Will Miss #21: Shiraz

Ah, Shiraz. The Persian Cultural Capital… other nicknames include the City of Roses, the City of Gardens, and the City of Flower and Nightingale (Wiki: Shiraz).

Shiraz is the heart of Persia. This is the land the great, noble Persian kings – Cyrus (“Kourosh” in Persian), Darius (Dariush), Xerxes (Khashayar), - walked upon. This is the land Saadi and Hafez, two of our most brilliant, most revered poets – are from (in fact, Saadi is known as Saadi Shirazi and Hafez is known as Hafez Shirazi). This is the land of beauty, poetry, history, and significance. “Shiraz is known as the city of poets, literature, wine[,] and flowers” (Wiki: Shiraz).

The earliest reference to Shiraz, according to the city’s Wikipedia page, is as Tirazis, on Elamite clay tablets dated to 2000 B.C. Shiraz, which is now the country's fifth most populous city and the capital of the Fars Province (one of Iran's 31 provinces), is probably more than 4,000 years old (Wiki: Shiraz).

Shiraz was the capital of Persia during the Zand Dynasty from 1750 – 1781, and for a short time during the Saffarid Period (Wiki: Shiraz).

To me, Shiraz is the pride and joy of Iran. It stands for what the Persian Empire was and also what modern day Iran is. It is an exciting, historical, gorgeous city.

I will miss this astounding city, this astounding city which is Iran's heartbeat, the cultural capital of the Persian people - my people.