Aramgah-e Hafez

Lonely Planet review

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.

There is no better place to try to understand Hafez's eternal hold on Iran than here, at his tomb. Set in a charming garden with its two pools, the whole scene is very restful, despite the ever-present traffic noise. The marble tombstone, engraved with a long verse from the poet's works, was placed here, inside a small shrine, by Karim Khan in 1773. In 1935, an octagonal pavilion was put up over it, supported by eight stone columns beneath a tiled dome. Plan to spend a couple of hours sitting in a discreet corner of the grounds, at sunset if possible, to watch the way Iranians react to what is, for many, a pilgrimage to his tomb.