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Shiraz

Celebrated as the heartland of Persian culture for over 2000 years, Shiraz has become synonymous with education, nightingales, poetry and wine. It was one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and was the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty (AD 1747–79), when many of its most beautiful buildings were built or restored.

A city of poets, Shiraz is home to the graves of Hafez and Sa’di, both major pilgrimage sites for Iranians. It’s also home to splendid gardens, exquisite mosques and whispered echoes of ancient sophistication that reward those who linger beyond the customary excursion to nearby Persepolis – the area’s major tourist destination.

There are the usual Iranian traffic issues, but the city’s agreeable climate, set in a fertile valley once famed for its vineyards, makes it a pleasant place to visit (except at the humid height of summer or the freezing depths of winter).

Explore Shiraz

B
Bagh-e Naranjestan
Named after the bitter oranges that line the central courtyard, this is Shiraz’s smallest but most lovely garden. Enclosing the delightful Naranjestan-e…
M
Masjed-e Nasir Al Molk
One of the most elegant and most photographed pieces of architecture in southern Iran, the Pink Mosque was built at the end of the 19th century and its…
N
Naranjestan-e Ghavam Pavilion
Set within an exquisite garden, Bagh-e Naranjestan, this pavilion was built for the wealthy and powerful Mohammad Ali Khan Qavam al-Molk between 1879 and…
B
Bagh-e Nazar
This formal garden encompasses an octagonal pavilion, which is now home to the Pars Museum. Karim Khan once received foreign dignitaries in the pavilion,…
P
Pars Museum
The tiny but beautiful pavilion housing this museum is as much of an attraction as the fine collection showcased therein.
A
Aramgah-e Shah-e Cheragh
Sayyed Mir Ahmad, one of Imam Reza’s 17 brothers, was hunted down and killed by the caliphate on this site in AD 835 and his remains are housed in a…
A
Aramgah-e Hafez
There is no better place to understand Hafez’s place in the nation’s psyche than at his tomb and the memorial garden within which it is set. Iranians have…
B
Bazar-e Vakil
The city’s ancient trading district is home to several bazaars dating from different periods. The finest and most famous of these is the Bazar-e Vakil, a…
M
Masjed-e Vakil
Begun in Karim Khan’s time, this mosque next to the tribal arts arcade in the Bazar-e Vakil has an impressive tiled portal, a recessed entrance decorated…

B
Bagh-e Naranjestan
Named after the bitter oranges that line the central courtyard, this is Shiraz’s smallest but most lovely garden. Enclosing the delightful Naranjestan-e…
M
Masjed-e Nasir Al Molk
One of the most elegant and most photographed pieces of architecture in southern Iran, the Pink Mosque was built at the end of the 19th century and its…
N
Naranjestan-e Ghavam Pavilion
Set within an exquisite garden, Bagh-e Naranjestan, this pavilion was built for the wealthy and powerful Mohammad Ali Khan Qavam al-Molk between 1879 and…
B
Bagh-e Nazar
This formal garden encompasses an octagonal pavilion, which is now home to the Pars Museum. Karim Khan once received foreign dignitaries in the pavilion,…
P
Pars Museum
The tiny but beautiful pavilion housing this museum is as much of an attraction as the fine collection showcased therein.
A
Aramgah-e Shah-e Cheragh
Sayyed Mir Ahmad, one of Imam Reza’s 17 brothers, was hunted down and killed by the caliphate on this site in AD 835 and his remains are housed in a…
A
Aramgah-e Hafez
There is no better place to understand Hafez’s place in the nation’s psyche than at his tomb and the memorial garden within which it is set. Iranians have…
B
Bazar-e Vakil
The city’s ancient trading district is home to several bazaars dating from different periods. The finest and most famous of these is the Bazar-e Vakil, a…
M
Masjed-e Vakil
Begun in Karim Khan’s time, this mosque next to the tribal arts arcade in the Bazar-e Vakil has an impressive tiled portal, a recessed entrance decorated…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Shiraz.

See
Bagh-e Naranjestan
Named after the bitter oranges that line the central courtyard, this is Shiraz’s smallest but most lovely garden. Enclosing the delightful Naranjestan-e…
See
Masjed-e Nasir Al Molk
One of the most elegant and most photographed pieces of architecture in southern Iran, the Pink Mosque was built at the end of the 19th century and its…
See
Naranjestan-e Ghavam Pavilion
Set within an exquisite garden, Bagh-e Naranjestan, this pavilion was built for the wealthy and powerful Mohammad Ali Khan Qavam al-Molk between 1879 and…
See
Bagh-e Nazar
This formal garden encompasses an octagonal pavilion, which is now home to the Pars Museum. Karim Khan once received foreign dignitaries in the pavilion,…
See
Pars Museum
The tiny but beautiful pavilion housing this museum is as much of an attraction as the fine collection showcased therein.
See
Aramgah-e Shah-e Cheragh
Sayyed Mir Ahmad, one of Imam Reza’s 17 brothers, was hunted down and killed by the caliphate on this site in AD 835 and his remains are housed in a…
See
Aramgah-e Hafez
There is no better place to understand Hafez’s place in the nation’s psyche than at his tomb and the memorial garden within which it is set. Iranians have…
See
Bazar-e Vakil
The city’s ancient trading district is home to several bazaars dating from different periods. The finest and most famous of these is the Bazar-e Vakil, a…
See
Masjed-e Vakil
Begun in Karim Khan’s time, this mosque next to the tribal arts arcade in the Bazar-e Vakil has an impressive tiled portal, a recessed entrance decorated…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Shiraz

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