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Shiraz was one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and was the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty (1747-79), when many of its most beautiful buildings were built or restored. Through its many artists and scholars, Shiraz has been synonymous with learning, nightingales, poetry, roses and, at one time, wine.
Today Shiraz is a relaxed, cultivated city, with wide tree-lined avenues and enough monuments, gardens and mosques to keep most visitors happy for several days. The university here is one of Iran's finest, and you'll come across lots of students eager to speak English. Highlights include the restful tomb and garden of Hafez, a celebrated poet; the Shah-Cheragh mausoleum, an important Shi'ite place of pilgrimage which attracts hordes of supplicants; the Pars Museum, which contains Zand dynasty relics; and the delightful Eram garden, where the 19th century Ghajar palace lies alongside a pretty pool.
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There are plenty of hotels to suit all budgets in Shiraz, most of them clustered near Zand, the main boulevard. This is also the area to nose out a good feed, from inexpensive kebabs and burgers to more swanky sitdown affairs. Shiraz is nearly 900km (560mi) south of Tehran. It's a great place to start or finish your trip to Iran and is well serviced by international and domestic flights. The airport lies 8km (5mi) south-east of the city centre. Buses run from Shiraz to Tehran and other major towns; shared taxis run occasionally to
Isfahan.
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Shiraz,the
City of Cogitation and Art :
Shiraz should called the city of cogitation and art,
because throughout history ,many thinkers, poets and Gnostics have been born
and raised in this city. Each one of them has an exalted position.
Poets such as Saadi and Hafez are so well know that they need no
presentation. In different parts of the world, many people are familiar
whit them. Many Poets and literary men are inspired by their
immortal and astonishing masterpieces and it is not surprising that the
great poet and thinker, Goethe admired Hafez in his works. Hafez is not the
only one. Many thinkers whose reflection have become the basis of
cogitation in different parts of
world, were raised in this city. Among them we can refer to celebrated
people such as: Ibn Moghleh, Ibn Moghafa , Molla Ghotb, Molla Sadra and
Mirzay Shirazi and also artists abd architects such as: Master Amanat Khan
and Master Issa,who constructed the glorious monument of Taj-Mahal in
India and wrote the inscriptions on it.Molla Sadra, the Iranian theologian,
thinker and Gnostic of the tenth and eleventh century A.H.
considered the greatest Islamic philosopher in the history of Islamic
philosophy from this city.
Molla
Sadra is the one who provided a rational basis for Hikmat-e Ishragh
(illuminative philosophy) and mysticism. In his philosophy, one can
see the encounter of mysticism with philosophy.
A
walk through Shiraz will bring one face to face with monuments built in
honor of these great men.
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