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Shiraz lies in a pleasant green valley of
temperate climate surrounded by mountains, and has a suffiency of
running water and underground streams, and not many arid and
uncultivated areas can be seen around Shiraz. The town has piped water
for drinking purposes. The climate of Shiraz is extermely agreeable and
generally temperate. The summer heat is not like that of Tehran, and the
winter here is aslo milder than in Tehran. Snow rarely falls, and then
once or twice in the years only when the winter is unusually cold. The
heat on very hot summer days does not exceed 40 degrees centigrade, nor
does the cold on winter days of ice and snow fall below 3 degrees below
zero.
The Shiraz spring and autumn, especially from the beginning of February
until May, and the months of October and November are most delightful
and exhilarating, and poetically inspiring, and few tourists, travellers
in the east, and poets, whether Persian or foreign, who have visited
Shiraz, have failed to be impressed by the spring and autumn climate and
scenery there. and to describe their impressions at the close of this
book we shall quote as far as possible some of their statements.
Shiraz is situated between the 29th and 38th degrees of longtitude, and
between the 40th and 52nd degrees of latitude, and is 1500 feet above
the sea.
The rainfall in recent years, during which atmospheric conditions have
changed perceptibly, has been comparatively sufficient, and has reached
23 inches in a year, but the average rainfall is between 14 and 18
inches.
Various kinds of cereals grow well in Shiraz, such as wheat, barley,
millet, also rice, cotton and sesame: and vegetables such as leek, melon
and sugar beet; and in the Shiraz gardens practically every kind of
temperate and tropical fruit grows. So spring and summer fruits such as
artichokes, pistachio nuts, walnuts, apricots, cherries, greengages,
mulberries, yellow and red plums, figs, various kinds of grapes, and
autumn fruits such as quince, pear, apple, (abbasi), nectarine, sweet
and sour pomegranates abound. Citrus fruits, such as sweet and sour
oranges, sweet limes ans tangerines are found in Shiraz, but grow more
plentifully in near districts such as Khafr, Firuzabad, Darab, Jahrum or
Kazerun.
The productiveness of the Shiraz area, if it should not be visited by
pest or drought, is fair, for the tribes with their flocks and herds
traverse it, and it contains uplands providing excellent natural
pasturage, and as far as meat, butter and milk products are concerned,
it may be reckoned in the second rank of the cities of Iran.
Shiraz is the capital of the seventh province, Fars, and the
headquarters of the Fifth Southern Army.
The population of the town according to a recent census was about
1263244 people, and this figure is increasing year by year.
The area of the city in the last thirty years has more than doubled, and
is continually extending towards the gardens of Qasr unDasht, and the
west and south-west. The setting up of the Cement Factory, and the
Spinning Factories, and the two Sugar Factories of Marvdasht and Fasa
have assisted the economic condition of Shiraz, but during the past
thirty years, when the port of Bushire became abandoned, and goods
entered by Khurramshahr and the railway to Tehran, and were forwarded to
other centres from there, the trade position declined, and no comparable
activity with what prevailed thirty years ago when goods from Bushire
were conveyed to Shiraz, and thence to other partsz of the country is
today observable.
But the attention of tourists, both Persian and foreign, is drawn to the
cleanliness of the town, the agreeableness of the climate, and the sites
of historical interest and Persepolis. Newcomers to Iran spend a few
days, under the clear blue skies of Shiraz, and breathe the same air
which Hafez and Sa'adi inhaled.
The crafts of Shiraz consist of inlaid mosaic work of triangular desgin;
silver-ware; carpet-weaving, and the making of the rugs called "gilim"
and "jajim" in the villages and among the tribes.
Shiraz Historical Sites:
The historical sites of Shiraz worth seeing are as follows, in the order
of their antiquity:
Qasr-i-Abu Nasr - The Sasanian carvings at Barm - i - Delak and Guyum -
The ancient Masjed-i-Jame' (the Congregational Mosque) - The Masjed-i-No
(the New Mosque) - Abesh Khatum - Shah Cheragh - Mad-reseh-ye Khan (the
old Theological College) - The Karim Khan buildings.
If The description of these sites has not followed their historical
order, this has been due to a desire to suit the tourist's convenience,
who may not find to possible to visit every ancient site, so in the
description historical priority has not been observed. |