About Fars Province

Fars (or Pars) province, located in the south of Iran, is the cultural capital of the country and considered the original homeland of the Persian people and it has also a remarkable nomadic culture and the strongest historical heritage.

This province is located  in south of the Iran and its center is Shiraz. It has an area of 122,400 km² and it’s population is around 4.6 million people, 38.1% villagers, and 0.7% nomad tribes. The word “Persian” is from the cultural capital of Iran and found in many ancient names associated with Iran.

Shiraz is city of poets, love and immortal flowers. During the Zand dynasty’s era ,it was also the capital of Iran and the celebrated birthplace of the great Persian poets Hafiz and Saadi. This historical city  surprised all tourists that a city itself has so few surviving historical monuments when there are such archaeological treasures in the neighboring countryside.

Why travel to Fars pronive?

Persepolis

Persepolis,the top attraction in Shiraz, was the ceremonial capital of the First Persian Empire in the 7th century B.C.The Persian Empire was the greatest empire in the world (center of the world),. Nowadays, it’s an impressive ruined complex and one of the top touristic attractions you will see when you travel in Iran.Persepolis is next to Marvdasht. Persepolis is a pretty ruined place, and behind each stone is a significantly different experience.

Pasargad

Pasargad as first dynastic capital of Achaemenid Empire, by Cyrus II the Great and homeland of Persians,  with gardens, palaces and mausoleum of Cyrus are the most obvious example of the first phase of royal Achaemeind ,art and architecture and unique testimonies of Persian  civilization. Pasargad was the capital of the first great multicultural empire in Western Asia. It is considered to be the first empire that respected the culture diversity of its different people. And Achaemenid, architecture, a synthetic representation of different cultures  show this article.

Bishapur

This Historical place, belongs to Shapur period, the second Sassanid ruler (son of Ardeshir I) and the famous emperor who defeated the Romans, Bishapur holds significant historical importance as, its construction was combination of both Roman and Persian art and architecture had been combined.

Naqsh-e Rustam

Naqsh—e Rustam is located  3km drive northwards from Persepolis across the main Shiraz to Isfahan road. It’s name, a legendary Persian warrior, were given to this place by locals seeing the Sasanian rock reliefs of jousting and investiture scenes, but the four Achaemenid tombs carved high into the rock face are more dramatic for today’s visitors.The first, on the left, was probably the tomb for Darius II; the next for Artaxerxes I; the third and most imposing, held the remains of Darius the Great ; and the last, on the adjoining rock face, was carved for Xerxes I or possibly Xerxes Il .

 

Hafez Tomb

Tomb Of Hafiz (Aramgah-e Hafiz), the great Shirazi poet (1326—c1390) who wrote lyrical poems about love and the beloved, which are understood to be imbued with deep Sufi mystical meaning; his epithet ‘Hafiz’ alludes to his memorizing of the Quran by heart.

Karim Khan Zand ordered a suitable tomb to be built in 1773 to honor this famous son of Shiraz .

Sa’di Tomb (Sa’dieh)

Tomb of Saa’di, known also as the tomb of Sa’dy or Sadiyeh, is one of the major tourist attractions of Shiraz. Many Iranians and foreigner pay a visit to this funeral place and show their respect to Saadi and interest in his works, prose and poems. This Iranian poet is a globally known scholar whose words have touched many hearts across the world and wakened up many minds to take new steps in their lives to reach higher levels of humanity. The ambiance of this location is much more attractive than its architecture although it has got interesting character by itself.

 

Vakil Mosque

Composed of an impressive courtyard, a praying hall of around 48 columns and sublime mosaics and tiled portals, Vakil mosque was built in the 18th century.Like most tourist attractions in Iran, it is better to come at sunset time.The mosque, however, receives loads of local visitors every day so.

The city of Gor

In today’s modern Firouzabad is where the city of Gor stands, an ancient city that dates back to the Achaemenid period but, after Alexander the Great destroyed the city, it was Ardeshir I, the founder of the Sassanid Empire, who rebuilt it.

The city is of huge historical importance, as it was one of the first cities ever built using a circular plan and it was so precise that some famous scholars claimed that he used a compass to build it.The center of the ruined city is dominated by a 30-meter tower called Terbal, a landmark whose original purpose is unknown, even though some believe that it served as a mere city symbol.

Ardeshir Palace

Just a few kilometers from the city of Gor, Ardeshir I built a stunning palace for himself, not as a defensive structure but just to show his royal power and prestige.The palace has been beautifully renovated and, perhaps, the most important thing to say about it is that, during its construction, it was the first time ever that someone used domes in the construction of a building.

Afif_Abad Garden

Afif-Abad Garden is a museum complex in Shiraz, Iran. Located in the affluent Afif-Abad district of Shiraz, the complex was constructed in 1863. It contains a former royal mansion, a historical weapons museum, and a Persian garden, all open to the public. It’s an old and beautiful garden with it’s residence by the middle of the city. A very quiet and pleasant place to visit and take lots of photos even for couples. You can also rent traditional clothes for more interesting photos.

Bagh-e Delgosha

Bagh-e Dalgousha ,the extensive grounds broadly retain their 1820 layout ,although the water channels have been relined with tacky turquoise tiles and the original mud-brick walls were destroyed in 2000 for new railings. In the centre stands a pavilion from late Zand or early Qajar times, in this dramatic setting with the surrounding hills and tall cypresses. Together with the Bagh-e Eram, this garden and a small one within the newly opened Arg of Karim Khan Zand are the best examples of the ‘classical’ Persian garden outside Mahan and Kashan.

 

Narenjestan-e Ghavam (Qavam Houose)

Narenjestan-e Qavam Garden  in Shiraz Belongs  to Qajar era and  located on the eastern side of the end of Lotfali Khan Zand Avenue. Due to plenty of sour orange  trees it is called Narenjestan.  It  has been a place where ordinary people went for administrative purposes and public meetings as well as meetings among Qajar dignitaries and nobles were held there

Shrine of Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze

Located just outside of the city center, this is a real off the beaten track shrine that not many people know about and where Emi Ali, a disciple of the 8th Shia Imam, rests.The mosque seems like a small reproduction of the Shah-e Cheragh shrine, as the interior is also decorated with those peculiar mirror-mosaic-walls. Like most holy shrines, the entrance is free and, unlike in Shah-e Cherag, here you take in your camera and tripod without any problem.

 Vakil Bazar

Vakil Bazzar, is  one of the finest bazaars in the Middle East.

From caravanserais to bathhouses and over 200 carpet stores, this is a great place to take some nice street pictures after lunchtime, when the harsh sun of Shiraz is at its fullest. Nasir al-Molk mosque. This is, by far, the most photographed building in Shiraz and, probably, in Iran as well. At sunrise, the light goes through its colorful vitrines, creating a luminary, colorful effect on the carpet of the praying hall. After sunrise, this is just a regular, not very exciting mosque, so given the high price they charge for entrance, I wouldn’t recommend coming. Try to be there just before sunrise as the mosque gets filled with tons of tourists, so you really want to get there first, otherwise is practically impossible to take a photo without people in it.

Karim Khan citadel

Named after Karim Khan, the founder of the Zand dynasty (18th century) and where he used to live for some time, today, this fortress is a real landmark in Shiraz, where all the Iranians come to hang around the beautiful, tall walls.There is one tower which is, slowly, sinking into the ground, to the extent that it’s perfectly visible. Inside the fortress, there is also a museum which, even though I didn’t go, people say it’s not really worth the money.

Ghal’e Dokhtar Castle

A fortified castle constructed in a highly strategic position in order to protect the region and the different Sassanid cities, today, this castle is mostly in ruins and, unfortunately, when I went there, it was under renovation, so the place was filled with ugly fences.

However, the castle is located in an epic location from where you can appreciate stunning views.

Maharloo Lake (Pink Lake)

A very strange tourist attraction in Iran.Many Iranians talk about it as if it was something cool.On the weekend, you will see plenty of locals taking selfies, smiling and having fun.However, in my eyes, this is a real natural disaster, similar to the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan as, basically, it is a lake which has dried out almost completely and become a mini-version of the Dead Sea.It has become a tourist attraction because some parts of the lake, where there is still water, have become pink due to the color of the sediments that were underneath.Moreover, this used to be a salty lake, so the dried-out area is covered by a thick layer of salt, giving the impression that is snow.The lake is around one hour’s drive from Shiraz.

Colossal Statue of Shapur and Carvings

Like I said before, Shapur was a powerful emperor, famous for defeating the Romans in three different battles, including the capture of Valerian, the first Roman emperor to ever become a prisoner of war.

After his victories, Shapur ordered artistic carvings that portrayed his glory, as well as a 35-meter statue of himself inside a cave which is today in perfect condition.

Meeting with Qashqai nomads

Moving with their herds from the Persian Gulf to the mountains close to Esfahan within a 1-year cycle, the Qashqai are a group of nomads from Iran, who have Turkic origins and live a traditional life, not very different from the way their ancestors used to live.

In Iran, you have opportunity to visit a couple of nomadic camps and also spend one night with one family, where I was able to learn and see their daily routines.

Popular cities in Fars Province

Fasa , Arsanjan , Izadkhast , Marvdasht

 

Climate of Fars Province

Shiraz is located in the southern part of Iran in the Faris province at the foot of the Zagros mountain range so it’s climate has distinct seasons, Summers are hot, but  Winters are cool. Shiraz contains a considerable number of gardens.

Transportations of Shiraz

By plane

Each day many domestic and international flights arrive from various air lines in Shiraz International Airport. Many flights originate in countries such as Syria, Dubai, Abodabi, Saudi Arabia and in special cases Egypt, Russia, and Turkey.After undergoing renovation and redevelopment work in 2005 Shiraz international Airport is identified as the second most reliable and modern airport in Iran (after Imam Khomeini International Airport of Tehran). Domestic flights between Shiraz and other cities such as Tehran, Mashhad, Esfahan, Ahwaz, Abadan, Kermanshah, Boshehr, Baandar Lengeh, Lar, Lamerd, Bandar abbas, Kish, Qeshm, Siry islands, Lavan, and in urgency cases to other airports in Iran.

By road

Shiraz is accessible via freeways to Isfahan, Kerman, Bushehr, Ahvaz and Yasouj, and accessible via road to Bandare Abbas.

By train

Since 2010, Shiraz is connected to Tehran by train. Daily trains connect both cities leaving in the afternoon and arriving the morning after. Check Iranrail for timetables and tickets purchase.

 

 

• Eram garden