Shiraz

Though, there is no definitive record of its existence prior to the late 7th century CE, few archaeological finds dating from 1933 and beyond indicate that the site or vicinity of Shiraz was likely settled in the pre-Islamic era as early as the 6th century BCE.[16] A number of Achaemenid and Sasanian-era remains have been discovered around the city, including reliefs at Barm-e Delak to the east and Guyim to the northwest, and ruins of Sasanian fortresses at Qasr-e Abu Nasr to the east and Fahandezh.[17] The latter is identified with the fortress of Shahmobad mentioned as being in Shiraz by the 10th-century geographical work, Hudud al-'alam.[17] the Sasanian and early Islamic-era clay seals found at Qasr-e-Abu Nasr mention the name "Shiraz" alongside the name of the Sasanian administrative district of the area, Ardashir-Khwarrah.[18] According to the diplomat and academic John Limbert, this indicates that the name "Shiraz" is traced back to the Elamite "Shirrazish" and that both refer to a settlement that existed at the site of Qasr-e-Abu Nasr.[18]

Interpretations of what type of settlement ancient Shiraz was vary. According to Berney and Ring, the lack of references to Shiraz in early Persian sources suggests the city could not have been more than a way-station in the plain in which it lies.[16] On the other hand, according to Abdolmajed Arfaee, Achaemenid-era Shiraz must have been one of the most important settlements in the area.[19] He bases this on its frequent appearance in the Persepolis Administrative Archives (84 different tablets) as well as the number of workers present – in groups as large as 490.[19] Most textual references to Shiraz involve rations for workers; it is never mentioned as a travel destination.[19] Arfaee says that Sasanian Shiraz was relatively insignificant before its re-foundation in the early Islamic period.[19] According to John Limbert, however, Shiraz prospered between the 6th and 8th-centuries CE and was possibly the administrative center for the Shiraz plain until the modern city of Shiraz was founded.[20]

The present city of Shiraz was founded or restored in 693 by Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Thaqafi, the brother of the Umayyad viceroy of the eastern half of the caliphate, al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, or the latter's kinsman Muhammad ibn Qasim.[21][22] The Arab Muslim army had conquered the wider region of Fars, where the site of Shiraz is located, in several expeditions launched from their garrison town of Basra between 640 and 653, and specifically captured the immediate area around Shiraz early on, in 641. This area did not possess any cities, though there were a number of forts which were forced to pay tribute to the Arabs.[23] The Sasanians held firm in Istakhr, their capital in Fars, until the Arabs captured it in a heavy battle in 653, during which the plain of Shiraz had been utilized as an Arab campground.[23] Because of Istakhr's deep association with the Sasanian Empire and the Zoroastrian religion, the Arabs sought to establish in nearby Shiraz a rival cultural and administrative center.[23] Thus, during its initial founding in 693, the city was planned to be much larger than Isfahan.[23] However, the initial ambitions were not realized and Shiraz remained a "provincial backwater" in the shadow of Istakhr until at least the late 9th century, according to Limbert.[23] This is partly attributed to the reticence of the largely Zoroastrian population of Fars to inhabit the Islamic Arab city.[23] As the population gradually shifted to Islam from Zoroastrianism and Istakhr concurrently declined, Shiraz grew into the practical center of Fars.[23]

According to Muslim traditional sources, Shiraz was used as a hideout by three of the brothers of the Shia Muslim imam Ali al-Ridha following the latter's death in 817/18 and later by one of the brothers' sons, Ali ibn Hamza ibn Musa, until he was found and executed by the Abbasid authorities in c. 835.[24] As Abbasid authority waned during this period, regional dynasties emerged with considerable autonomy.[16] In the late 9th century, the Iranian Muslim Saffarid dynasty under Ya'qub ibn al-Layth made Shiraz the capital of their autonomous state, which encompassed most of modern-day Iran.[16][23][25] In 894, Ya'qub's brother and successor, Amr, founded the city's first congregational mosque, today known as the Atigh Jame' Mosque.[26][25]

The Iranian Buyid dynasty under Imad al-Dawla Ali ibn Buya ousted the Saffarids in 933 and his nephew and successor, 'Adud al-Dawla Fana Khusraw, took over and ruled Fars between 949 and 983, and added Iraq, the seat of the Abbasid Caliphate, to his Shiraz-based domains in 977;[25] the Abbasids thenceforth became a puppet state of the Shiraz-based dynasty.[16] Shiraz developed into the largest and most prosperous city of Fars and an important economic and cultural center of the caliphate.[25][27] Adud al-Dawla had a large library, a hospital and several mosques, bazaars, caravanserais, palaces and gardens built in the city, while south of it he erected a fortified camp for his troops, known as Kard Fana Khusraw, in 974.[25][27] One of the congregational mosques built by Adud al-Dawla has survived until the present day.[16] Two Zoroastrian fire temples also existed in Shiraz,[25] catering to the Persians who had not converted to Islam.[16] One of Adud al-Dawla's palaces stretched out for nearly three miles and consisted of 360 rooms.[16]

Under the Buyids, Shiraz was divided into twelve quarters and had eight gates.[27] It owed its economic prosperity to the booming agricultural trade of Fars.[16] The city largely consumed the agricultural products of the province, including grapes, linen, wool, cotton, collyrium, rose, violet and palm-blossom water.[27] It was also a market for rug weavers and painters to sell their pricey products, a testament to the residents' wealth.[16] At the time, wine, grains, gold and silver were exported from the Farsi port cities of Siraf and Najairam.[16] Adud al-Dawla patronized scientific, medical and Islamic religious research in Shiraz.[16]

The city was spared destruction by the invading Mongols, when its local ruler offered tributes and submission to Genghis Khan. Shiraz was again spared by Tamerlane, when in 1382 the local monarch, Shah Shoja agreed to submit to the invader.[28] In the 13th century, Shiraz became a leading center of the arts and letters, thanks to the encouragement of its ruler and the presence of many Persian scholars and artists. For this reason the city was named by classical geographers Dar al-'Elm, the House of Knowledge.[29] Among the Iranian poets, mystics and philosophers born in Shiraz were the poets Sa'di[30] and Hafiz,[31] the mystic Ruzbehan, and the philosopher Mulla Sadra.[32] Thus Shiraz has been nicknamed "The Athens of Iran".[33] As early as the 11th century, several hundred thousand people inhabited Shiraz.[34] In the 14th century Shiraz had sixty thousand inhabitants.[35] During the 16th century it had a population of 200,000 people, which by the mid-18th century had decreased to only 55,000.

• 
  The shrine of Shah Cheragh houses the remains of Sayyid Ahmad, son of Imam Musa al-Kazim
• 
  Tomb of Seyed Alaeddin Husayn, brother of Sayyid Ahmad nearby
• 
  Imamzadeh Ali ibn Hamzah, nephew of Shah Cheragh and Imam Reza.[36][37]

An illustration of Shiraz by French traveler Jean Chardin in 1670s while he was travelling through the Safavid empire

In 1504, Shiraz was captured by the forces of Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid dynasty. Throughout the Safavid empire (1501–1722) Shiraz remained a provincial capital and Emam Qoli Khan, the governor of Fars under Shah Abbas I, constructed many palaces and ornate buildings in the same style as those built during the same period in Isfahan, the capital of the Empire.[28] After the fall of the Safavids, Shiraz suffered a period of decline, worsened by the raids of the Afghans and the rebellion of its governor against Nader Shah; the latter sent troops to suppress the revolt. The city was besieged for many months and eventually sacked. At the time of Nader Shah's murder in 1747, most of the historical buildings of the city were damaged or ruined, and its population fell to 50,000, one-quarter of that during the 16th century.[28]

Shiraz soon returned to prosperity under the rule of Karim Khan Zand, who made it his capital in 1762. Employing more than 12,000 workers, he constructed a royal district with a fortress, many administrative buildings, a mosque, and one of the finest covered bazaars in Iran.[28] He had a moat built around the city, constructed an irrigation and drainage system, and rebuilt the city walls.[28] However, Karim Khan's heirs failed to secure his gains. When Agha Mohammad Khan, the founder of the Qajar dynasty, eventually came to power, he wreaked his revenge on Shiraz by destroying the city's fortifications and moving the national capital to Tehran.[28] Although lowered to the rank of a provincial capital, Shiraz maintained a level of prosperity as a result of the continuing importance of the trade route to the Persian Gulf. Its governorship was a royal prerogative throughout the Qajar dynasty.[28] Many of the famous gardens, buildings and residences built during this time contribute to the city's present skyline.

Shiraz is the birthplace of the co-founder of the Baháʼí Faith, the Báb (Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad, 1819–1850). In this city, on the evening of 22 May 1844, he first declared his mission as the bearer of a new divine revelation.[38] For this reason Shiraz is a holy city for Baháʼís, and the city, particularly the house of the Báb, was identified as a place of pilgrimage.[39] Due to the hostile climate towards Baháʼís in Iran, the house has been the target of repeated attacks; the house was destroyed in 1979, to be paved over two years later and made into a public square.[39]

In 1910, a pogrom of the Jewish quarter started after false rumours that the Jews had ritually murdered a Muslim girl. In the course of the riots, 12 Jews were murdered and about 50 were injured, and the 6,000 Jews of Shiraz were robbed of all their possessions.[40]

During the Pahlavi dynasty, Shiraz became the center of attention again. Many important landmarks like Tombs of Poets' such as Sa'di[30] and Hafiz,[31] were constructed and presented to the public.

Lacking any great industrial, religious or strategic importance, Shiraz became an administrative center, although its population has nevertheless grown considerably since the 1979 revolution.[41]

• 
  Shiraz, André D. Deslandes, 1671
• 
  Shiraz, Jean Struys, 1681
• 
  Lotf Ali Khan (1769–1794), ruler of the Zand dynasty
• 
  Illustration of the Vakil Bazaar by Jane Dieulafoy, 1881
• 
  Women from Shiraz, by Dieulafoy in 1881
• 
  Qur'an Gate, Harold F. Weston, 20th century painting

Narenjestan Qavam

The city's municipality and other related institutions have initiated restoration and reconstruction projects.[28]

Some of the most recent projects have been the complete restoration of the Arg of Karim Khan and of the Vakil Bath, as well as a comprehensive plan for the preservation of the old city quarters. Other noteworthy initiatives include the total renovation of the Qur'an Gate and the mausoleum of the poet Khwaju Kermani, both located in the Allah-u-Akbar Gorge, as well as the restoration and expansion of the mausoleum of the famous Shiraz-born poets Hafiz and Saadi.[28]

Several different construction projects are currently underway that will modernize the city's infrastructure.[42]

After the Iranian Revolution, Shiraz was re-established as the capital of Iranian Art and Culture among the people. Shiraz is known as the capital of Persian Art, Culture and Literature. However, the current government has tried to re-brand the city as "Sevomin haram-e ahle beit" meaning "Third home of Saints" referring to the Shahcheragh shrine and some other holy places in the city.

Shiraz contains a considerable number of gardens. Due to population growth in the city, many of these gardens may be lost to give way to new developments. Although some measures have been taken by the Municipality to preserve these gardens, many illegal developments still endanger them.

Sunset in Shiraz, with Derock Mountain in the background

Shiraz's climate has distinct seasons, and is overall classed as a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk), though it is only a little short of a hot semi-arid climate .[43] Summers are hot, with a July average high of 37.9 °C (100.2 °F). Winters are cool, with average low temperatures below freezing in December and January. Around 300 mm (12 in) of rain falls each year, almost entirely in the winter months, though in some cases as much as this has fallen in a single month (as in January 1965 and December 2004),[46] whilst in the year from July 1965 to June 1966 as little as 82.9 millimetres (3.3 in) fell. The wettest year has been 1955/1956 with as much as 857.2 millimetres (33.75 in), though since 1959 the highest has been around 590 millimetres (23.2 in) in each of 1995/1996 and 2004/2005.[46] Due to Shiraz' high elevation and low latitude, the UV index is extremely high during summer which is further exacerbated by the high frequency of sunshine.

Despite being in a relatively dry climate, extreme weather is not a rare occasion. On 25 March 2019, flash floods from heavy rains has resulted in 19 deaths and over 200 injuries.

The highest record temperature was 43.4 °C (110.1 °F) on 3 July 2022[47] and the lowest record temperature was −14.0 °C (6.8 °F) on 5 January 1973.[48]

An Iran Air Airbus A320 approaching Shiraz International Airport (2011)

Shiraz International Airport serves as the largest airport in the southern region of Iran. After undergoing renovation and redevelopment work in 2005, Shiraz Airport was identified as the second-most-reliable and -modern airport in Iran (after Imam Khomeini International Airport of Tehran) in terms of flight safety including electronic and navigation control systems of its flight tower.

Shiraz Metro

Construction of a metro system was started in 2001 by the Shiraz Urban Railway Organization.[82] The plan is to create six lines.[83] The length of the first Line is 22.4 km (13.9 mi), the length of the second line will be approximately 14 km (8.7 mi).[84] The length of the third line will be 16 km (10 mi). 21 stations were built in route one.

The first three lines, when completed, will have 32 stations below ground, six above, and one special station connected to the railway station. The first line was started in October 2014[85] between Shahid Dastgheib (airport) Metro Station and Ehsan stations. A single ticket costs 10000 rials, with trains operating every 15 minutes. Line 1 is extended from the airport To Ehsan Square (northern part).

Shiraz has the Iran's third Bus rapid transit.

Shiraz has 71 bus lines.[86] Iran's third Bus Rapid Transit opened in Shiraz in 2009 with two lines, and a further two planned to open in 2010. Service is free on 5 May, the day of the city.[87]

Shiraz Train Station

Shiraz is connected with the rest of Iran's railway network. The trains arrive and leave from Shiraz railway station, Iran's largest railway station according to surface area.[88] It has passenger trains, operating six days per week to Isfahan, Tehran, and Mashad.

View of Shiraz roads and bridges in 2020

There are 700,000 cars in the city of Shiraz.[89]

• Road 63
• Road 93

• Absh Khatun, 13th-century ruler
• Karim Khan, the ruler and de facto Shah of Iran from 1760 until 1779. He made Shiraz his capital.
• Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to United States President Barack Obama, born in Shiraz to African-American parents.
• Kamran Bagheri. He was Iran's Minister of Health and Medical Education.
• Jimmy Delshad, 67th and 70th Mayor of Beverly Hills

Karim Khan Zand

• Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi. He lived during the Fatimid Caliphate and was considered one of the most learned scholars of that time, known as an author of Islamic books, a poet, and scientist.
• Mulla Sadra, Islamic philosopher and theologian who led the Iranian cultural renaissance in the 17th century
• Siyyid 'Alí Muḥammad Shírází, the founder of Bábism, and one of three central figures of the Baháʼí Faith

• Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi, 13th-century Iranian poet and scholar
• Sibawayh, linguist and grammarian of the Arabic language
• Firouz Naderi (1946–2023), scientist and currently the Director for Solar System Exploration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
• Gholam A. Peyman (born 1937), inventor of LASIK
• Ali Asghar Khodadoust (1935–2018), Professor of Ophthalmology, originator of the Khodadoust line method
• M. Hashem Pesaran (born 1946), Iranian Economist, Emeritus Professor of Economics at University of Cambridge
• Farshid Delshad, linguist and translator
• Reza Negarestani, philosopher and writer

• Saadi, poet of the medieval period
• Hafez, poet
• Shahriyar Mandanipour, writer
• Simin Daneshvar, novelist and author
• Mehdi Hamidi Shirazi (1914–1986), contemporary poet
• Fereidoon Tavallali (1917–1985), contemporary poet and intellectual
• Abdolali Dastgheib (born 1931), literary critic writer

• Bahram Dabiri (born 1979), painter and artist
• Shirazeh Houshiary (born 1955), artist, born in Shiraz in 1955. She lives in London.
• Arsi Nami (born 1984), award-winning singer and songwriter
• Ebrahim Golestan (born 1922), writer and filmmaker
• Gholamhossein Saber (born 1941), artist
• Tooji (born 1987), singer, model and television host. He represented Norway in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
• Bahar Pars (born 1979), actress

• Mohammad Namazi, philanthropist and founder of the Namazi hospital in Shiraz. This later became the catalyst for the establishment of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 1955; one of the country's top medical schools.
• Mohammad Bahmanbeigi, activist, founding father of instructions for tribes in Iran
• Eghbal Hamidy, Formula One car designer for Williams, Stewart, Arrows, and Jordan
• Omid Norouzi, Iranian wrestler, world and Olympic champion
• Abbas Dowran, acclaimed fighter jet pilot who died during the Iran–Iraq War