4 days
All accommodation subject to availability. Final accommodation choices will be confirmed after booking. ID 1513 - P a g e 1
Your Itinerary Explained Date Place visited B: The first part of the text in each day is the itinerary schedule and will explain what you will Breakfast normally see/do during this day of your itinerary. --L: The part of the day s text in italics (and comes after the three dashes --- ) is background Lunch information on the places or sites on that day of your itinerary. It is not part of your D: itinerary and may mention places that will not be visited on your itinerary. If you have any Dinner questions please ask us. Travel times where noted are only meant as a guideline. Tour Itinerary Day 1 Shiraz Sites A variety of options of things to do in Shiraz (up to 4 sites possible per day, typically). --The Eram Garden takes its name from the word Iram, the Muslim word for Quranic heaven. The luxurious gardens are surrounded by elaborate marble tiles and stones. In the centre is the Qavam House, which has been modified over the last 150 years by various owners. Shiraz - Eram Garden N/A Vakil Mosque, is a beautiful mosque built in mid-18th century by Karim Khan, the regent (which translates to 'Vakil') and founder of the Zand Dynasty. The entrance gates, as well as the interior of the mosque, are heavily decorated with coloured tiles in floral patterns. The Jameh Mosque in Shiraz is one of the oldest mosques in Iran. It was built in the 9th century under Saffarid Amroleiss, to celebrate his conquest of the city. The mosque has been damaged and rebuilt many times throughout the years - it used to have six portals and many prayer halls, many of which no longer exist. The main portal is on the north side and is named 'The Twelve Imams'. The courtyard used to be made of marble, where people would walk barefoot after washing their feet in stone basins. The stone and brick mosque is beautifully decorated with Qua'an verses and arabesque designs. Its vestibule ceiling is adorned with stalactite tilework, which is a prominent feature in Persian architecture. Ali Johari, a famous calligrapher, also left his mark in this mosque with an inscription from the Safavid period. ID 1513 - P a g e 2
The Arg-e Karim Khan Citadel is named after Karim Khan, the founder of the Zand Dynasty who ruled from 1751 to 1779. The structure resembles a medieval fortress and was a military complex as well as being where Karim lived. The enormous walls feature ornamental brickwork wth circular towers at each of the four corners, one of which is subsiding. The grounds contain a citrus tree lined court, a small museum and a workshop where you can often see artisans at work. Saadi's Mausoleum is dedicated to the famous Iranian poet of the classical literary tradition who lived from 1291 to 1292. He is known for the deep social and moral thoughts he expressed in quality writings. His most prominent works are 'Bustan' ('The Orchard') and 'Gulistan' ('The Rose Garden'). 'Bustan' is a compilation of stories written in verse-format that illustrate the Muslim virtues of justice, liberality, modesty and contentment. 'Gulistan' contains many personal anecdotes and short poems that observe, advise and reflect on the absurdity of human existence. The Shah Cheragh Shrine houses the tomb of Sayyed Mir Ahmad, the son of the seventh Shiite Imam, Musa al-kadhim, and a brother of the more famous 8th Imam, Imam Reza. Ahmad and his brother, Muhammad, hid out in Shiraz during the Abbasid persecution of Shia Muslims but met their end here in 835 AD. In the 14th century, the site became a pilgrimage centre when a mosque and theological school were built nearby. Most of the current site is from the Qajar period. It is considered to be one of the holiest sites in all of Iran. Non-muslims are sometimes not allowed entrance and guardians can sometimes object to ladies wearing make up. No cameras are allowed inside and women must wear a chador (available on site). Day 2 Bishapour Half-day excursion to Bishapour Drive to Bishapour for a half-day excursion including the Temple of Anahita and Tange Chogan. Return back to Shiraz for overnight. --Bishapour (meaning 'Shapour's city) was an ancient metropolis built by King Shapour in 266 AD, with the help of about 70,000 captured Roma soldiers. It was home to a community of 50,000-80,000 people before falling to ruin in the 10th century. The remains of this oncemagnificent city include the ruins of the Palace of the Sassanid King Shapour and the fragmented structures of a second palace, built for the defeated Emperor Valerian in a style similar to that of Persepolis. Shapour s Palace contains a cruciform-shaped hall and a large court, which still possesses its original paintings, decorations and stones. It is bordered with a series of colourful mosaics that combine Iranian and Roman motifs in images of nobles and ladies, dancers and musicians. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in June 2018 as part of the Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region. B ID 1513 - P a g e 3
The building known as the Temple of Anahita at Bishapour is actually an unidentified structure located deeper than the other rooms of the palace. The structure, with its pleasant, harmonious dimensions, can only be reached by descending a long flight of stairs. Once you've descended the stairs, you will find yourself on a small square surrounded by high walls. This square must have been a pool surrounded by sidewalks. The doors in the walls give access to a corridor that surrounded the square and gave access to the nearby aqueduct. On top of two of the walls there used to be triangle-shaped structure that looked like roof supports. This is not the case, as the sanctuary was open and the triangle-shaped structures supported large bull imposts. One of these can now be seen in the Western Mosaic Hall of the Palace. Across the river from the city of Bishapour are a series of beautiful carvings from 260AD known as Tang-e-Chogan. They tell the story of Shapour I s victory over the Romans, including his capture of Roman Emperor Valerian and a large number of his soldiers, as well as the surrender of Philip the Arab. Further carvings show scenes from the lives of later kings, Bahram I, II and III and Shapour II. There are also investitures with Azura Mazda and Anahita bestowing legitimacy and further victories over Arab tribes. Overnight in Homa Hotel, Shiraz Day 3 Firuz Abad Half-day excursion to Firuz Abad Go on an excursion to Firuz Abad from Shiraz. Visit the old walled city and the famous palace of Ardashir overlooking the lake. Overnight in Shiraz. --Firuz Abad was originally built by the Sassanian King Ardashir in 200 AD, who designed it as his own royal residence. Firuz Abad was christened "Ardashir-Khurra" which means 'the Glory of Ardashir'. It was originally a walled city in the shape of a circle, with four gates located at each cardinal point. Out of the centre of the city, the remains of the square minaret of rubble-rose stone can still be seen. Nearby is the enormous palace of Ardashir, which was built on a plain overlooking a small natural lake. In the opening of the valley are some striking bas-reliefs that depict Ardashir defeating the Parthian King, Artabanus. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in June 2018 as part of the Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars Region. B Overnight in Homa Hotel, Shiraz Day 4 Shiraz cooking class Private cooking class. Enjoy a private cooking class with a local chef in their home. --Participate in a private cooking class with an Iranian chef in their home. The day will start with you shopping at the bazaar for provisions, visiting bakeries and spice stores. You will get an introduction to spices and training in the nature of spices. You will then return to the kitchen and prepare 1 appetizer, 5 main courses and 1 dessert. Afterwards, enjoy what you have made together with the host! N/A ID 1513 - P a g e 4 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)