Iran 1: Shiraz

The tomb of Cyrus the Great, once the centrepiece of a large garden but now its on its own out on a desolate plain.

Naqsh-e Rostam where the tombs of 4 ancient emperors have been hewn out of the rock. There are 4 tombs (Darius I and II, Xerxes and Artaxerxes) cut out of the cliff way above the ground, each tomb has impressive stone reliefs engraved below it. As the kings at that time were Zoroastrian, their bodies were initially put on Towers of Silence to be picked clean by birds of prey, after that the bones were moved into the rock tombs.

Naqsh-e Rostam

Naqsh-e Rostam

Naqsh-e Rostam

Opposite the tombs at Naqsh-e Rostam is a small building called the Kaba Zartosht, its purpose is still being debated, maybe it was a fire temple or a treasury

Graffiti carved into the entrance at Persepolis.

Yes, it was pouring buckets the day we went to Persepolis. The complex covers 12 hectares and at its peak contained 14 separate palaces. Its built on a huge stone platform at the foot of what's known as Mt Mercy. Construction started in about 518BC under the direction of Darius I.

Persepolis: part of the Apadana audience hall which is the largest of all the buildings. The building was constructed in around 515BC and continued in use for nearly 200 years.

Part of the stone reliefs on a stair case in Persepolis.

Persepolis

The walls in the complex were covered with bas relief figures, many showing the numerous nations that made up the Persian empire at that time.

Persepolis

Bagh-e Eram (Eram Gardens). In the centre of the gardens is a 1700s palace called Kakh-e Eram which has richly tiled frescos on the exterior walls.

Bagh-e Eram (Eram Gardens).The gardens are now operated by Shiraz University and are very pretty even in November which is the beginning of winter. The garden is famous for its extensive rose gardens which bloom in March.

At Afif Abad garden. Rostam, the hero of Fedowsi's epic poem "Shahnameh" is shown here fighting the white demon Div-e Sepid. Rostam wins, beheads the demon and makes a hat out of the head.

A bit of a contradiction, this is the beautiful Asfif Abad gardens which are run by the military. Lovely groves of trees with artillary pieces in the middle.

19th century mosque of Nassir ol Molk in Shiraz. On the large wooden doors at the entrance to the mosque there are two different shaped door knockers, one for each sex. As the knockers each give a different sound, the people inside the mosque knew whether to send a woman or a man to open the door. The coloured tiled interior is stunning with many shades of blue used. Some show pictures of European buildings including churches and there were many showing flowers including roses with several shades of pink in the tiles. Wooden inserts the size of bricks were inserted during the construction of the walls, these inserts give flexibility during earthquakes.

Mosque of Nassir ol Molk in Shiraz.

Interior courtyard of Nassir ol Molk.

Mosque of Nassir ol Molk in Shiraz.

Mosque of Nassir ol Molk in Shiraz.

The beautiful gardens at the tomb of Hafaz in Shiraz, Iran.

Jess, taken while she was reading some of Hafez' poetry at his tomb.

Hafez is a famous Iranian poet born in Shiraz in 1324. His collection of poems known as 'Divan-e Hafez' and is considered to be a must have in Iranian homes. Iranians say that all homes should have two things; the Quran and Hafez. His poems are almost mystical in content, and its a ritual when deciding on a future action to open Hafez's poem at a random place and study the verse revealed. The tomb is set under a rotunda in the middle of a rose garden and is a popular visiting place for families. Recitations of Hafez' poems are broadcast over the garden's PA system.

In the gardens at the tomb of Hafez

Gardens and pavilion at the tomb of Sa'di. The pavilion walls are inlaid with tiles showing his most famous verses. The tomb itself is made from a single piece of alabaster.

Tomb of poet Sa'di, Shiraz.

Ornate lamp at Sa'di's tomb

Next to the pavilion is a fishpond full of trout which is surrounded by an underground tea house with an attractive domed ceiling covered in tilework. These guys are watching the fish.

Arg-e Karim Khan in Shiraz which was built in the mid-1700s. The castle four 14m high watch towers. One of these towers has a “Pisa” style lean to it as its started subsiding into the area that was once the castle bathhouse. The castle was used as a prison during the reign of the Shah.

Another mosaic of Rostam defeating the white demon. Even though the poem dates from the 10th century many people in Iran know parts of it by heart.

Shiraz: Arg-e Karim Khan

The garden at Arg-e Karim Khan.