Asia : Middle East : Iran : Fars : Shiraz

Shiraz

Table of Contents:
Culture and History / Travel to Shiraz, visa requirements Flights to Shiraz, airtickets Buses to Shiraz By car / Get around / Shiraz attractions and sightseeing / Shopping, Shiraz souvenirs / Good restaurants and cheap meals / Shiraz nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs. / Hotels, youth hostels, lodging / Budget / Mid-range / Splurge / Get out

More from Fars:
Persepolis, Shiraz

More from Iran:
Azerbaijan (Iran), Fars, Isfahan (province), Kerman (province), Khorasan, Khuzestan, Kish Island, Lorestan, Mazandaran, Qom, Qom (province), Sistan va Baluchestan, Tehran, Yazd (province)

More from Middle East:
Bahrain, Dead Sea, Empty Quarter, Golan Heights, Holy Land, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Levant, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen

More from Asia:
Caucasus, Central Asia, East Asia, Middle East, Southeast Asia

Shiraz [1] (شیراز) is the capital of Fars province.

Culture and History

Shiraz is a treasure trove of Middle Eastern culture. It was the capital of Iran during the Zand dynasty (1747-79), and also the celebrated birthplace of the great poets Hafiz and Saadi. The city has a population or about 1,300,000.

Travel to Shiraz, visa requirements

Flights to Shiraz, airtickets

Shiraz International Airport (IATA: SYZ) (ICAO: OISS) has regular flights to all major and some smaller cities in Iran.

Buses to Shiraz

Shiraz is well connected to most parts of the country by bus.

By car

Freeways connect the city to Isfahan, Kerman, Bushehr, Ahvaz and Yasouj, and Bandare Abbas is reachable by highway.

Get around

For non-Persian speakers, taxis are probably the convenient means of transport. However, be sure to haggle for a good price prior to getting into the car. Many of the city's attractions are in the downtown area, and so can be reached on foot.

If an unmarked car stops while you are hailing a taxi, don't be alarmed. Many taxis in Shiraz are unmarked, and also as a means to supplement their income, is not uncommon to find private car owners touting themselves as taxis. However, it always best to find a taxi through a reputable "telephone taxi" agency. For a set fee, drivers of these agencies will take passengers to their destination, drive them around town and also wait for them while they shop or run errands. All hotels and local residents will have a phone number of a one these agencies. There are also taxis that are driven by women that specifically cater to women passengers.

The city also has a reasonable bus service.

Shiraz attractions and sightseeing

Jame’e Atigh Mosque
New mosque
Saadi Tomb
Shah Cheragh
Khwaju Kermani Tomb
Hafez Tomb
Khan school
Arg of Karim Khan - formerly a prison, but now an architectural wonder on exhibit.
Bazare Vakil - hundreds of vendors housed in an ancient bazaar.
Saraye Moshir - a caravansary at the south entrance of Bazaar Vakil, which now functions as exhibition space for Iranian handicrafts.
Vakil Mosque
Ghal'eye Karim Khan
Nasir al-Mulk mosque
Narangestan Qavam (Bagh-e-naranjestan)
Afif abad garden (Bagh-e-afifabad) - a garden and houses owned by the Ghavami family.
Eram Garden (Bagh-e-eram)
delgosha garden (Bagh-e-delgosha)
Qor'an Gate (Dar vazeh Quran) - the city's main entrance. The original gate was built as an ornamental decoration by the Buwwayhids (Buwayhid dynasty) about 1000 years ago, but this was replaced 60 years ago by new gate, which is considered one of the finest architectural designs in Iran and has won numerous awards. From the the gate walk up the stone stairways to enjoy picturesque and panoramic views of Shiraz. The tomb of Khajooyeh Kermanee, a famous poet is also located here. Hidden in the alleys on the hill-side are numerous restaurants that serve the finest chelo kabob. It is an excellent place for picnics and taking photographs.

Shopping, Shiraz souvenirs

Retail stores usually open between 9AM and 1PM, reopening again from 5PM to 9PM. It is customary to haggle for a discount, which is referred to as a takhfeef.

Bazaar Vakeel - a huge ancient bazaar specializing in fine carpets, textiles, antiques and handicrafts, but also selling household items such as wrenches, cutlery and spices. There is also a wonderful courtyard with a pool located in the bazaar perfect for photographs. Visit Sharzeh and Hamam Vakeel for a great dining experience located just outside the bazaar.

Shopping Malls:

Hafez Shopping Center, Afifabad Blv.
Setareye Fars Shopping Center, Afifabad Blv.
Sina Shopping Center, Motahhari Blv.

Good restaurants and cheap meals

Kebab with rice - like elsewhere in Iran, the mighty ol' kebab with rice is common fare, though Shiraz does offer a local variation on the national dish.
Shirazi-Salad - delicious and famous throughout Iran.
Masghati Halva - a great dessert and snack.

Shiraz nightlife, bars, clubs and pubs.

Alcohol is illegal in Iran, though available on the black market. Shiraz is internationally famous for its distinctive red wine.

Doogh is a popular and delicious naturally-carbonated yogurt drink. It is generally served with ice and a dash of mint.

Hotels, youth hostels, lodging

Budget

There are a few budget hotels located about 200m south of the roundabout at Arg-é Karim Khan.

Mid-range

Shiraz Eram Hotel, Karim Khan-é Zand. Tel:+98 71 230-3884 [2] - friendly staff and nice rooms at $40 (tourist rate).
Pars Hotel, Zand Boulevard. Tel:+98 71 233-6380 - highly recommended.

Splurge

Homa Hotel, Meshkinfam Street. Tel:+98 71 28-000 - 11. Fax:+98 71 47-123 & 48-021 [3] - housed in the former Intercontinental.

Get out

Pasargadae was a Persian capital built by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC. Around 500 BC, Darius built a new capital at Persepolis 50 km away. Both are now on the UNESCO World Heritage List and both are near Shiraz.