Shiraz (; ) is the
fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of
Fars province
Fars Province or Pars Province, also known as Persis or Farsistan (فارسستان), is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Shiraz.
Pars province has an area of 122,400 km2 and is located in Iran's southwest, i ...
,
which has been historically known as
Pars () and
Persis
Persis (, ''Persís;'' Old Persian: 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿, ''Parsa''), also called Persia proper, is a historic region in southwestern Iran, roughly corresponding with Fars province. The Persian ethnic group are thought to have initially migrated ...
.
As of the 2016 national census, the population of the
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
was 1,565,572 people, and its built-up area with
Sadra
Sadra may refer to:
* Sadra, Fars, a city in Shiraz County, Fars Province, Iran
* Mulla Sadra, Iranian philosopher
* SADRA, Iran Marine Industrial Company
* Shahrak-e Sadra, Neyriz
* Sadra (island), an island in Persian Gulf
* Sadra (music)
* Sadra ...
was home to almost 1,800,000 inhabitants. A census in 2021 showed an increase in the city's population to 1,995,500 people. Shiraz is located in
southwestern Iran on the () seasonal river. Founded in the early Islamic period, the city has a moderate climate and has been a regional trade center for over a thousand years.
The earliest reference to the city, as ''Tiraziš'', is on
Elam
Elam () was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq. The modern name ''Elam'' stems fr ...
ite
clay tablet
In the Ancient Near East, clay tablets (Akkadian language, Akkadian ) were used as a writing medium, especially for writing in cuneiform, throughout the Bronze Age and well into the Iron Age.
Cuneiform characters were imprinted on a wet clay t ...
s dated to 2000 BCE. The modern city was founded by the
Sasanian dynasty and restored by the
Umayyad Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a member o ...
in 693 CE and grew prominent under the successive
Iranian
Iranian () may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Iran
** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran
** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia
** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...
Saffarid and
Buyid dynasties in the 9th and 10th–11th centuries, respectively. In the 13th century, Shiraz became a leading center of the arts and letters, due to the encouragement of its ruler and the presence of many
Persian scholars and artists. Two famous poets of Iran,
Hafez and
Saadi, are from Shiraz, whose tombs are located on the north side of the current city boundaries.
Shiraz is one of the top tourist cities in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
and is known as the city of
poets
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
,
literature
Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...
, and flowers. It is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens due to the presence of many gardens and
fruit tree
A fruit tree is a tree which bears fruit that is consumed or used by animals and humans. All trees that are flowering plants produce fruit, which are the ripened ovaries of flowers containing one or more seeds. In horticultural usage, the te ...
s that can be seen throughout the city, such as
Eram Garden. Shiraz is also a famous tourist destination. Every year many tourists come from around the world to visit the city. Shiraz has historically had major
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
communities. The crafts of Shiraz consist of inlaid
mosaic
A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...
work of triangular design; silverware;
pile carpet-weaving and weaving of
kilim
A kilim ( ; ; ) is a flat tapestry-weaving, woven carpet or rug traditionally produced in countries of the former Persian Empire, including Iran and Turkey, but also in the Balkans and the Turkic countries.
Kilims can be purely decorative ...
, called and in the villages and among the
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
s. Dominant industries in the city include the production of
cement
A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
, sugar, fertilizers, textile products, wood products, metalwork, and
rugs. Shiraz also has a
major oil refinery and is a major centre for Iran's electronic industries: 53 percent of Iran's electronic investment has been centred in Shiraz. The city is home to Iran's first
solar powerplant. Recently, Shiraz's first
wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that wind power, converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. , hundreds of thousands of list of most powerful wind turbines, large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, were generating over ...
has been installed above
Mount Babakuhi near the city.
Etymology
The earliest reference to the city is on
Elam
Elam () was an ancient civilization centered in the far west and southwest of Iran, stretching from the lowlands of what is now Khuzestan and Ilam Province as well as a small part of modern-day southern Iraq. The modern name ''Elam'' stems fr ...
ite clay tablets dated to 2000 BCE, found in June 1970, while digging to make a kiln for a brick factory in the south western corner of the city. The tablets written in ancient
Elamite
Elamite, also known as Hatamtite and formerly as Scythic, Median, Amardian, Anshanian and Susian, is an extinct language that was spoken by the ancient Elamites. It was recorded in what is now southwestern Iran from 2600 BC to 330 BC. Elamite i ...
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
New Persian (), also known as Modern Persian () is the current stage of the Persian language spoken since the 8th to 9th centuries until now in Greater Iran and surroundings. It is conventionally divided into three stages: Early New Persian (8th/ ...
name ''Shirāz''. The name Shiraz also appears on clay sealings found at a 2nd-century CE
Sassanid
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
ruin, east of the city. By some of the native writers, the name Shiraz has derived from a son of
Tahmuras, the third Shāh (King) of the world according to Ferdowsi's
Shāhnāma.
History
Pre-Islamic era
Though, there is no definitive record of its existence prior to the late 7th century CE, few archaeological finds dating from 1933 and beyond indicate that the site or vicinity of Shiraz was likely settled in the pre-Islamic era as early as the 6th century BCE.
[Berney and Ring, p. 644.] A number of
Achaemenid
The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, it was the large ...
and
Sasanian
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...
-era remains have been discovered around the city, including reliefs at
Barm-e Delak to the east and
Guyim to the northwest, and ruins of Sasanian fortresses at
Qasr-e Abu Nasr to the east and Fahandezh.
[Limbert, pp. 4–5.] The latter is identified with the fortress of Shahmobad mentioned as being in Shiraz by the 10th-century geographical work, ''
Hudud al-'alam
The ''Ḥudūd al-ʿĀlam'' (, "Boundaries of the World," "Limits of the World," or in also in English "The Regions of the World") is a 10th-century geography book written in Persian by an anonymous author from Guzgan (present day northern Afg ...
''.
the Sasanian and early Islamic-era clay seals found at
Qasr-e-Abu Nasr mention the name "Shiraz" alongside the name of the Sasanian administrative district of the area,
Ardashir-Khwarrah.
[Limbert, p. 5.] According to the diplomat and academic
John Limbert, this indicates that the name "Shiraz" is traced back to the Elamite "Shirrazish" and that both refer to a settlement that existed at the site of
Qasr-e-Abu Nasr.
Interpretations of what type of settlement ancient Shiraz was vary. According to Berney and Ring, the lack of references to Shiraz in early Persian sources suggests the city could not have been more than a way-station in the plain in which it lies.
On the other hand, according to
Abdolmajed Arfaee, Achaemenid-era Shiraz must have been one of the most important settlements in the area.
He bases this on its frequent appearance in the
Persepolis Administrative Archives
The Persepolis Administrative Archive (also Fortification Archive or Treasury Archive) are two groups of clay administrative archives — sets of records physically stored together – found in Persepolis dating to the Achaemenid Persian Em ...
(84 different tablets) as well as the number of workers present – in groups as large as 490.
Most textual references to Shiraz involve rations for workers; it is never mentioned as a travel destination.
Arfaee says that Sasanian Shiraz was relatively insignificant before its re-foundation in the early Islamic period.
According to John Limbert, however, Shiraz prospered between the 6th and 8th-centuries CE and was possibly the administrative center for the Shiraz plain until the modern city of Shiraz was founded.
Early Islamic era
Shiraz was founded or restored in 693 by
Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, the brother of the
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate or Umayyad Empire (, ; ) was the second caliphate established after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty. Uthman ibn Affan, the third of the Rashidun caliphs, was also a membe ...
viceroy of the eastern half of the
caliphate
A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
,
al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, or the latter's kinsman
Muhammad ibn Qasim
Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqafī (; –) was an Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (and Punjab, part of ancient Sindh), inaugurating the Umayyad campaigns in India. His militar ...
.
[Limbert, p. 4.] The Arab Muslim army had conquered the wider region of
Fars, where the site of Shiraz is located, in several expeditions launched from their garrison town of
Basra
Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...
between 640 and 653, and specifically captured the immediate area around Shiraz early on, in 641. This area did not possess any cities, though there were a number of forts which were forced to pay tribute to the Arabs.
[Limbert, p. 6.] The Sasanians held firm in
Istakhr, their capital in Fars, until the Arabs captured it in a heavy battle in 653, during which the plain of Shiraz had been utilized as an Arab campground.
Because of
Istakhr's deep association with the Sasanian Empire and the
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...
religion, the
Arabs
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of yea ...
sought to establish in nearby Shiraz a rival cultural and administrative center.
Thus, during its initial founding in 693, the city was planned to be much larger than
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
.
However, the initial ambitions were not realized and Shiraz remained a "provincial backwater" in the shadow of Istakhr until at least the late 9th century, according to Limbert.
This is partly attributed to the reticence of the largely Zoroastrian population of Fars to inhabit the Islamic Arab city.
As the population gradually shifted to Islam from Zoroastrianism and Istakhr concurrently declined, Shiraz grew into the practical center of Fars.
According to Muslim traditional sources, Shiraz was used as a hideout by three of the brothers of the
Shia Muslim
Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...
imam
Ali al-Ridha following the latter's death in 817/18 and later by one of the brothers' sons, Ali ibn Hamza ibn Musa, until he was found and executed by the
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...
authorities in . As Abbasid authority waned during this period, regional dynasties emerged with considerable autonomy.
In the late 9th century, the Iranian Muslim
Saffarid dynasty under
Ya'qub ibn al-Layth made Shiraz the capital of their autonomous state, which encompassed most of modern-day Iran.
[Lambton, p. 473.] In 894, Ya'qub's brother and successor,
Amr, founded the city's first
congregational mosque
A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''Friday prayer, jumu'ah' ...
, today known as the
Atigh Jame' Mosque.
The Iranian
Buyid dynasty
The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran and Iraq from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dyn ...
under
Imad al-Dawla Ali ibn Buya ousted the Saffarids in 933 and his nephew and successor,
'Adud al-Dawla Fana Khusraw, took over and ruled Fars between 949 and 983, and added Iraq, the seat of the Abbasid Caliphate, to his Shiraz-based domains in 977;
the Abbasids thenceforth became a puppet state of the Shiraz-based dynasty.
Shiraz developed into the largest and most prosperous city of Fars and an important economic and cultural center of the
caliphate
A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...
.
[Limbert, p. 9.] Adud al-Dawla had a large library, a hospital and several mosques,
bazaar
A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
s,
caravanserai
A caravanserai (or caravansary; ) was an inn that provided lodging for travelers, merchants, and Caravan (travellers), caravans. They were present throughout much of the Islamic world. Depending on the region and period, they were called by a ...
s, palaces and gardens built in the city, while south of it he erected a fortified camp for his troops, known as Kard Fana Khusraw, in 974.
One of the congregational mosques built by Adud al-Dawla has survived until the present day.
Two Zoroastrian
fire temples also existed in Shiraz,
catering to the Persians who had not converted to Islam.
One of Adud al-Dawla's palaces stretched out for nearly three miles and consisted of 360 rooms.
Under the Buyids, Shiraz was divided into twelve quarters and had eight gates.
It owed its economic prosperity to the booming agricultural trade of Fars.
The city largely consumed the agricultural products of the province, including
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began approximately 8,0 ...
s,
linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...
,
wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
, cotton,
collyrium, rose, violet and palm-blossom water.
It was also a market for rug weavers and painters to sell their pricey products, a testament to the residents' wealth.
At the time, wine, grains, gold and silver were exported from the Farsi port cities of
Siraf and Najairam.
Adud al-Dawla patronized scientific, medical and Islamic religious research in Shiraz.
The city was spared destruction by the invading
Mongols
Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China ( Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family o ...
, when its local ruler offered tributes and submission to
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan (born Temüjin; August 1227), also known as Chinggis Khan, was the founder and first khan (title), khan of the Mongol Empire. After spending most of his life uniting the Mongols, Mongol tribes, he launched Mongol invasions and ...
. Shiraz was again spared by
Tamerlane
Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol tradition, Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timuri ...
, when in 1382 the local monarch, Shah Shoja agreed to submit to the invader.
In the 13th century, Shiraz became a leading center of the arts and letters, thanks to the encouragement of its ruler and the presence of many Persian scholars and artists. For this reason the city was named by classical geographers ''Dar al-'Elm'',
the House of Knowledge. Among the Iranian poets, mystics and philosophers born in Shiraz were the poets
Sa'di[Persian Language & Literature: Saadi Shirazi, Sheikh Mosleh al-Din](_blank)
Iran Chamber Society. and
Hafiz,
the mystic
Ruzbehan, and the philosopher
Mulla Sadra
Ṣadr ad-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī, more commonly known as Mullā Ṣadrā (; ; c. 1571/2 – c. 1635/40 CE / 980 – 1050 AH), was a Persians, Persian Twelver Shi'a, Shi'i Islamic philosophy, Islamic mystic, philosopher, Kalam, theologian, a ...
.
[Rizvi, Sajjad (2002), ''Reconsidering the life of Mulla Sadra Shirazi'', Pembroke College, pp. 181] Thus Shiraz has been nicknamed "The Athens of Iran".
As early as the 11th century, several hundred thousand people inhabited Shiraz. In the 14th century Shiraz had sixty thousand inhabitants. During the 16th century it had a population of 200,000 people, which by the mid-18th century had decreased to only 55,000.
File:HG7 5639.jpg, The shrine of Shah Cheragh houses the remains of Sayyid
''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan ibn Ali, Hasan and Husayn ibn Ali, Husayn. The title may also refer ...
Ahmad, son of Imam
Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...
Musa al-Kazim
Musa al-Kazim (; 745–799) was a descendant of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and the seventh Twelve Imams, imam in Twelver Shi'ism, Twelver Shia Islam. Musa is often known by the title al-Kazim (), apparently ...
File:Masjed (20975400379).jpg, Tomb of Seyed Alaeddin Husayn, brother of Sayyid Ahmad nearby
File:Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze (Shiraz) 001.jpg, '' Imamzadeh'' Ali ibn Hamzah, nephew of Shah Cheragh and Imam Reza
Ali al-Rida (, 1 January 766 – 6 June 818), also known as Abū al-Ḥasan al-Thānī, was a descendant of the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the eighth Twelve Imams, imam in Twelver Shi'ism, Twelver Shia Is ...
.
Safavid Empire

In 1504, Shiraz was captured by the forces of
Ismail I
Ismail I (; 17 July 1487 – 23 May 1524) was the founder and first shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1501 until his death in 1524. His reign is one of the most vital in the history of Iran, and the Safavid period is often considered the beginn ...
, the founder of the
Safavid Dynasty
The Safavid dynasty (; , ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from Safavid Iran, 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of History of Iran, modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder em ...
. Throughout the Safavid Empire (1501–1722) Shiraz remained a provincial capital and
Emam Qoli Khan, the governor of Fars under
Abbas the Great
Abbas I (; 27 January 1571 – 19 January 1629), commonly known as Abbas the Great (), was the fifth Safavid Iran, Safavid shah of Iran from 1588 to 1629. The third son of Mohammad Khodabanda, Shah Mohammad Khodabanda, he is generally considered ...
, constructed many palaces and ornate buildings in the same style as those built during the same period in
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
, the capital of the Empire.
After the fall of the Safavids, Shiraz suffered a period of decline, worsened by the raids of the
Afghans
Afghans (; ) are the citizens and nationals of Afghanistan, as well as their descendants in the Afghan diaspora. The country is made up of various ethnic groups, of which Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras, and Uzbeks are the largest. The three main lan ...
and the rebellion of its governor against
Nader Shah
Nader Shah Afshar (; 6 August 1698 or 22 October 1688 – 20 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, when he was a ...
; the latter sent troops to suppress the revolt. The city was besieged for many months and eventually sacked. At the time of
Nader Shah
Nader Shah Afshar (; 6 August 1698 or 22 October 1688 – 20 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, when he was a ...
's murder in 1747, most of the historical buildings of the city were damaged or ruined, and its population fell to 50,000, one-quarter of that during the 16th century.
Shiraz soon returned to prosperity under the rule of
Karim Khan Zand
Mohammad Karim Khan Zand (; ) was the founder of the Zand dynasty, ruling all of Iran (Name of Iran, Persia) except for Khorasan province, Khorasan from 1751 to 1779. He also ruled over some of the Caucasus, Caucasian lands and occupied Basra f ...
, who made it his capital in 1762. Employing more than 12,000 workers, he constructed a royal district with a fortress, many administrative buildings, a mosque, and one of the finest covered bazaars in Iran.
He had a moat built around the city, constructed an irrigation and drainage system, and rebuilt the city walls.
However, Karim Khan's heirs failed to secure his gains. When
Agha Mohammad Khan
Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar (; 14 March 1742 – 17 June 1797), also known by his regnal name of Agha Mohammad Shah (), was the founder of the Qajar dynasty of Qajar Iran, Iran, ruling from 1789 to 1797 as Shah. Originally a chieftain of the Quwanlu ...
, the founder of the
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar family (; 1789–1925) was an Iranian royal family founded by Mohammad Khan (), a member of the Qoyunlu clan of the Turkoman-descended Qajar tribe. The dynasty's effective rule in Iran ended in 1925 when Iran's '' Majlis'', conven ...
, eventually came to power, he wreaked his revenge on Shiraz by destroying the city's fortifications and moving the national capital to
Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
.
Although lowered to the rank of a provincial capital, Shiraz maintained a level of prosperity as a result of the continuing importance of the trade route to the Persian Gulf. Its governorship was a royal prerogative throughout the
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar family (; 1789–1925) was an Iranian royal family founded by Mohammad Khan (), a member of the Qoyunlu clan of the Turkoman-descended Qajar tribe. The dynasty's effective rule in Iran ended in 1925 when Iran's '' Majlis'', conven ...
.
Many of the famous gardens, buildings and residences built during this time contribute to the city's present skyline.
Shiraz is the birthplace of the co-founder of the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
, the
Báb
The Báb (born ʻAlí-Muḥammad; ; ; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850) was an Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbai ...
(Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, 1819–1850). In this city, on the evening of 22 May 1844, he first declared his mission as the bearer of a new divine revelation.
For this reason Shiraz is a holy city for Baháʼís, and the city, particularly
the house of the Báb, was identified as a place of
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
.
Due to the
hostile climate towards Baháʼís in Iran, the house has been the target of repeated attacks; the house was destroyed in 1979, to be paved over two years later and made into a public square.
In 1910, a
pogrom
A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of Massacre, massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century Anti-Jewis ...
of the Jewish quarter started after
false rumours that the Jews had ritually murdered a Muslim girl. In the course of the riots, 12 Jews were murdered and about 50 were injured, and the 6,000 Jews of Shiraz were robbed of all their possessions.
During the
Pahlavi dynasty
The Pahlavi dynasty () is an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian royal dynasty that was the Pahlavi Iran, last to rule Iran before the country's monarchy was abolished by the Iranian Revolution in 1979. It was founded in 1925 by Reza Shah, Reza S ...
, Shiraz became the center of attention again. Many important landmarks like Tombs of Poets' such as
Sa'di and
Hafiz,
were constructed and presented to the public.
Lacking any great industrial, religious or strategic importance, Shiraz became an administrative center, although its population has nevertheless grown considerably since the
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...
.
File:Shiraz en 1671 André Daulier Deslandes.jpg, Shiraz, André D. Deslandes, 1671
File:La ville de Sieras en Perse.jpg, Shiraz, Jean Struys, 1681
File:Lotf Ali Khan.jpg, Lotf Ali Khan (1769–1794), ruler of the Zand dynasty
The Zand dynasty () was an Iranian dynasty, founded by Karim Khan Zand (1751–1779) that initially ruled southern and central Iran in the 18th century. It later expanded to include much of the rest of contemporary Iran (except for the provi ...
File:Bazar Shiraz as seen by Jane Dieulafoy, 1881.jpg, Illustration of the Vakil Bazaar by Jane Dieulafoy, 1881
File:Women from Shiraz as seen by Jane Dieulafoy in 1881.jpg, Women from Shiraz, by Dieulafoy in 1881
File:Harold f Weston - Iran23.jpg, Qur'an Gate, Harold F. Weston, 20th century painting
Modern times

The city's municipality and other related institutions have initiated restoration and reconstruction projects.
Some of the most recent projects have been the complete restoration of the
Arg of Karim Khan and of the Vakil Bath, as well as a comprehensive plan for the preservation of the old city quarters. Other noteworthy initiatives include the total renovation of the
Qur'an Gate
Qur'an Gate () or Shiraz Gate () is a historic gate in the north of Shiraz, Iran. It is located at the northeastern entrance of the city, on the way to Marvdasht and Isfahan, between Baba Kouhi and Chehel Maqam Mountains near Allahu Akbar gorge.< ...
and the mausoleum of the poet
Khwaju Kermani, both located in the Allah-u-Akbar Gorge, as well as the restoration and expansion of the mausoleum of the famous Shiraz-born poets Hafiz and Saadi.
Several different construction projects are currently underway that will modernize and develop the city's infrastructure.
Demographics
Ethnicity
The majority of the population are
Persian. Most of the population of Shiraz are
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
. Shiraz also was home to a 20,000-strong
Jewish community, although most emigrated to the United States and
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
in the latter half of the 20th century. Along with
Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
and
Isfahan
Isfahan or Esfahan ( ) is a city in the Central District (Isfahan County), Central District of Isfahan County, Isfahan province, Iran. It is the capital of the province, the county, and the district. It is located south of Tehran. The city ...
, Shiraz is one of the handful of Iranian cities with a sizable Jewish population and more than one active synagogue. Shiraz also has a significant
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
population, the largest in the country after Tehran. There are currently two functioning churches in Shiraz, one
Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...
and the other
Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
.
Population
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 1,204,882 in 265,637 households.
The following census in 2011 counted 1,460,665 people in 416,141 households.
The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 1,565,572 people in 477,916 households.
Geography

The city of Shiraz, the capital of
Fars province
Fars Province or Pars Province, also known as Persis or Farsistan (فارسستان), is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Shiraz.
Pars province has an area of 122,400 km2 and is located in Iran's southwest, i ...
, is located at 52 degrees 32 minutes east longitude and 29 degrees 36 minutes north latitude, and is 919 kilometers from
Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
. In the first official census of Iran in 1335, the city of Shiraz with a population of 170,659 people was the sixth most populous city in Iran. Shiraz is located in the south of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
and the northwest of
Fars province
Fars Province or Pars Province, also known as Persis or Farsistan (فارسستان), is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Shiraz.
Pars province has an area of 122,400 km2 and is located in Iran's southwest, i ...
. It is built in a green plain at the foot of the
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are a mountain range in Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. The mountain range has a total length of . The Zagros range begins in northwestern Iran and roughly follows Iran's western border while covering much of s ...
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
. Shiraz is south of
Tehran
Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...
.
A seasonal river, Dry River, flows through the northern part of the city and on into
Maharloo Lake. As of 1920, the area had a large forest of
oak
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
trees.
Gardens
Shiraz contains a considerable number of gardens. Due to population growth in the city, many of these gardens may be lost to give way to new developments. Although some measures have been taken by the Municipality to preserve these gardens, many illegal developments still endanger them.
Climate

Shiraz's climate has distinct seasons, and is overall classed as a
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of se ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''BSh'', bordering ''BSk'').
Summer
Summer or summertime is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and darkness hours are the shortest, with day ...
s are hot, with a July average high of .
Winter
Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...
s are cool, with average low temperatures below freezing in January. Around of rain falls each year, almost entirely in the winter months, though in some cases as much as this has fallen in a single month (as in January 1965 and December 2004),
whilst in the year from July 1965 to June 1966 as little as fell. The wettest year has been 1955/1956 with as much as , though since 1959 the highest has been around in each of 1995/1996 and 2004/2005.
Due to Shiraz' high elevation and low latitude, the
UV index is extremely high during summer which is further exacerbated by the high frequency of sunshine.
Despite being in a relatively dry climate, extreme weather is not a rare occasion. On 25 March 2019, flash floods from heavy rains has resulted in 19 deaths and over 200 injuries.
The highest record temperature was on 3 July 2022
and the lowest record temperature was on 5 January 1973.
Neighborhoods
List of neighborhoods in Shiraz:
*
Anjireh
* Zargari
* Abivardi
* Farhang Shahr
* Qasrodasht
* Koshan
* Kuye Zahra
* Ma'ali Abad
* Molla Sadra
* Shahcheragh
* Riyasati Avval
* Riyasati Dovvom
*
Shahrak-e-Golestan
* Shahrak-e-Sadra
* Tachara
* Zerehi
* Kolbeh Saadi
* Podonak
* Payegah
* Eram
* Bagh-e Nari (Narvan)
* Siahatgar BLVD
* Abiari Ave
* Artesh square (Army Square)
* Bridgestone
* Babakuhi
* Kuye Jamaran(siman)
* Baskul Nader
* Talkhedash
* Kaftarak
* Sare Dozak
* Chamran
* Sange Siah
* Amir Kabir Blvd
* Modares
* Dinakan
* Darvazeh Kazeron
* Darvaze Isfahan
* Bagh Safa
* Atlasi
* Derki
* See also:
Saadi Street
Economy
Shiraz is the economic center of southern Iran. The second half of the 19th century witnessed certain economic developments that greatly changed the economy of Shiraz. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 allowed the extensive import into southern Iran of inexpensive European factory-made goods, either directly from Europe or via India.
Farmers in unprecedented numbers began planting cash crops such as opium poppy, tobacco, and cotton. Many of these export crops passed through Shiraz on their way to the Persian Gulf. Iranian long-distance merchants from Fars developed marketing networks for these commodities, establishing trading houses in Bombay, Calcutta, Port Said, Istanbul and even Hong Kong.
Shiraz's economic base is in its provincial products, which include grapes, citrus fruits, cotton and rice.
Industries such as cement production, sugar, fertilizers, textile products, wood products, metalwork and rugs dominate.
Shirāz also has a major oil refinery and is also a major center for Iran's electronic industries. 53% of Iran's electronic investment has been centered in Shiraz.
The Shiraz Special Economic Zone or the SEEZ was established in 2000 with the purpose of boosting manufacturing in electronics and communications.
Shiraz is a major shopping destination in
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
and the
Middle East
The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.
The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...
, with more than 25 malls and 10
bazaar
A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
s.
The
Persian Gulf Complex, located at the north end of the city, is the
largest mall in the world in terms of the number of shops.
The city is served by
Refah Chain Stores Co.,
Iran Hyper Star,
Isfahan City Center,
Shahrvand Chain Stores Inc., and
Ofoq Kourosh chain store.
Culture
Shiraz is known as the city of poets, gardens, wine,
nightingale
The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird which is best known for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, ...
s and flowers.
The garden is an important part of Iranian culture. There are many old gardens in Shiraz such as the
Eram garden and the Afif abad garden. According to some people, Shiraz "disputes with
Xeres
Jerez de la Frontera () or simply Jerez, also cited in old English-language sources as , is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Sp ...
r Jerezin Spain the honour of being the birthplace of
sherry
Sherry ( ) is a fortified wine produced from white grapes grown around the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is a drink produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versio ...
."
Shirazi wine
Shiraz wine refers to two different wines. Historically, the name refers to the wine produced around the city of Shiraz in Iran.Entry on ''"Persia"'' in J. Robinson (ed), ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'', Third Edition, p. 512-513, Oxford Un ...
originates from the city; however, under the current Islamic regime, liquor cannot be consumed except by religious minorities.
Shiraz is proud of being mother land of
Hafiz Shirazi. Shiraz is a center for Iranian culture and has produced a number of famous poets.
Saadi, a 12th- and 13th-century poet was born in Shiraz. He left his native town at a young age for
Baghdad
Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
to study
Arabic literature
Arabic literature ( / ALA-LC: ''al-Adab al-‘Arabī'') is the writing, both as prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. The Arabic word used for literature is ''Adab (Islam), Adab'', which comes from a meaning of etiquett ...
and
Islamic sciences
The Islamic sciences () are a set of traditionally defined religious sciences practiced by Islamic scholars ( ), aimed at the construction and interpretation of Islamic religious knowledge.
Different sciences
These sciences include:
* : Islami ...
at
Al-Nizamiyya of Baghdad. When he reappeared in his native Shiraz, he was an elderly man. Shiraz, under Atabak Abubakr Sa'd ibn Zangy (1231–1260) was enjoying an era of relative tranquility. Saadi was not only welcomed to the city but he was highly respected by the ruler and enumerated among the greats of the province. He seems to have spent the rest of his life in Shiraz. Hafiz, another famous poet and mystic was also born in Shiraz. A number of scientists also originate from Shiraz.
Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, a 13th-century astronomer, mathematician, physician, physicist and scientist was from Shiraz. In his ''The Limit of Accomplishment concerning Knowledge of the Heavens'', he also discussed the possibility of
heliocentrism
Heliocentrism (also known as the heliocentric model) is a superseded astronomical model in which the Earth and planets orbit around the Sun at the center of the universe. Historically, heliocentrism was opposed to geocentrism, which placed t ...
.
Tourism
The city holds significant importance as a tourism destination in Iran, with its cultural heritage being globally recognized.
File:Darvazeghoran,_Iran_shiraz.jpg, The Qur'an Gate
Qur'an Gate () or Shiraz Gate () is a historic gate in the north of Shiraz, Iran. It is located at the northeastern entrance of the city, on the way to Marvdasht and Isfahan, between Baba Kouhi and Chehel Maqam Mountains near Allahu Akbar gorge.< ...
was a part of the great city wall built under the Buyid dynasty
The Buyid dynasty or Buyid Empire was a Zaydi and later Twelver Shi'a dynasty of Daylamite origin. Founded by Imad al-Dawla, they mainly ruled over central and southern Iran and Iraq from 934 to 1062. Coupled with the rise of other Iranian dyn ...
File:Háfezova hrobka.jpg, Tomb of Hafez, in memory of the celebrated Persian poet Hafez
File:Delgosha Garden, Shiraz.jpg, Delgosha Garden
File:Ghavam Garden, Shiraz.jpg, Qavam House
File:Nasir al- mulk mosque, Shiraz.jpg, Nasirul-Molk Mosque
File:Afif-Abad Garden, Shiraz.jpg, Afif-Abad Garden (Arms Museum)
File:Eram Garden 94.jpg, Eram Garden
File:Shahpouri-House-in-Shiraz-Persia-Photo-by-Hossein-Amini.jpg, Shapouri House
File:Mausoleo de Saadi, Shiraz, Irán, 2016-09-24, DD 02.jpg, Tomb of Saadi
File:Khwaju Kermani's tomb, Shiraz.jpg, Khwaju Kermani's tomb
* The tombs of
Hafiz,
Saadi, and
Khaju e Kermani (whose tomb is inside a mountain above the city's
Qur'an Gate
Qur'an Gate () or Shiraz Gate () is a historic gate in the north of Shiraz, Iran. It is located at the northeastern entrance of the city, on the way to Marvdasht and Isfahan, between Baba Kouhi and Chehel Maqam Mountains near Allahu Akbar gorge.< ...
). Other lesser known tombs are that of
Shah Shoja' (the
Mozafarid emir of Persia, and patron of Hafiz), and the ''Haft Tanan mausoleum'', where seven
Sufi
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
mystics are buried. The Tomb of
Baba Kuhi sits atop a mountain overlooking the city, and the tomb of
Karim Khan
Mohammad Karim Khan Zand (; ) was the founder of the Zand dynasty, ruling all of Iran (Persia) except for Khorasan from 1751 to 1779. He also ruled over some of the Caucasian lands and occupied Basra for some years.
While Karim was ruler, Ir ...
Zand is at the
Pars Museum of Shiraz.
* The oldest mosque is
Atigh Jame' Mosque, followed by
Vakil Mosque and
Nasir al-Mulk mosque.
* The citadel of
Arg of Karim Khan sits adjacent to the
Vakil Bazaar and
Vakil Bath at the city's central district.
* The
Qur'an Gate
Qur'an Gate () or Shiraz Gate () is a historic gate in the north of Shiraz, Iran. It is located at the northeastern entrance of the city, on the way to Marvdasht and Isfahan, between Baba Kouhi and Chehel Maqam Mountains near Allahu Akbar gorge.< ...
is the entrance to Shiraz. It is located near the gorge of Allah-o-Akbar and is flanked by the Baba Kuhi and Chehel Maqam mountains. The gateway once contained two hand-written Qur'āns by
Sultan Ibrahim Bin Shahrukh Gurekani in an upper room, which have now been moved to the Pars Museum.
* The
Eram Garden (Bagh-e Eram) in Shiraz is a location for visitors with a variety of plants as well as a mansion.
Pars Museum, Shiraz.jpg, Pars Museum
The Pars Museum (Persian language, Persian: موزه پارس) is a museum in Shiraz, Fars province, Iran. Founded in 1936 under Reza Shah, Reza Shah Pahlavi, it is located in Nazar Garden.
The octagonal building was the place in which royal gu ...
Atigh Mosque, Shiraz.jpg, Atigh Mosque
Luna Park, Shiraz.jpg, Luna Park
Jahan Nama Garden, Shiraz.jpg, Jahan Nama Garden
Saraye Moshir, Shiraz.jpg, Saraye Moshir
Ghavam ol Molk House, Shiraz.jpg, Ghavam ol Molk Mansion
Zinat ol Molk House, Shiraz.jpg, Zinat ol Molk Mansion
Saadat House, Shiraz.jpg, Saadat Mansion
Bazaar de Vakil, Shiraz, Irán, 2016-09-24, DD 55.jpg, Vakil Bazaar
Vakil mosque Panorama.jpg, Vakil Mosque
Vakil water storage.jpg, Water Museum
Baños de Vakil, Shiraz, Irán, 2016-09-24, DD 36-38 HDR.jpg, Vakil Bath
Stone Museum, Shiraz.jpg, Stone Museum
Madresyekhaan_(1).JPG, Khan School
*
Margoon Waterfall is located in the
Fars province
Fars Province or Pars Province, also known as Persis or Farsistan (فارسستان), is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. Its capital is the city of Shiraz.
Pars province has an area of 122,400 km2 and is located in Iran's southwest, i ...
of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
near the city of
Sepidan.
*
Shapur cave
Shapur cave () is located in the Zagros Mountains, in southern Iran. This cave is near Kazerun in the Chogan valley.
In the cave, on the fourth of five terraces, stands the Colossal Statue of Shapur I, statue of Shapur I, the second ruler of th ...
is located in the
Zagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are a mountain range in Iran, northern Iraq, and southeastern Turkey. The mountain range has a total length of . The Zagros range begins in northwestern Iran and roughly follows Iran's western border while covering much of s ...
, in southern
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, about from the city of
Bishapur.
*
Sangtarashan cave is located in the
Jahrom, in southern
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
.
*
Palace of Ardashir, also known as the ''Atash-kadeh'', is a castle located on the slopes of the mountain on which
Dezh Dokhtar is situated. Built in AD 224 by King
Ardashir I
Ardashir I (), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180–242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire, the last empire of ancient Iran. He was also Ardashir V of the Kings of Persis, until he founded the new empire. After defeating the last Par ...
of the
Sassanian Empire
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
, it is located north of the ancient city of ''Gor''.
*
Pooladkaf is a
ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area–a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In North Am ...
in the south of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. It opened in 2002.
* The
Sarvestan Palace is a
Sassanid
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...
-era building in the
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
ian city of
Sarvestan
Sarvestan () is a city in the Central District of Sarvestan County, Fars province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
The city is southeast of Shiraz, the capital of Fars province.
Many tropical and sub-trop ...
.
*
Qal'eh Dokhtar
Qal'eh Dokhtar, Ghale Dokhtar, Dokhtar Castle or Dezh Dokhtar (, "The Maiden Castle") is a castle made by Ardashir I, in present-day Fars province, Fars, Iran, in 209 AD. It is located on a mountain slope near the Firouzabad-Kavar road.
Name
T ...
, is a castle made by
Ardashir I
Ardashir I (), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180–242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire, the last empire of ancient Iran. He was also Ardashir V of the Kings of Persis, until he founded the new empire. After defeating the last Par ...
, in present-day
Fars,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, in 209 AD.
*
Maharloo Lake. Maharloo is a seasonal salt lake about an hour away from Shiraz, with a dominant pink hue because of the amount of red tide in it; however, the strength of the color differs in various times of the year. It is also known as the pink lake.
Margoon_Waterfall_-_panoramio.jpg, Margoon Waterfall
Shapour_statue.jpg, Shapur cave
Shapur cave () is located in the Zagros Mountains, in southern Iran. This cave is near Kazerun in the Chogan valley.
In the cave, on the fourth of five terraces, stands the Colossal Statue of Shapur I, statue of Shapur I, the second ruler of th ...
Gole ashk (2536129888).jpg, Plain of Fritillaria imperialis, Sepidan County
Pooladkaf Ski Resort.jpg, Pooladkaf Ski Resort
Sarvestan_Palace_4.jpg, Sassanid Palace at Sarvestan
Sarvestan () is a city in the Central District of Sarvestan County, Fars province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
The city is southeast of Shiraz, the capital of Fars province.
Many tropical and sub-trop ...
Ghaledokhtar Firuzabad Fars.jpg, Qal'eh Dokhtar
Qal'eh Dokhtar, Ghale Dokhtar, Dokhtar Castle or Dezh Dokhtar (, "The Maiden Castle") is a castle made by Ardashir I, in present-day Fars province, Fars, Iran, in 209 AD. It is located on a mountain slope near the Firouzabad-Kavar road.
Name
T ...
Higher education
Shiraz is home to a vibrant academic community. The
Shiraz University of Medical Sciences was the first university in Shiraz and was founded in 1946. Much older is the august Madrasa-e-Khan, or
Khan Theological School, with about 600 students; its tile-covered buildings date from 1627.
Today
Shiraz University is the largest university in the province, and one of Iran's best academic centers. Other major universities in or nearby Shiraz are the
Islamic Azad University of Shiraz,
Shiraz University of Technology, and
Shiraz University of Applied Science and Technology.
The
Shiraz Regional Library of Science and Technology is a provincial library serving the public. Virtual University of Shiraz is one of the sub colleges of
Shiraz University.
Transportation
Air
Shiraz International Airport, also known as
Shiraz Shahid Dastgheib International Airport, serves as the largest airport in southern
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
.
Metro

Construction of a
metro system was started in 2001 by the Shiraz Urban Railway Organization. The plan is to create six lines. The length of the first Line is , the length of the second line will be approximately .
The first three lines, when completed, will have 32 stations below ground, six above, and one special station connected to the
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
. The first line was started in October 2014 between Shahid Dastgheib (airport) Metro Station and
Ehsan stations.
Bus
The Shiraz and suburbs bus organization was established in 1966. In that year, the company purchased 10 buses from the Iran National Company using both cash and installments. The company had a staff of 10 drivers, 40 assistant drivers, 50 ticket sellers, and 10 repairmen and inspectors. The daily salary of each full-time driver (6 am to 10 pm) was set at 160 rials, while assistant drivers and ticket sellers were set at 83 rials. With the purchased buses, the company launched lines one, two, and three, which were welcomed by the people. Now Shiraz has 71 bus lines.
Rail

Shiraz is connected with the rest of
Iran's railway network. The trains arrive and leave from
Shiraz railway station, Iran's largest railway station according to surface area.
Roads
There are 700,000 cars in the city of Shiraz.
*
Road 63
*
Road 93
Sports
Football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
is the most popular sport in Shiraz and the city has teams in this sport. The main sporting venue in Shiraz is
Hafezieh Stadium
The Hafeziyeh Stadium () is a multi-purpose stadium in Shiraz, Iran. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home stadium of Persian Gulf League side, Fajr Sepasi F.C. The stadium also is used for some mat ...
which can hold up to 20,000 people. Shiraz is also home to another stadium,
Pars Stadium, which was completed in 2017, and can host up to 50,000 spectators.
Notable people
Rulers and political figures
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Absh Khatun, 13th-century ruler
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Karim Khan
Mohammad Karim Khan Zand (; ) was the founder of the Zand dynasty, ruling all of Iran (Persia) except for Khorasan from 1751 to 1779. He also ruled over some of the Caucasian lands and occupied Basra for some years.
While Karim was ruler, Ir ...
, the ruler and de facto
Shah
Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...
of Iran from 1760 until 1779. He made Shiraz his capital.
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Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to
United States President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed For ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
, born in Shiraz to African-American parents.
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Kamran Bagheri. He was
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
's
Minister of Health and Medical Education
The Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) has executive responsibility for health and medical education within the Iranian government. The MOHME comprises five departments headed by deputy ministers: Healthcare in Iran, Health, Scienc ...
.
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Jimmy Delshad, 67th and 70th
Mayor of Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California, was incorporated January 24, 1914. The City Council members of Beverly Hills are elected by the voters. The rotating positions of Mayor and Vice Mayor are selected by the City Council from among themselves. The followi ...
Religious figures, philosophers and theologians
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Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi. He lived during the
Fatimid Caliphate
The Fatimid Caliphate (; ), also known as the Fatimid Empire, was a caliphate extant from the tenth to the twelfth centuries CE under the rule of the Fatimids, an Isma'ili Shi'a dynasty. Spanning a large area of North Africa and West Asia, i ...
and was considered one of the most learned scholars of that time, known as an author of Islamic books, a poet, and scientist.
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Mulla Sadra
Ṣadr ad-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī, more commonly known as Mullā Ṣadrā (; ; c. 1571/2 – c. 1635/40 CE / 980 – 1050 AH), was a Persians, Persian Twelver Shi'a, Shi'i Islamic philosophy, Islamic mystic, philosopher, Kalam, theologian, a ...
, Islamic philosopher and theologian who led the Iranian cultural renaissance in the 17th century
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Siyyid 'Alí Muḥammad Shírází, the founder of
Bábism
Bábism () is a Messianism, messianic movement founded in 1844 by Báb, the Báb ( 'Ali Muhammad). The Báb, an Iranian merchant-turned-prophet, professed that there is one incorporeal, unknown, and incomprehensible GodEdward Granville Browne ...
, and one of three central figures of the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
Academics and scientists
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Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, 13th-century Iranian poet and scholar
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Sibawayh, linguist and grammarian of the Arabic language
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Firouz Naderi (1946–2023), scientist and currently the Director for
Solar System Exploration
Discovery and exploration of the Solar System is observation, visitation, and increase in knowledge and understanding of Earth's "cosmic neighborhood". This includes the Sun, Earth and the Moon, the major planets Mercury (planet), Mercury, Venus, ...
at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
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Gholam A. Peyman (born 1937), inventor of
LASIK
LASIK or Lasik (; "laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis"), commonly referred to as laser eye surgery or laser vision correction, is a type of refractive surgery for the correction of myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism. LASIK surgery is p ...
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Ali Asghar Khodadoust (1935–2018), Professor of
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...
, originator of the
Khodadoust line method
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M. Hashem Pesaran (born 1946), Iranian Economist, emeritus professor of economics at University of Cambridge
Poets and writers
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Saadi, poet of the
medieval period
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
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Hafez, poet
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Shahriyar Mandanipour, writer
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Simin Daneshvar, novelist and author
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Mehdi Hamidi Shirazi (1914–1986), contemporary poet
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Fereidoon Tavallali (1917–1985), contemporary poet and intellectual
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Abdolali Dastgheib (born 1931), literary critic writer
Other artists
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Bahram Dabiri (born 1979), painter and artist
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Shirazeh Houshiary (born 1955), artist, born in Shiraz in 1955. She lives in London.
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Arsi Nami (born 1984), award-winning singer and songwriter
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Ebrahim Golestan (1922–2023), writer and filmmaker
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Gholamhossein Saber (born 1941), artist
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Tooji (born 1987), singer, model and television host. He represented
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
in the
Eurovision Song Contest 2012
The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the 57th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, following the country's victory at the with the song "Running Scared (Ell & Nikki song), Running Scared" by Ell & Nikki, El ...
in
Baku
Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
,
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
.
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Bahar Pars (born 1979), actress
Others
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Mohammad Namazi, philanthropist and founder of the Namazi hospital in Shiraz. This later became the catalyst for the establishment of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 1955; one of the country's top medical schools.
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Mohammad Bahmanbeigi, activist, founding father of instructions for tribes in Iran
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Eghbal Hamidy,
Formula One car
A Formula One car or F1 car is a single-seat, open-cockpit, open-wheel racing car, open-wheel formula racing car used to compete in Formula One racing events. It has substantial front and rear wings, large wheels, and a turbocharged engine mid ...
designer for
Williams,
Stewart,
Arrows, and
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
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Jamaluddin Mostaghimi (born 1916), physician
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Omid Norouzi, Iranian wrestler, world and Olympic champion
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Abbas Dowran, acclaimed fighter jet pilot who died during the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Shiraz is
twinned with:
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Chongqing
ChongqingPostal Romanization, Previously romanized as Chungking ();. is a direct-administered municipality in Southwestern China. Chongqing is one of the four direct-administered municipalities under the State Council of the People's Republi ...
, China
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Dushanbe
Dushanbe is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Tajikistan. , Dushanbe had a population of 1,564,700, with this population being largely Tajiks, Tajik. Until 1929, the city was known in Russian as Dyushambe, and from 1929 to 1961 as St ...
, Tajikistan
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Nanjing
Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400.
Situated in the Yang ...
, China
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Novi Sad
Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...
,
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
(2023)
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Nicosia
Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities.
Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...
, Cyprus
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Pécs
Pécs ( , ; ; Slovak language, Slovak: ''Päťkostolie''; also known by #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the c ...
, Hungary
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Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
, Japan
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Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...
, Germany
See also
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1853 Shiraz earthquake – killed at least 9,000 people
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Ahmadi Square
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Shiraz Arts Festival
The Shiraz Festival of Arts (Persian language, Persian: جشنواره هنر شیراز) was an annual international summer arts festival, held in Iran bringing about the encounter between the East and the West. It was held from 1967 to 1977 in ...
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Shirazi salad – originated from and is named after Shiraz
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Swedish intervention in Persia
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Shiraz expedition
Notes
References
Bibliography
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External links
360° VR panorama gallery of Shiraz
{{Iranian Architecture
Populated places in Shiraz County
Cities in Fars province
Sasanian cities
Ancient history of Iran