A Little History

Shiraz is the iconic, laid-back, cultural center of southern Iran. An ancient city known for its gardens, its poets (Hafez and Sa’di), and its wine, it is the capital of Fars Province, succeeding Persepolis (an hour’s drive away), which was an important capital of the Achaemenids (550–330 BCE). In former times the city bore such titles as the Seat of Government/dar al-molk, the Abode of Knowledge/dar al-elm, and the Tower of Saints/borj-e awlia. But Shiraz was sacked by the Afghans and suffered much internal turmoil during the 1720s and did not regain its equilibrium and start thriving again until the 1770s.