Ruins of Ardashir I Palace

 A UNESCO-listed site, the palace of Adashir I, the first king of the Sassanid dynasty, dating to 220 AD.

On the Way to Firuzabad

A few scenes on the way to the town of Firuzabad , which dates back to 220 AD. It is one of the centers of nomadic peoples in Iran.

Shiraz Mosque with Stained Glass

The Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque in Shiraz has stained glass windows and a long central hall in addition to the usual architecture and fine tilework. The effect, on a sunny morning, was breath-taking.

Stepping outside, we had nice views of the reflecting pool and of our tour leader, Faizaneh.

Tomb of Hafez

 From our tour brochure: "The tomb of Iran's favorite poet is a place of pilgrimage and reverence." It is bordered by charmingly informal gardens.

Naranjestan Ghavam Museum

Returning to Shiraz from Persepolis, we visited two fine examples of Persian civilization. First, in this post,  the Naranjestan Ghavam Museum, which was once the grand home of 19th C governors in the Shiraz region.

Royal Tombs at Persepolis

Research from the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago found that.."[R]oyal tombs, thought to be those of the later Achaemenids, were built at Persepolis itself, cut into the rock face of the Kuh-i Rahmat, overlooking the Terrace. The two complete tombs are assigned to Artaxerxes II and Artaxerxes III; an incomplete tomb was perhaps meant for the last Achaemenid king, Darius III. "

Persepolis Bas Reliefs

 I found the many bas reliefs of Persepolis, depicting processions of kings and nobles, soldiers and servants, bulls and lions, to be particularly interesting. 

Persepolis

 Persepolis is one of the most famous ancient ruins in the world. From Wikipedia: "Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BC). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by southern Zagros mountains of the Iranian plateau. Modern day Shiraz is situated 60 kilometres (37 mi) southwest of the ruins of Persepolis. The earliest remains of Persepolis date back to 515 BC. It exemplifies the Achaemenid style of architecture. UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979.