Why is Shiraz called the city of poets?

Shiraz is the birthplace and burial place of the two most beloved lyric poets of the Persian language, Hafez (d. 1390) and Saadi (d. 1291). Their tomb gardens — the Hafezieh and Saadieh — remain active pilgrimage sites where Iranians read and recite by candlelight, especially on Yalda night and the poet's commemoration days.

What is the pink mosque of Shiraz?

The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (1888), a late-Qajar congregational mosque in the old city, is famed for the stained-glass windows of its winter prayer hall that throw kaleidoscopic colour across the Persian carpets at sunrise — the source of the 'pink mosque' nickname popular on social media.

What was the Zand dynasty?

The Zand dynasty (1751–1794), founded by Karim Khan Zand, made Shiraz the capital of Iran for forty years. Karim Khan refused the title of Shah, calling himself instead Vakil-e Ra'aya, 'Deputy of the People', and built the citadel (Arg-e Karim Khan), the Vakil Bazaar and the Vakil Mosque that still anchor the historic city.

When should I visit Shiraz?

Spring (March–May) is the classical season — the rose harvest at nearby Meymand and Qamsar, the orange blossom in the old city, mild days and the Nowruz tomb-pilgrimages. Autumn is a quieter alternative.

Is Eram Garden one of the UNESCO Persian Gardens?

Yes — Eram is one of the nine gardens inscribed under the serial UNESCO listing 'The Persian Garden' (2011), alongside Pasargadae, Fin, Shazdeh, Dolat-Abad and others.

Why is the pink mosque called pink?

Pink-toned tilework dominates the courtyard façade of the Nasir al-Mulk mosque, and the stained glass throws a wash of magenta and rose across the carpets of the winter prayer hall for the first hour after sunrise — a single, well-timed photograph drove its global fame in the 2010s.

Shiraz — City of Poets, Roses & Wine

City

Capital of Fars

Shiraz sits at 1,500 m on a fertile plain in the southern Zagros, the historic heart of Fars (Pars) — the province that gave the Persian people and the Persian language their name. The city has been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century CE; it served as the capital of the Saffarid, Buyid and Zand dynasties, and its 18th-century quarters around the Arg-e Karim Khan still form the heart of the modern city.

"Khoshā Shirāz o waz‘-e bī-misālash — khodāvandā negah dār az zavālash. (Blessed is Shiraz and her peerless setting — God preserve her from decay.)"
— Hafez, Divan, 14th c.

Sights

What to see

Principal monuments of Shiraz
Site	Era	Note
Tomb of Hafez (Hafezieh)	Rebuilt 1935	Garden pavilion over the poet's grave
Tomb of Saadi (Saadieh)	Rebuilt 1952	Set within a classical Persian garden
Arg-e Karim Khan	1766–1767	Zand citadel of mud-brick and stone
Vakil Mosque & Bazaar	1773	Karim Khan's congregational complex
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque	1876–1888	Qajar 'pink mosque' with stained-glass winter hall
Eram Garden	Qajar, on older terrace	UNESCO Persian Garden, 1879 pavilion
Shah Cheragh	1130 / 14th c. rebuild	Mirror-tiled Shi'a shrine

Region

Gateway to the Achaemenid plain

Shiraz is the practical base for the three great Achaemenid sites of Fars: Persepolis (60 km north-east), Naqsh-e Rustam and Naqsh-e Rajab (immediately north of Persepolis), and Pasargadae (130 km north). The road to Isfahan threads through the same valleys that carried Achaemenid royal couriers, Silk Road caravans and Zand-era pilgrims.

1,500 m

Elevation on the Shiraz plain

1751–1794

Capital of the Zand dynasty

1390

Death of Hafez; his tomb is in Shiraz

1291

Death of Saadi; his tomb is in Shiraz

60 km

To Persepolis (UNESCO 1979)

130 km

To Pasargadae (UNESCO 2004)

Gallery

Shiraz \u2014 city of poets and gardens

The Fars capital of Hafez, Saadi and Karim Khan Zand \u2014 and of the gardens the Persian word pairida\u0113za named.

Aramgah-e Hafez — Hafez's tomb.Wikimedia Commons

Aramgah-e Saadi — the tomb of Saadi.Wikimedia Commons

Bagh-e Eram — the 'Garden of Paradise', UNESCO Persian Garden.Wikimedia Commons

Nasir-ol-Molk (Pink) Mosque — late-Qajar tilework and stained glass.Wikimedia Commons

A Qashqai gabbeh — the wool rugs of the Fars nomads.Wikimedia Commons

Bagh-e Eram from the air.Wikimedia Commons

Images shown here are served from the local media library.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

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References

All imagery is sourced from Wikimedia Commons, public-domain museum collections (British Museum, Louvre, Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Museum of Iran), or UNESCO World Heritage records. No AI-generated images are used. Scholarly text is synthesized from Encyclopædia Iranica, the Cambridge History of Iran, and peer-reviewed publications.