Vakil Mosque
The Vakil Mosque is a mosque in Shiraz , southern Iran , situated to the west of the Vakil Bazaar next to its entrance . This mosque was built between 1751 and 1773 , during the Zand period ; however , it was restored in the 19th century during the Qajar period . Vakil means regent , which was the title used by Karim Khan , the founder of Zand Dynasty . Shiraz was the seat of Karim Khan’s government and he endowed many buildings , including this mosque .
Vakil Mosque covers an area of 8,660 square meters . It has only two iwans instead of the usual four , on the northern and southern sides of a large open court . The iwans and court are decorated with typical Shirazi haft rangi tiles , a characteristic feature of the art and industry of Shiraz during the latter half of the 18th century . Its night prayer hall (Shabestan) , with an area of approximately 2,700 square meters , contains 48 monolithic pillars carved in spirals , each with a capital of acanthus leaves . The minbar in this hall is cut from a solid piece of green marble with a flight of 14 steps and is considered to be one of the master pieces of the Zand period . The exuberant floral decorative tiles largely date from the Qajar period .
Shah Cheragh
ShÄ?h ChérÄ?gh is a funerary monument and mosque in Shiraz , Iran , housing the tomb of the brothers Ahmad and Muhammad , sons of MÅ«sÄ? al-KÄ?dhim and brothers of ‘AlÄ« ar-RidhÄ? . The two took refuge in the city during the Abbasid persecution of Shia Muslims .
The tombs became celebrated pilgrimage centres in the 14th century when Queen Tashi Khatun erected a mosque and theological school in the vicinity .
ShÄ?h-é-ChérÄ?gh is Persian for "King of the Light" . The site was given this name due to the nature of the discovery of the site by Ayatullah DastghÄ?'ib (the great grandfather of the contemporary Ayatullah DastghÄ?'ib) . He used to see light from a distance and decided to investigate the source . He found that the light was being emitted by a grave within a graveyard . The grave that emitted the light was excavated , and a body wearing an armor was discovered . The body was wearing a ring saying al-‘Izzatu LillÄ?h , Ahmad bin MÅ«sÄ? , meaning "The Pride belongs to God , Ahmad son of Musa" . Thus it became known that this was the burial site of the sons of MÅ«sÄ? al-KÄ?dhim .
Tomb of Hafez
The Tomb of Hafez and its associated memorial hall , the HÄ?fezieh , are two memorial structures erected in the northern edge of Shiraz , Iran , in memory of the celebrated Persian poet Hafez . The open pavilion structures are situated in the Musalla Gardens on the north bank of a seasonal river and house the marble tomb of Hafez . The present buildings , built in 1935 and designed by the French architect and archaeologist André Godard , are at the site of previous structures , the best-known of which was built in 1773 . The tomb , its gardens , and the surrounding memorials to other great figures are a focus of tourism in Shiraz .
Pasargadae
Pasargadae was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great who had issued its construction (559-530 BC) ; it was also the location of his tomb . It was a city in ancient Persia , located near the city of Shiraz (in Pasargad County) , and is today an archaeological site and one of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites .
Cyrus the Great began building the capital in 546 BC or later ; it was unfinished when he died in battle , in 530 or 529 BC . The remains of the tomb of Cyrus' son and successor Cambyses II have been found in Pasargadae , near the fortress of Toll-e Takht , and identified in 2006 .
Pasargadae remained the capital of the Achaemenid empire until Cambyses II moved it to Susa ; later , Darius founded another in Persepolis . The archaeological site covers 1.6 square kilometres and includes a structure commonly believed to be the mausoleum of Cyrus , the fortress of Toll-e Takht sitting on top of a nearby hill , and the remains of two royal palaces and gardens . Pasargadae Persian Gardens provide the earliest known example of the Persian chahar bagh , or fourfold garden design (see Persian Gardens) .
Eram Garden
Eram Garden is a historic Persian garden in Shiraz , Iran .The garden , and the building within it , are located at the northern shore of the Khoshk River in the Fars province .
Both the building and the garden were built during the middle of thirteenth century by the Ilkhanate or a paramount chief of the Qashqai tribes of Pars . The original layout of the garden however , with its quadripartite Persian Paradise garden structure was most likely laid in eleventh century by the Seljuqs , and was then referred to as the "BÄ?q e ShÄ?h" ("the king's garden" in Persian) and was much less complicated or ornamental . Cornelius de Bruyn , a traveller from the Netherlands , wrote a description of the gardens in the eighteenth century .
Over its 150 years the structure has been modified , restored or stylistically changed by various participants . The building faces south along the long axis . It was designed by a local architect , Haji Mohammad Hasan . The structure housed 32 rooms on two stories , decorated by tiles with poems from the poet Hafez written on them . The structure underwent renovation during the Zand and Qajar dynasties .
In 1965 , Sir Denis Wright , a British ambassador in Iran , was invited by the Chancellor of Shiraz University , Asadollah Alam , to a party in Eram Garden for Princess Alexandra of the Oglivy . The compound came under the protection of Pahlavi University during the Pahlavi era , and was used as the College of Law . the building housed the Asia Institute .
Today , Eram Garden and building are within Shiraz Botanical Garden (established 1983) of Shiraz University . They are open to the public as a historic landscape garden . They are World Heritage Site , and protected by Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization .
Afif-Abad Garden
Afif-Abad Garden , originally the Golshan Garden , is a museum complex in Shiraz , Iran .
Located in the affluent Afif-Abad district of Shiraz , the complex was constructed in 1863 . It contains a former royal mansion , a historical weapons museum , and a Persian garden , all open to the public .
The Golshan Garden is one of the oldest gardens in Shiraz .
During the Safavid dynasty , it was used as a palace by the Safavid Kings .
The current main building was constructed by Mirza Ali Mohammad Khan Qawam II in 1863 . He bought a nearby qanat to water his garden . After his death , the garden was eventually inherited by Afife , thus being called "Afif-Abad" .
In 1962 , it was restored by the army . It now functions as a weapons museum .
Mausoleum of Saadi
In the 13th century came two more outstanding figures - Saadi and Molavi, both poets. They overshadowed other literary giants such as Nasser-eddin Tousi known for his Book of Victory (75,000 couplets), Hamdollah Mostowfi, a historian and geographer, Joveini who wrote a history of the conquest of the Moguls of India, and Rashid-eddin who produced the comprehensive History. Joveini was probably the most accomplished exponent of the prized art of verbal arabesque and is considered as the best of all Persian historians. But above them all towers Saadi born about 1184, who wrote the Golestan (Garden of Roses) and the Bustan (Orchard), two of the world's great masterpieces. The Bustan probably has no like or parallel in Persian or any other language for elegance, eloquence, fluency, delicacy, charm, wisdom, and insight, Saadi was also a great lyrical poet, second only to Hafez.
Persepolis
Persepolis , literally meaning "city of Persians" , was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550-330 BCE) . Persepolis is situated 60 km northeast of the city of Shiraz in Fars Province in Iran . The earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BCE . It exemplifies the Achaemenid style of architecture . UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979 .