Shiraz (شیراز in Persian) is a city in southwest Iran, the capital of Fars Province. It was the capital of Persia during the Zand dynasty from 1750 until 1779, when Tehran became the capital of the Qajar dynasty.

Fars province is home to the mighty ancient Persian empire circa 700 BC. Persepolis, Firouzabad, and Pasargad are nearby ancient cynosures of this great civilization. Shiraz itself however began to grow in the 7th century when the power of the former regional capital Istakhr was broken by the Arabs.

There are two major universities in Shiraz; Shiraz University (former Pahlavi University), And Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Pahlavi University had very close ties to The University of Pennsylvania during the 1960s and 70s.

The ruins of Persepolis, about 2,500 years old, are found about 60 km in northeast direction, as a witness to the ancient glory of the Achaemenid empire.

Shiraz is famous for its carpet production, its classic poets, its flowers. Some people believe that the name of the Shiraz grape comes from this city's name.

Notable people

• Sibawayh, grammarian, died here
• Sa'adi, writer, born and died here
• Hafiz, poet, born and died here
• Zahra Kazemi, photographer, born here
• Ladan and Laleh Bijani, twins, born here

External links

• Tombs of Hafiz and Sa'adi http://www.art-arena.com/tombs.htm