The 12 essential things to do in Shiraz

Some sixty kilometres north-east of Shiraz, Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire. Founded by Darius I around 518 BC, it was burned by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. The site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.

You enter by the monumental staircase and the Gate of All Nations, before reaching the Apadana, the Hall of a Hundred Columns and the carved staircases showing delegations bringing tribute. Royal tombs cut into the cliff overlook the site.

Completed in 1888, under the Qajar dynasty, the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque owes its 'Pink Mosque' nickname to the mainly pink tiles of its courtyard and vaults. It stands in the Gowd-e Araban district, a short walk from the Shah Cheragh shrine.

Its winter prayer hall is lit by large stained-glass windows: at sunrise, the light passes through the coloured glass and throws patterns across the carpets and the twisted columns.

Hafez, the 14th-century poet whose Divan sits in most Iranian homes, is buried in the Musalla Gardens, north of the city. The current open pavilion, on eight columns, was built in 1935 to plans by the French archaeologist and architect André Godard, on the site of older monuments.

The marble tomb, carved with the poet's verses, draws many Iranians, who come to recite his ghazals.

Eram Garden (Bagh-e Eram) lies on the north bank of the Khoshk river, north-west of the centre. Since 2011 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with eight other Iranian gardens, as part of 'The Persian Garden'.

Its alleys of cypress and orange trees and its pool lead to a 19th-century Qajar pavilion decorated with painted tiles.

About twelve kilometres north-west of Persepolis, the Naqsh-e Rostam cliff holds four cross-shaped Achaemenid royal tombs, attributed to Darius I, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes I and Darius II. Below the tombs, Sasanian reliefs show investitures and victories, including Shapur I's triumph over the Roman emperor Valerian. Facing the cliff stands an Achaemenid stone tower, the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht.

A few kilometres away, Naqsh-e Rajab gathers more Sasanian reliefs cut into the rock.

Built in the 18th century by Karim Khan Zand, the Vakil Bazaar was part of an urban complex that also included the Vakil Mosque and bathhouse, south of today's citadel. Its covered, brick-vaulted alleys hold carpets, spices, fabrics and copperware.

It is still a busy neighbourhood market, where Shiraz traders and visitors mix.

Shah Cheragh ('king of light') is a Shia funerary complex built around the mausoleums of Ahmad ibn Musa and his brother Mir Muhammad, sons of the seventh imam Musa al-Kazim and brothers of Imam Reza. It is one of Iran's major pilgrimage sites, known for the interior of its dome and halls, entirely covered in mirror mosaics.

The shrine was targeted by two armed attacks, on 26 October 2022, claimed by the Islamic State, and on 13 August 2023. It remains a busy place of worship under heavy surveillance.

Built in 1766-1767 for Karim Khan Zand, who lived there, the citadel (Arg-e Karim Khan) is a rectangle of high brick walls flanked by four round towers. It was used as a prison before being turned into a museum.

Inside, a courtyard planted with orange trees and a pool leads to the ruler's quarters. The south-east corner tower leans noticeably, having subsided over old baths.

The Saadi mausoleum (Saadieh) is dedicated to Saadi Shirazi, a 13th-century poet, author of the Golestan and the Bustan. The current building, topped with a turquoise dome, was built in 1950-1952 to plans by the architect Mohsen Foroughi.

It stands in the north-east of the city, in a garden crossed by a qanat, an underground channel whose water feeds a pool below the tomb.

Home of the Qavam family, one of Shiraz's great families, the Narenjestan-e Qavam dates from the Qajar era, in the 19th century. Its name comes from the bitter orange trees (narenj) lining the garden's central pool.

The main pavilion combines a painted tile facade, carved woodwork and a hall covered in mirror mosaics.

Formerly the Golshan Garden, Afifabad Garden (Bagh-e Afifabad) lies in the west of the city. Its Qajar-era palace, fronted by a pool and planted alleys, now houses a weapons museum.

Less visited than Eram Garden, it offers a shady walk away from the centre.

This restored caravanserai, at the southern end of the Vakil Bazaar, is laid out around a courtyard with a pool, lined by two storeys of arcades. It gathers craft shops: carpets, marquetry (khatam), copperware and ceramics.

Quieter than the main bazaar, it takes about twenty minutes to visit.