Shiraz  is the capital city of Fars province and a treasure trove of Persian culture. It is also the former capital of Iran, during the Zand dynasty's era (1747-79), and also the celebrated birthplace of the great Persian poets Hafiz and Saadi. It is also been said to be the origin of one of the best wines in the world called Syrah. The city has a population of about 1,300,000.

 

There is a tourist information on the main boulevard a bit west of the palace. They speak English and can give helpful tips and have English maps.

For non-Iranian visitors, taxis are probably the most convenient mean of transport. However be sure to haggle for a good price prior to getting into the car.

If an unmarked car stops while you are hailing a taxi, don't be alarmed. Many taxis in Shiraz are unmarked and also as a means to supplement their income, is not uncommon to find private car owners touting themselves as taxis.

However it always best to find a taxi through a reputable "telephone taxi" agency. For a set fee, drivers of these agencies will take passengers to their destination, drive them around town and also wait for them while they shop or run errands. All hotels and local residents will have a phone number of one these agencies. There are also taxis driven by women that specifically cater to women passengers.

The city also has a reasonable bus service.

 

 

Local foods:

 

• Kebab with rice - like elsewhere in Iran, the mighty old kebab with rice is a common fare, though Shiraz does offer a local variation on the national dish.

• Shirazi Salad - A delicious and famous salad available throughout Iran, made with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and a simple lemon juice and olive oil dressing.

• Kalam polo - A traditional food is just cooked in Shiraz. Some delivery food restaurants serve this food , it can hardly find in normal restaurants. It is a dish made of Rice, meat balls, chopped cabbage and some other vegetables and spices.

• Ash shirazi - It is a kind of soup made of vegetables and meat. It serves all over the city early in the morning. People eat this for breakfast. But please note that it just serves really early in the morning. Starts from 5 to 7 a.m.

• Masghati Halva - a great dessert and snack.

• Nokhod(Chickpea) Cookie - delicious cookie made of chickpea, known as one of Shiraz's souvenirs.

• Shirazi Paloodeh - Paloodeh is an ice cream made of rice starch, which takes the form of noodles. It is flavored with "sharbat" (sugar water), which can be of different flavors. Shirazian paloodeh is the best paloodeh in Iran especially when mixed with Bahar-e-Naranj Distill.