About Opentopia
Opentopia Directory Encyclopedia Tools

Shiraz, Iran

Encyclopedia : S : SH : SHI : Shiraz, Iran

Eram Garden, Shiraz' most popular garden.
Enlarge
Eram Garden, Shiraz' most popular garden.

Shirāz (شیراز in Persian) is a city in southwest Iran (Persia).

Its elevation is 1486 metres above sea level amidst the Zagros Mountains, and it is the capital of Fars Province. The city had an estimated population of 1,255,955 in 2005.[link]

Shiraz was the capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty from 1750 until 1794, after which the Qajar dynasty moved the capital to Tehran, as well as briefly during the Saffavid period.[link]

It is known as the city of Poetry and Roses. It has a moderate climate and has been a regional trade center for more than a thousand years.

Contents

Geography

Map of Iran and surrounding countries, showing location of Shiraz
Official Website: [www.ShirazCity.org]

Shirāz is located in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains in about 29° N, 52° E and elevation of about 1600 meters (5200 ft).

In relation to its neighboring provinces, Yazd and Khouzestan, Shirāz has a more moderate climate, with warm/hot summers and mild winters.

The city's economic base is in its provincial products: it produces grapes, citrus fruits, cotton and rice.

In Shirāz itself, industries such as cement production, sugar, fertilizer, textile products, wood products, metalwork and rugs dominate.

Shirāz is also a major center for Iran's electronic industries and has a major oil refinery as well.

Shirāz is famous for its carpet production and flowers as well. It is also believed that the name of the Shiraz grape originates from here as well (although the grape itself has been shown, through genetic testing, to have originated in France.)

Attractions of Shiraz

Shirāz is Iran's city of poets, as some of Persian poetry's giants are buried here.
Enlarge
Shirāz is Iran's city of poets, as some of Persian poetry's giants are buried here.

Major popular attractions in Shirāz include:

Image:Vakeel-mosque.jpg|Shirāz was once capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty. Seen here is the Vakeel Mosque. Image:Ghavam garden shiraz.jpg|Shiraz was once world famous for its many gardens and aromatic flowers. The Ghavam House Garden is one of few remaining gardens still to be found today. Image:Nasirolmolk arcade.jpg|Shirazi Qajar era architecture: The arcade of Nasir al-Molk mosque. Image:Shirazu.gif|Shiraz University Central Library overlooks the city of Shiraz.

Nearby Shiraz are located:

and more than 200 other sites of historical significance, according to Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization.

History of Shiraz

Shiraz is most likely more than 3000 years old. The earliest reference to the city date back to approximately 2000 B.C. The ancient Elamite name for this city was written Tiraziš. This was according to Elamite clay tablets dated to 2000 BC found in June of 1970 while digging to make a kiln for a brick making factory in SW corner of the city. Phonetically, this is interpreted as /tiračis/ or /ćiračis/. This name became Old Persian /širājiš/; through regular sound change comes the modern Persian name Shirāz. The name Shiraz also appears on clay sealings found at Qasr-i Abu Nasr, a Sassanid ruin, east of the city, (2nd century A.D.) . Incidentally the oldest sample of wine in the world dating to approximately 7000 years ago was also discovered on clay jars recovered outside of Shiraz.

Image:Zand citadel wall.jpg|The Zand Citadel is another remnant of the Zand era in downtown Shiraz. Image:4rah zand shiraz.jpg|Scene from the bustling "Zand Blvd" in downtown Shiraz. Image:Afif abad.jpg|Afif abad garden is yet another example of late Qajarid era architecture in Shiraz, and a fine example of Persian gardens. Image:Nasirolmolk colors.jpg|Qajarid era architecture of Shiraz.

Fars province is home to three capitals in Persian history. The ruins of Persepolis, about 2500 years old, are found about 60 km northeast of Shiraz, as a witness to the ancient glory of the Achaemenid empire. Persepolis, Firouzabad, and Pasargadae are nearby ancient cynosures of this ancient civilization.

We know of Shiraz during the Sassanid era, (2nd to 6th century A.D.) as has been written in p126 of Hudud ul-'alam min al-mashriq ila al-maghrib, where two fire temples and a fortress called "Shahmobad" are reported. Hamdollah Mostowfi also verifies the existence of pre-Islamic settlements in Shiraz in his Nozhat ol-Qolub, p112. Shirāz as a city however began to grow in the 7th century when the power of the former regional capital Istakhr was broken by the Arabs. The major events during and after the Islamic conquest of Iran are:

After the revolution, the authorities renovated many sites in the city and rebuilt the [Shiraz International Airport]

Agriculture has always been a major part of the economy in and around Shiraz. This is partially due to a relative abundance of water compared to the surrounding deserts. The Gardens of Shiraz and "Evenings of Shiraz" are famous throughout Iran and the middle east. The moderate climate and the beauty of the city has made it a major tourist attraction.

Shiraz is also home to many Jews who are mostly into jewelry business.

Shiraz in poetry

شوم یک سر برونم تا به شیراز
که در هر منزلم صد آشنایی

"Straight to Shiraz I will flee,
a hundred friends I'll find at every stop."

خوشا شیراز و وضع بی مثالش
خداوندا نگهدار از زوالش

"Pleasant is Shiraz and its incomparable state.
Oh lord, preserve it from decline!"

شیراز و آب رکنی و این باد خوش نسیم
عیبش مکن که خال رخ هفت کشور است

"Shiraz and the water of Roknabad, and this pleasant breeze,
Fault it not! For it is the beauty of seven nations."

Image:Hafez tomb.jpg|The mausoleum of Hafez attracts millions of visitors yearly. Not far, is the tomb of Shah Shoja, his patron. Image:Saadi.jpg|The tomb and mausoleum of the famous mystic poet Sa'di. Image:Darvazeh qoran shiraz.jpg|Above the Quaran gate, buried in the rocks is Khwaju Kermani, another mystic poet of Shiraz. Image:Ibn khafeef tomb.jpg|The tomb of the 9th century sage Ibn Khafif is today a public library and gathering place for youngsters.

Research and Education

Shiraz is home to excellent academic community.

The major universities in or nearby Shirāz today are:

Shiraz International Airport.
Enlarge
Shiraz International Airport.

Transportation

Shiraz is accessible via freeways to Isfahan, roadways to Bushehr, and air. A metro system is being built by the Shiraz urban railway organization

Airports

Notable people

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
[Special]

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

Search Titles
0123456789
ABCDEFGHIJ
KLMNOPQRST
UVWXYZ?

E-mail this article to:

Personal Message: