) is a historic Persia garden in Shiraz. The garden, and the building within it, is located at the northern shore of the Khoshk River in the Fars province. Both the building and the garden were built during the middle of thirteenth century by the Ilkhanate or a paramount chief of the Qashqai tribes of Pars. The original layout of the garden however, with its quadripartite Persian Paradise garden structure was most likely laid in eleventh century by the Seljuqs, and was then referred to as Bagh-e Shah (The emperor's garden) and was much less complicated or ornamental. Cornelius de Bruyn, a Dutch traveler wrote a description of the gardens in the eighteenth century.

Nasir al-Molk Mosque

The Nasir al-Molk Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque, is a traditional mosque in Shiraz, Iran. It is located at the district of Gowd-e-Araban, near Shah Cheragh Mosque. The mosque includes extensive colored glass in its facade, and displays other traditional elements such as the Panj Kase (five concaved) design. It is named as the Pink Mosque, due to the usage of considerable pink color tiles for its interior design.

Maharlou Lake

Maharlou Lake, also known as Daryacheh-ye-Namak is a seasonal salt lake in the highlands of Shiraz. Roud-Khaneh-ye-Koushk, a seasonal river flowing through the city of Shiraz, brings most of the flood water to the lake bed during intensive precipitation events. The lake water typically evaporates by the end of summer and exposes the white lake bed. By mid-summer and due to high evaporation rates and salt concentrations, the lake water turns pinkish red as a result of the red tide within the lake. The pink color is due to the presence of algae that produces carotenoids (organic pigments), such as Dunaliella salina - a type of halophile green microalgae especially found in sea salt fields.

Hafezieh (Tomb of Hafez)

The Tomb of Hafez and its associated hall, the Hafezieh, are two memorial structures erected in the northern edge of Shiraz, in memory of the celebrated Persian poet Hafez. The open pavilion structures ore situated in the Mousalla Gardens on the north bank of a seasonal river and house the marble tomb of Hafez. The present buildings, built in 1935 and designed by the French architect and archaeologist Andre Godard, are at the site of previous structures, the best-known of which was built in 1773. The tomb, its gardens, and the surrounding memorials to other great figures are a focus of tourism in Shiraz.

Sa’dieh (Tomb of Sa’di)

Sa’di Shirazi is one of 13th century poets. He was buried in a khanqah where he lived. His most important works are Golestan and Boustan containing instructive and telling anecdotes. Sa’di’s works have been translated in German and French. Mohsen Foroughi, Iranian modem architect, drew the plans of the Tomb of Sa’di in 1951.

Arg-e Karim-Khan

The Karim-Khan Castle is a citadel located in the downtown Shiraz, southern Iran. It was built as part of a complex during the Zand dynasty and is named after Karim-Khan, resembling a medieval fortress. At times, the citadel was used as a prison. Today, it is a museum operated by Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization. Karim-Khan Castle is also known as Arg-e Karim-Khan, Karim-Khans’ castle or citadel of Karim-Khan.

Quran Gate (Darvazeh Quran)

Quran Gate is a historical gate at the northeastern entrance of Shiraz on the way to Isfahan. Built during the Buoyed dynasty (949 to 983), the gate housed a handwritten Quran so that anyone passing from under the gate would be blessed by the Holy Book and travel safely. The gate was restored during the Zand Dynasty (1750-1794) and a small room was added on top for keeping the handwritten Qurans. In 1937, the Qurans were moved from the gate to the Pars Museum in Shiraz where they continue to remain today. The nearest tourist attraction to the gate is the tomb of Khajou Kermani.

Afif-Abad Garden

Afif-Abad Garden originally the Golshan Garden is a museum complex in Shiraz with an area of approximately 127,000 square meters and is one of the most beautiful and historical Persian gardens in Shiraz. The Golshan Garden is one of the oldest gardens in Shiraz. During the Safavid dynasty, it was used as a palace by the Safavid Kings. The current main building was constructed by Mirza Ali Mohammad Khan Qavam II in 1863. He bought a Qanat nearby to water his garden. After his death, the garden was eventually inherited by his niece, Afifeh; thus being called “Afif-Abad”. In 1962, it was restored by the army. It now functions as a weapons museum. It contains a former royal mansion, a historical weapons museum, and a Persian Garden, all open to the public.

Shapouri House

Shapouri House or Shapouri Pavilion and Garden is an early 20th century Persian building and garden in the city of Shiraz. It has 840 square meters of underpinning and 4635 meters of garden area. This building is located in the old central region of Shiraz, known as Anvari. This mansion was registered as a national building in 2000 with registration number 2781. Shapouri mansion was designed by Abol-Qasem Mohandesi and built between 1930 and 1935; the owner was Abdol-Saheb Shapouri. This building is unique and very innovative. The historical house of Shapouri belongs to the early Pahlavi dynasty in Persia (Iran). It is located in city centre of Shiraz and is registered as an Iranian national monument.

Shah-Cheragh Shrine

Seyyed Mir Ahmad, one of Imam Reza’s 17 brothers, was hunted down and killed by the caliphate on this site in AD 835 and his remains are housed in a dazzling shrine of mirrored tiles. A mausoleum was first erected over the tomb during the 12th century, but the courtyard and tile work represent relatively modern embellishments from the late Qajar period and the Islamic Republic. The blue-tiled dome and dazzling gold-tipped minarets form a magnificent context for the Shiite rituals at this revered center of pilgrimage.

Zinat ol-Molouk House

Zinat ol-Molouk House is a Qajar era monument famous for its decorative paintings of animals, birds and flowers. Mirror and glasswork feature prominently in the Zinat ol-Molouk House. An underground passage interconnects this historic house, the Qavam House and Eram Garden. The house is a nationally protected site and is noted for the wax museum it houses within itself featuring famous Iranian figures.

Jahan-Nama Garden (Bagh-e Jahan-Nama)

It is the oldest garden in Shiraz, with about 40000 square meter area, irrigating from Rokni, a well-known river. Jahan-Nama Garden is located in a special region of Shiraz (Hafez Street) among Hafez Shrine, Haft Tanan, Darvazeh Quran, Khajou-ye Kermani, Baba-Kouhi, National Garden, Gahvareh Did, National Library and Archives, etc. The Garden was rebuilt by the order of Karim-Khan-e Zand in 1771. Inside the garden there is an octagonal manor like the Kolah-Farangi edifice of Bagh-e Nazar (Nazar Garden).

Naqshe-e Rostam Tombs & Reliefs

Naqsh-e Rostam is an ancient necropolis located about 12 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars Province, Iran, In Naghsh-e Rostam we can see four tombs and one building from Achaemenid dynasty with a group of ancient Iranian rock reliefs cut into the cliff, from Sassanid density , the last important relief belongs to Ilam dynasty and date back to 1000 B.C. These tombs have mainly architectural decoration, but the facades include large panels over the doorways, each very similar in content, with figures of the king being invested by a god, above a zone with rows of smaller figures bearing tribute, with soldiers and officials. The three classes of figures are sharply differentiated in size. The entrance to each tomb is at the center of each cross, which opens onto a small chamber, where the king lay in a sarcophagus. Well below the Achaemenid tombs, near ground level, are rock reliefs with large figures of Sassanian kings, some meeting gods, others in combat. The most famous shows the Sassanian king Shapour I on horseback, with the Roman Emperor Valerian bowing to him in submission, and Philip the Arab (an earlier emperor who paid Shapour tribute) holding Shapour’s horse, while the dead Emperor Gordian III, killed in battle, lies beneath it (other identifications have been suggested). This commemorates the Battle of Edessa in 260 AD, when Valerian became the only Roman Emperor who was captured as a prisoner of war, a lasting humiliation for the Romans. The placing of these reliefs clearly suggests the Sassanid intention to link themselves with the glories of the earlier Achaemenid Empire.

Pasargadae Ancient Complex

Pasargadae, Persian Pasargad, first dynastic capital of the Persian Achaemenian dynasty, situated on a plain northeast of Persepolis in southwestern Iran. According to tradition, Cyrus II chose the site because it laid near the scene of his victory over Astyages the Mede (550). The name of the city may have been derived from that of the chief Persian tribe, the Pasargadae, although it is possible that the original form of the name was Parsagadeh (Throne of Pars). In 2004 the ruins were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Sassanid Archaeological Landscapes

The Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars region which registered in 2018 as 24th Iranian heritage in UNESCO covers monumental buildings, inscriptions and other relevant relics of 3 main cities of the Sassanid Empire. The sites collectively appear on the worldwide list as the “Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars region (Islamic Republic of Iran)”. A province in modern-day Iran’s south, Fars was the cradle of the Sassanid dynasty, which appeared at the start of the third century. After the fall of the Parthian empire, the Sassanids ruled territory that, at its peak, stretched from the west of Afghanistan to Egypt, before falling to the Arab conquest under the Umayyad caliphate in the middle of the seventh century. According to UNESCO “These fortified structures, palaces and city plans date back to the earliest and latest times of the Sassanian Empire.” With the latest addition, Iran now has 24 sites on the heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. 

Tomb of Khajou Kermani

Khajou Kermani (1280-1352) was a famous Persian poet and Sufi mystic who has been laid to rest north of Shiraz. Khajou was said to have traveled extensively in his youth to meet scholars of other lands. His mausoleum, which is located by the famous Quran Gate, is still visited by admirers of his work today. The tomb of the poet is encased in a protective glass to shield it from the elements. The nearest tourist attraction to the tomb is Quran Gate.

Jame Atiq Mosque

Jame Atiq Mosque of Shiraz is one of the oldest religious monuments of the city. The mosque was built by Amr Ebn-e al-Leyth in the 9th century. The mosque, which is two-stories in some parts, has six doors, several shabestans (inner sanctum), chambers for seminary students, stone pools and a marble courtyard. Naskhu, Thuluth, and Kufic hand inscriptions have been used to decorate the mosque with Quranic verses and catalogue the several renovations of the structure. The Mihrab (prayer niche) of the mosque has pleasing turquoise tilework. The mosque also has Muqarnas, decorative ironwork and khatam embellishments. The nearest tourist attraction to the mosque is Shah-Cheragh holy shrine.

Pars Museum

Pars museum is located in Bagh-e Nazar-e Shiriz (Nazr Garden in Shiraz) with antique objects related before and after Islam till Qajar era. This museum has been found in 1936, and is the oldest museum with valuable works such as metal objects, pottery, all kinds of corns and seals from the fourth millennium before Christ to the modern. There are 30 volumes of Quran refated to 14th century along with beautiful watercolor paintings. Famous picture and sword of Karim-Khan and painting of Zandieh era are being kept in this museum. A circular and cylindrical stone known as Loh-e-Tarikh is kept in the western side of the yard. Three inscriptions by handwritings of Pahiavi, Thuluth, Naskh and the handwriting of Nastaliq related to three historical eras of Saljuqi, Safavi and Qajarieh are engraved. The tomb of Kariro-Khan which is related to Zand era is located in this place.

Anahita Temple

Temple of Anahita is a famous monument in ancient city of Bishapour. It’s located in Kazeroun county, Fars province. The building that is known as the Temple of Anahita, is in fact an unidentified structure, deeper than the other rooms of the palace. The structure, with its pleasant, harmonious dimensions, can only be reached by descending a long stairway. It is a building without parallel. Once you’ve descended the stairs, you will find yourself on a small square, surrounded by high walls. The square itself must have been a non-deep pool, surrounded by sidewalks. The doors in the walls give access to a corridor that surrounded the square, and which in turn gave access to the place where the aqueduct reached this square building. On top of two of the walls, there used to be triangle-shaped structure that looks as if it supported a roof. In fact, however, the sanctuary was open, and the triangle-shaped structures supported large bull imposts. The nearest tourist attraction to the temple is the Bishapour ancient city (Mosque, Bath).

Vakil Complex

Vakil Bazar in Shiraz is the main section of the Shiraz Bazar which was built in 11th Century by Karim-Khan as part of a plan to make Shiraz into a prominent trading center. This architecturally beautiful building is a trade hub for merchants selling spices, rugs, handmade copper pieces, antiques, Persian sweets and much more. Vakil Bazar has a really vibrant and bustling atmosphere. This isn’t just a tourist trap like you find at similar spots around the world. Vakil Bazar is a place where locals actually do their shopping. Considered to be the most beautiful Bazar in Iran, Vakil Bazar’s gorgeous vaulted brick ceiling regulates the temperature of the building by keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter. This makes it a great place to escape the heat which can be suffocating at times during the summer. The halls are filled with the smell of spice which lingers throughout the Bazar. It is an amazing sensory experience.  As with everywhere we visited in Iran, the people here were incredibly friendly and happy to say hello and chat. There is a very larger selection of handcrafted items on offer. If you’re interested in buying something we would recommend going with a local. Despite the fact Vakil Bazar’s attractions are not limited to shopping, there are also numerous cafes, a bath house, and several restaurants that you can visit. Find a little restaurant that serves Dizi (a meat stew) and Faloudeh (rice noodles served with sweet rose syrup) which are synonymous with Shiraz cuisine. It’s a must-see while you are at the Bazar.

The Lost Paradise

The real name of the place was “Bostanak Canyon” which is now famous as the Lost Paradise. Bostanak Canyon or the Lost Paradise is a beautiful valley dragged in eastern-western sides and vertical tall rocks have surrounded it on both sides. This spectacular area with its beautiful dense trees and rivers full of water catches the eyes of any observer and makes the visitors admire and worship its Creator. It is one of the protected areas in Firs Province. Dense trees in the Lost Paradise are so much tangled and have created such an alluring roof over the visitors and tourists that seeing sunrise from among the leaves of the trees becomes so difficult.

Qavam House

Qavam House (also widely called “Narenjestan-e Qavam”) is a traditional and historical house in Shiraz, Iran. It is at walking distance from the Khan Madrassa. It was built between 1879 and 1886 by Mirza Ibrahim Khan. The Qavam family were merchants originally from Qazvin. But they soon became active in the government during the Zand dynasty, followed by the Qajar, and Pahlavi dynasty as well. The Qavam “Naranjestan” preserves the elegance and refinement enjoyed by the upper-class families during the 19th century. The paintings on the low ceilings of the house are inspired by Victorian style. The mirrored porch was a focal point of the house, overlooking a small garden that was designed with fountains, date palms, and flowering plants. During the second Pahlavi era, the House became the headquarters of Pahlavi University’s Asia Institute, directed by Arthur Upham Pope and Richard Nelson Frye. Frye and his family also lived in the house for a while. The house today is a museum and is open to the public.

Bamou National Park

In the northern part of Fare Province, northwest of the city of Shiraz, one of the most beautiful national parks in Iran called “Park-e-Bamou” or Bamou Park is located. The national Bamou Park is located in this area, with its highest peak towering 2,700 meters. The peak is called Bamou and it is visible from Shiraz. Today Bamou Park has an area of 40,000 hectares and includes three mountain ranges extending parallel from the east to the west. On these mountains there are narrow plains where deer, ibex, rams, and wild goats abound. Studies indicate that there are 32 species of mammals, 91 species of birds, 19 species of reptiles, and 3 species of amphibians in this region. Among the bird species 18 are protected while 6 other species are in danger of distinction. Bamou Park is one of the few regions in Iran where one can see the fauna from a near distance. Since this park is close to the scientific institutes it has become a suitable center for zoological and botanical researches. A lot of people come to the area on their weekends and enjoy the beauties of the place with their families and friends.

Shapour Cave & Statue

This cave is located on the heights overlooking Chogan Valky, about 6 km from the ancient city of BishSpour in the south of Iran. Shiraz is one of the cities from where you can start your trip to get there. Now imagine you're up there. What appears in front of your eyes is a huge statue standing in front of you not far ahead He’s Shapour I the second king of the Sassanid Empire. Yes, it’s really surprising to see such a huge statue in a cave at the top of a mountain. But it's not the only thing that can surprise you. Sculptures and rock reliefs have formed an outstanding part of Sassanid art. Although such carvings benefited less popularity at those times as compared to the other ancient periods, they've done the best in depicting some significant figures and events. The nearest tourist attractions to the cave are Ancient Bishapour City and Chowgan Canyon.

Margoun Waterfall

Margoun Waterfall is located in Sepidan. This waterfall is the main attractive of Abshar-e (waterfall) Margoun protected area. Margoun waterfall falls from the heart of a rocky mountain and has about 70-meter height and 100-meter width and is considered as the big ones of waterfalls in Iran. Most of the people know Abshar-e Margoun protected area just because of its famous waterfall and almost all visitors visit this area in hot months of the year when the temperature of this area hardly reach to 25. But this protected area has lots of attractions, and professional tourists can enjoy mountain climbing, rock climbing, camping, landscape photography etc.