Shiraz

Shiraz, Iran

The reflecting pool and cypress trees of Eram Garden in Shiraz at sunset.

Shiraz rewards slow days in gardens, old bazaars and quiet tombs, where poets and flowers still shape the city's character.

The place

Shiraz sits in the south-west of Iran at about 1,545 metres, on a plain beside a seasonal river bed, and it is home to roughly 1.6 million people. It is the capital of Fars province and has been a trading centre for centuries, which still shows in its covered bazaars and old merchant houses. Iranians often call it the city of poets, gardens and flowers, a reputation that is easy to believe in spring, when fruit trees blossom and courtyard pools catch the light. Most visitors come for the tombs of two of Iran's best-loved poets, Hafez and Saadi, both on the northern edge of the modern city. The climate is moderate for most of the year, with hot summers and cool winters, so the easiest times to walk the centre are early spring and late autumn. The city has a metro line, wide avenues and heavy traffic around the main roundabouts, but the historic core is compact enough to explore on foot. Hotels cluster near the Arg-e Karim Khan, and most sights sit within a short taxi ride of each other. Be honest with yourself about crowds: domestic tourists fill the gardens at weekends and during the Nowruz holiday, so arrive early and save the afternoons for a long lunch.

Its story

Shiraz has a long past, though its early history is hard to pin down. Archaeologists have found reliefs and fortress ruins around the city from the Achaemenid and Sasanian periods, and clay seals from the Sasanian era link the place name with a nearby administrative district. Scholars think the name may descend from an older Elamite form, which suggests a settlement stood near the site of the later town long before the Islamic period. Opinions differ on what that settlement was. Some historians argue that early written sources say so little about Shiraz that it may have been no more than a waystation on the plain. Others believe it was among the most important places in the area, a view that rests largely on the scale of the surviving remains. The city's fortunes rose under the Saffarid and Buyid dynasties, and by the 13th century it had become a leading centre of the arts and letters, encouraged by its rulers and by the scholars and artists living there. That is the Shiraz that produced Saadi and Hafez. Later, in the Zand period, Karim Khan made the city his base, and the citadel and Vakil Mosque from that era still define the old centre. Walking those streets today, you are following a story that has been told, rebuilt and retold for centuries.

What to see

Culture

Referred to as the home of poets, gardens, wine, nightingales, and flowers, the city genuinely holds onto that identity in everyday routines. Gardens are central to Iranian culture, and the city has several old ones, including Eram Garden and the Afif Abad garden, where people gather in the afternoons. Shiraz was the birthplace of the poet Hafez and the home of Saadi, whose verse is still quoted in conversation and carved on monuments. Wine has a history here too. Locals often mention that Shiraz and Jerez in Spain both have roots in the origins of sherry. Those claims sit uneasily with the present rules: under the current Islamic regime, alcohol cannot be drunk in public and is only permitted to religious minorities, so do not expect to order wine in restaurants. Conversation is often warm and curious, and people may invite you to tea, so accept if you are comfortable doing so. Visit the tombs of Hafez and Saadi quietly, and ask before you photograph anyone, particularly women and families.

What to wear

Traditional dress in Shiraz is less a costume for visitors than an everyday memory. Older women in the bazaars and villages around Fars have long worn long, loose dresses in printed cotton, often with embroidered borders, and the chador, a full-length cloak, was once common in the city. Fars is also known for its flatweave kilims and knotted gabbeh rugs, woven by Qashqai and other nomadic communities in the surrounding hills from wool and goat hair dyed with plant colours. Today most people in Shiraz wear modern clothes: jeans, fitted shirts and trainers for young people, and the manteau, a knee-length tunic worn over trousers, with a loose headscarf, the roosari, for women of all ages. Many women choose bright colours and fashionable cuts within the rules, so the streets look lively. As a visitor, dress modestly in all public places. Women should carry a scarf to cover their hair and wear a long top that reaches below the hips, with trousers or a long skirt. Men should keep shoulders and knees covered. Choose closed, comfortable shoes with good grip for uneven pavements, old tiles and garden paths, and bring a light layer for air-conditioned interiors.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. April and November are the most comfortable months: the gardens are green, the air is mild and the centre is easy to walk. Summers are hot and dry, and winters can be cold at night.

How long. 2–3

Getting there. Shiraz International Airport (SYZ) has domestic flights across Iran and some international links, including Istanbul and Dubai; taxis or app-booked cars take you into the city. Overland, the bus from Isfahan takes about six hours, and the train from Tehran takes 10–15 hours.

Budget. low

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources