Shiraz is known as the city of poets, literature, wine and flowers.

 It is also considered by many Iranians to be the city of gardens, due to the many gardens and fruit trees that can be seen in the city.

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The most celebrated Persian poet is Hafez. Born in Shiraz in 1315 he never left the city. Nearly every house in Iran has a copy of his poems.

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In the open pavillion behind the tomb are panels with excerpts from Hafez’s poetry. Our guide read a portion of one of his favorite poems. Wonderful to hear!

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Saadi is another great Persian poet and philosopher. In Shiraz he wrote his two major works, Golestan (Garden of Roses) and Boostan (The Orchard). He was a great traveler, wandering from the Middle East and Africa to India. His travel experiences are mentioned throughout his writings.

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The Eram Garden, meaning Heaven’s Garden, is one of the most famous in Iran. Shiraz University has turned it into a Botanical Garden with beautiful flowers, cypress trees, orange and persimmon trees. A three story pavillion is part of the garden and is now a museum showing the history of the garden.

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We were warmly welcomed by a girl’s school on a field trip.  They waved, said “hello”, and “we love America and Americans”.

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Just for fun we posed in front of the citadel looking like Persian royalty.

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We were able to enjoy the park area around the citadel, but the interiors are currently being restored.