شیراز — شهر شاعران، می و گلهای سرخ
Shiraz (شیراز), the capital of Fars Province, is Iran's most culturally rich city and the birthplace of Persian poetry's two greatest masters: Hafez (1315–1390) and Saadi (1210–1292). Both are buried in Shiraz, and their mausolea — the Hafezieh and the Saadieh — are pilgrimage destinations for lovers of Persian literature worldwide.
The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque (Pink Mosque), built in 1888, is one of Iran's most photographed buildings. Its interior, lit by morning sun through stained glass in a riot of crimson, gold, and blue light reflected across Persian carpets, is among the world's most beautiful architectural spaces. Eram Garden (UNESCO World Heritage) is a classic Persian garden of extraordinary beauty.
Shiraz has been associated with wine and roses for millennia — the Shirazi grape was historically Iran's finest wine grape before the 1979 revolution prohibited alcohol. Persian poetry is full of Shiraz's roses and wine as metaphors for divine beauty and spiritual intoxication. The city is 70km from Persepolis, making it the gateway to Achaemenid history.
Shiraz is famous as the birthplace of Hafez and Saadi (two of the greatest Persian poets), its proximity to Persepolis, the Pink Mosque (Nasir al-Mulk), Eram Garden, and its historic association with wine and roses.
The Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, built in 1888, is nicknamed the Pink Mosque for its rose-colored tiles. Its interior fills with a stunning display of colored light through stained glass each morning.