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There was
probably a sizable settlement on the site of Shiraz in the prehistoric
period and cuneiform records from the great ceremonial capital of
persepolis show that Shiraz was a significant toenship in Achementian
times.
However the city became provincial capital only in 693 A.D, after the
Arab armies conquerd Estakhar, the nearby Sassanian capital. As Estakhar
fell in to declin, Shiraz grew in importance under the Arabs and several
local dynasties. The Buyids (945 to 1055) made it their capital,
building mosques, palaces, a famous library and a great city wall. The
city was spared destruction by the invading Mongols when it's local
ruler offered tributes and submission to Genghis Khan. Shiraz was again
spared by Tamerlane when in 1382 the local monarch, Shah Shoja agreed to
submit to the invader, even offering the hand of his grand daughter
tograndson of tamerlane. After the death of Shah Shoja there was
turbulent succession of rulers for several years, until Tamerlane
appointed his own son as ruler of the city. In the thirteenth century
Shiraz became a leading center of the arts and letters thanks to the
encouragement of it's enlightened ruler and the presence of many
scholars and artists. For this reason the city was named by classical
geographers Dar al-Elm, the House of Knowlege. Many of the most
important Iranian poets, mystics and phiolsophers were born in Shiraz
and contributed to the fame of the city. Among them can be mentioned the
poets Sa'di and Hafez the mystic Roozbehan and the philosopher Molla
Sadra.
Thourghout the Safavid empire (XVI-XVIII century) Shiraz remained a
provincial capital and Emam Qoli Khan, the governor of Fars under Shah
Abbas I, constructed many palaces and ornate buildings in the same style
of those built in the same period in Isfahan, the capital of the Empire.
After the fall of the Safavid's Shiraz sufferd a period of decline
worsened by the raids of the Afgans and the rebellion of its governor
against Nadershah the latter sent troops to sedate the revolt, The city
was beseiged for many months and eventually sacked. At the time of Nader
shah's murder in 1747 most of the historical buildings o fthe city were
damaged or ruined and its population dropped to 50000, a quarter of that
of the sixteenth century. Shiraz soon returned to prosperity under the
enlightene rule of Karim Khan Zand who made it the capital of his reign
in 1762. Even though master of virtually all of Persia, Karim Khan
refused to take the title of king and contented himself with that of
regent (Vakil). Karim Khan was a benevolent and wise ruler and one of
the greatest patrons of the arts in Iranian history. Employing more than
12000 workers he constructed a royal district with a fortess, many
administrative buildings, a mosque and one of the finest covered bazaar
in Iran. He had a most built around the city, constructed a clever
irrigation and drainage system and rebuilt the city walls. However Karim
Khan heirs failed to secure his gains, and when Aqa Mohammad Khan, the
founder of the Qajar dynasty, eventually came to power, he wreaked his
revenge on Shiraz by destroying the city fortification and moving the
national capital to Tehran. Although lowered to the rank of provincial
capital, Shiraz maintained a level of prosperity as a result of the
continuing importance of the trade route to the Persian Gulf and its
governorship was a royal prerogative throughout the Qajar era. many of
the beautiful gardens, buildings and residences built during the
nineteenth century, contribute to the actual outlook of the city.
Shiraz had a primary role during the Islamic Revolution and its splendid
victory, After the revolution, both during the Holy Defence and and in
the construction era, Shiraz has always been on the forefront of the
preservation and development of the holy values of the Revolution. In
line with the great consideration that the Islamic Republic gives to
historical monuments, the municipality of Shirazand the related cultural
institutions have promoted and carried out many important restoration
and reconstruction projects through the city. Among the most recent ones
are the complete restoration of the Karim Khan fortress and of the Vakil
Bath as well as a comprehensive plan for the preservation of the old
city quarters. Other noteworthy initiatives of the municipality include
the total renovation of the Qor'an Gate and the mansoleum of the poet
Khoju Kermani both located in the Allahu Akbar gorge, as well as the
grand project of expansion of the mausoleum of the world famous poet
Hafez. |