Showing 1-22 of 22 results
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Anglican Church of St Simon the Zealot
The Anglican Church of St Simon the Zealot, built by R Norman Sharp in 1938, is very Iranian in character and even contains stone tablets with biblical stories incised on them in cuneiform, probably by Sharp. According to local tradition, St Simon was martyred in Persia together with St Thaddeus, another of the 12 Apostles. The great metal door bearing a Persian cross is usually closed - ring the doorbell.
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Aramgah-e Hafez
Iranians have a saying that every home must have two things: first the Quran, then Hafez. And many would reverse that order. Hafez the poet is an Iranian folk-hero - loved, revered and as popular as many a modern pop star. Almost every Iranian can quote his work, bending it to whichever social or political persuasion they ascribe to.
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Arg-e Karim Khani
Dominating the city centre, the imposing structure of the Arg-e Karim Khani served as a prison in Pahlavi times. This well-preserved fortress with four 14m-high circular towers was, in the time of the Zand dynasty, part of a royal courtyard that Karim Khan hoped would rival that of Esfahan.
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Armenian Church
The 17th-century Armenian Church, is famous for its frescoes and flat, painted ceiling. However, knocking might not be enough to get you in.
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Bagh-e Eram
Famous for its tall cypress trees, the delightful Bagh-e Eram will impress budding botanists and social anthropologists - the many hidden corners of the gardens are popular with young Shirazis. The gardens are centred around a pretty pool beside a Qajar-era palace, the Kakh-e Eram (Eram Palace), which is not open to the public.
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Bagh-e Jahan Nama
After being closed for years, the lovely Bagh-e Jahan Nama was reopened in 2005. It doesn't have the reputation of Bagh-e Eram, but if you just want to hang out in the greenery, don't want to spend for the privilege and want it to be within walking distance of your hotel, come on down.
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Bagh-e Naranjestan
Bagh-e Naranjestan is Shiraz's smallest garden and is famous as the setting for the opulently decorated Naranjestan-e Ghavam pavilion, built between 1879 and 1886, as part of a complex owned by one of Shiraz's wealthiest Qajar-era families. The pavilion's mirrored entrance hall opens onto rooms covered in a breathtaking combination of intricate tiles, inlaid wooden panels and stained-glass windows.
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Bagh-e Nazar
Bagh-e Nazar and the octagonal Pars Museum at its centre are other notable Zand-era additions. It's possible to walk around the garden and view the delightfully decorated pavilion where Karim Khan received foreign dignitaries. The interior is stunning, with the stalactite ceiling a particular highlight. Exhibits include Karim Khan Zand's sword and indeed, his grave. Photography is not allowed.
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Bazar-e Nou
On the north side of Zand is the less touristy but still pleasingly proportioned Bazar-e Nou, built during the Qajar era.
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Bazar-e Vakil
Shiraz's ancient trading district is comprised of several bazaars dating from different periods. The finest and most famous is the Bazar-e Vakil , a cruciform structure commissioned by Karim Khan as part of his plan to make Shiraz into a great trading centre. The wide vaulted brick avenues are masterpieces of Zand architecture, with the design ensuring the interior remains cool in summer and warm in winter.
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Bogh'e-ye Sayyed Mir Mohammad
In the southeastern corner of the glittering Aramgah-e Shah-e Cheragh is the Bogh'e-ye Sayyed Mir Mohammad, which houses the tombs of two brothers of Mir Ahmad. The shrine has the typical Shirazi bulbous dome, intricate mirror work and four slender wooden pillars, leading some to describe it as more beautiful than Shah-e Cheragh.
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Darvazeh-ye Quran
At the northern and main entrance to Shiraz is a ravine known as the Allah Akbar Gorge because people would praise Allah when they looked from here down to Shiraz below. This is also home to the Darvazeh-ye Quran, a modern and not desperately impressive structure built in 1949 to replace two earlier gateways. The gateway holds a Quran and travellers have traditionally passed underneath it before undertaking any journey.
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Hammam-e Vakil
After years as one of the most popular traditional restaurants in Iran, the Hammam-e Vakil was closed because the kitchen was damaging this classic old building. Shame. In early 2008 it reopened as a modest carpet museum, but its future remained uncertain. If it is open in some form, it's worth popping in for a look at the classic old bathhouse.
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Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze
The Imamzadeh-ye Ali Ebn-e Hamze stands as the tomb of Emir Ali, a nephew of Shah Cheragh who also died here while en route to Khorasan to help Imam Reza. The existing shrine was built in the 19th century after earthquakes destroyed previous incarnations. It has an eyecatching bulbous Shirazi dome, dazzling mirror work, stained-glass windows and an intricate, ancient wooden door. The tombstones around the courtyard, for which families of the deceased paid a small fortune, are also interesting.
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Jameh-ye Atigh Mosque
Walking through the southeastern (back) entrance to the Shah-e Cheragh courtyard and turning right after about 50m leads to the ancient Jameh-ye Atigh Mosque. Dating from 894 this is Shiraz's oldest Islamic structure, though most of what you see is from the late Safavid period onwards.
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Khan-e Zinat ol-Molk
Down a small lane beside the Orange Garden is the Khan-e Zinat ol-Molk, which was originally the private, andaruni area of the complex and is named after its last owner, the daughter of the builder Qavam. Today most of the finely decorated rooms are stuffed with exhibits in the Fars History Museum, while others serve as galleries for young Shirazi artists.
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Madraseh-ye Khan
In 1615, Imam Gholi Khan, governor of Fars, founded the serene Madraseh-ye Khan theological college for about 100 students. The original building has been extensively damaged by earthquakes and only the impressive portal at its entrance has survived; watch for the unusual type of stalactite moulding inside the outer arch and some intricate mosaic tiling with much use of red, in contrast to the tiles used in Yazd and Esfahan.
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Martyr's Mosque
One of the largest ancient mosques in Iran, the rectangular courtyard of the Martyr's Mosque covers more than 11,000 sq metres. Founded at the start of the 13th century, the mosque has been partially rebuilt many times and now has very little in the way of tiling or other decorations, though it does boast some impressive barrel vaulting. It lives under acres of unsightly corrugated fibreglass and is only open on Fridays, when it is still used for prayer. Entry is through a gate off Ahmadi Sq.
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Masjed-e Nasir-ol-Molk
Down the road from the Madraseh-ye Khan, Masjed-e Nasir-ol-Molk is one of the most elegant and photographed mosques in southern Iran. Built at the end of the 19th century, its coloured tiling (an unusually deep shade of blue) is exquisite.
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Masjed-e Vakil
The beautiful Masjed-e Vakil was begun by Karim Khan and is the only major mosque surviving from the late Zand period. Beside the entrance to the bazaar, it has two vast iwans to the north and south, a magnificent inner courtyard surrounded by beautifully tiled alcoves and porches, and a pleasingly proportioned 75m by 36m vaulted prayer hall supported by 48 carved columns.
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Pars Museum
Bagh-e Nazar and the octagonal Pars Museum at its centre are other notable Zand-era additions. It's possible to walk around the garden and view the delightfully decorated pavilion where Karim Khan received foreign dignitaries. The interior is stunning, with the stalactite ceiling a particular highlight. Exhibits include Karim Khan Zand's sword and indeed, his grave. Photography is not allowed.
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Shah-e Cheragh
The remains of Sayyed Mir Ahmad (a brother of Imam Reza) who died in Shiraz in AD 835 are housed at the famous Mausoleum of Shah-e Cheragh. A mausoleum was first erected over the grave in the mid-14th century and it has been an important Shiite shrine and place of pilgrimage ever since.
Showing 1-22 of 22 results
