Shiraz Panoramic night view

this is from @shimaro steemit account: https://steemit.com/creativity/@shimaro/creativity-out-of-the-waste

creative ideas may be very cheap and low cost to implement, or very expensive and luxurious.
in both cases, a creative job, impresses everyone.

the above washing sinks were amazing, in a beautiful restaurant in the heart of the mountains, above the city. there were two lifts taking you high there, with a suspended bridge which I assume loads of money has spent to construct, still the simple idea of sinks, impressed me more.

enjoy the view.

Shiraz city, Iran - Bakooyeh restaurant

Ghalaat (Qalaat) village, ancient beauty in Iran

one of the most pleasant trips you can make in Iran, is heading to lovely city of Shiraz. understanding why Shirazi people are so calm and warm-hearted, lies in the way they live! Shirazi culture is seriously mixed with the philosophy "life is short, enjoy the moment"

Qalaat village - I call this picture: windows to blue sky

for living the moment, Shirazi citizens often go to suburbs and near villages or areas, calling Baagh (garden). and Qalaat (Ghalaat) is one of the most famous and top destination, especially for those who live in North - North West of Shiraz.
The Village is almost 20 miles from Shiraz, toward North-West. Qalaat has a history for over 2600 years, still enjoying beautiful ancient memorials, like a church called Glory of Christ, survived from Ghajar period, surrounding with nice gardens. the village has less than 300 residents in roughly 70 families, mostly serving the tourist come to the village from Shiraz and Jahrom city.

 

for living the moment, Shirazi citizens often go to suburbs and near villages or areas, calling Baagh (garden). and Qalaat (Ghalaat) is one of the most famous and top destination, especially for those who live in North - North West of Shiraz.
The Village is almost 20 miles from Shiraz, toward North-West. Qalaat has a history for over 2600 years, still enjoying beautiful ancient memorials, like a church called Glory of Christ, survived from Ghajar period, surrounding with nice gardens. the village has less than 300 residents in roughly 70 families, mostly serving the tourist come to the village from Shiraz and Jahrom city.

 

In Ghalaat you can find some handicrafts and souvenirs from Persia and Fars province. like Kilims, knitted and woven bags and shoes, wood crafted artworks etc. there are two rivers passing the village called Shab Shotori and Cheshmeh Anjiri with many beautiful springs heading toward them and three amazing waterfalls. best time to see all these is in May and June.

Qalaat Village

I took these pictures in March. so don't worry about the weather, it will be hot in the summer.

Shiraz, a city to love, a culture to live

Shiraz is one of the oldest cities in Iran, also one among most five populous and largest cities in Iran. almost located n the southern part of Iran, close to Persian Gulf and laying in the foothills of Zagros Mountains, roughly 900 km away from the Capital Tehran.

but these are just numbers and stats! Shiraz is a city to love, not to count! Shiraz has been defined by more than 2500 years of history and culture, since the Achaemenid Empire and Dynasty ruled Shiraz or Pars province to be capital of their Empire.

Shahcheragh Mosque

With such history, Shiraz has become synonymous with education, poetry and genuine and noble people. Shiraz was also the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty (AD 1747–79), which many of its most beautiful buildings were built or restored, like Arg Karimkhan, Vakil Bazzar, Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque and many others.

In modern Iran, almost everybody seems to like Shiraz city and Shirazi people :) holding graves of some of the most important and popular poets like Sa'di and Hafiz, alongside with historical sites like Persepolis and Pasargad, Iranian people are sympathetic about this city. Cyrus the great and Darius' cemetery located in Pars (Fars) province, adds tons of feelings and emotions among those who believe in Persia's Empire supremacy.

Arg Karim Khan

hospitality
all these facts and figures haven't caused Shirazi people to be disrespectful to other citizens and nationalities. if you have once visited places and cities in the heart of Europe with people who are deeply concerned about their race, you will cherish such manner in Shiraz. a city with stuck up nose citizens has a poisoned spirit above the houses and monuments!

how to travel to Shiraz?
for visiting any city in Iran (except for free zones like Kish island) you will need a Visa from Iran's embassy (or consulate) in your country or countries who accredited with your homeland politically. Visa on arrival is available for some nationalities (ask your local travel agency or embassy office)

you can fly to Shiraz int'l airport from Istanbul, Dubai, Doha, London, Kuala Lumpur etc
you can also fly to Tehran or other int'l airports and travel to Shiraz via air from almost all the cities in Iran, or travel by bus or train. price of air ticket from Tehran to Shiraz varies in a range of 50 to 100 USD (one leg) and the flight is roughly one hour.

bus tickets are cheaper, around 15-20 USD and the trips takes 12 hours.

where to stay in Shiraz? accommodation options
Shiraz has many hotels as it is a well known destination for most of tourists coming to Iran from the very beginning. 5 star hotels like Shiraz Hotel, Chamran Hotel, Pars etc and many 4 and 3 star hotels. like all the other cities in Iran, regretfully Shiraz suffers from lack of some tourism infrastructures, but with some study and research before your schedule, you can guarantee your trip out of bad surprises :)

planning a budget trip? back pack lovers read here!

a backpack travel to Shiraz with your partner would be memorable

you can travel to Iran from land borders in south and travel to Shiraz with bus for as low as 7 USD. in Shiraz there are some motels you can stay for below 10 USD per night. also try hospitalityclub.org, which many from Shiraz are offering a coach or bed for single or couple travelers. once again Shirazi people are greatly welcome and kind to tourist which will definitely surprise you!

Eating in Shiraz
Shiraz enjoys good restaurants and meals like many other Iranian cities. Sea food is a must to try in this city! and there should a "must try before you die" in your food bucket list called Kalam Polo!! it is Cabbage, rice and meat baked in steam with herbs and spices. foods can be spicy in Shiraz.

if you are Vegetarian, like all other cities in Iran, you may face difficulty in Shiraz.

where to go?
what a silly question! keep calm and walk away! going every where in Shiraz is pleasant :D many places reminds you of the greatest historical places in Italy or Greece. and some streets are really sleepless! try this link on Lonelyplanet

if you have enjoyed Shiraz before, please send me your travel reviews to be published here :) send them to me by email to honarparvar (at) hotmail (dot) com

Naqsh e Rostam in Persepolis, Shiraz

Shiraz, was the center of Persian Empire for a long time. Among many places you have to visit in Shiraz in Fars province in Iran, you must try Persepolis first. Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid dynasty (Hakhamaneshian). just about 10 km to the north from Persepolis, there is Naqshe Rostam (the picture of Rostam or Rustam, an epic hero in ancient Persia/Iran)

The below paragraphs is my uncle's review, Pouyan Kazemian, who lives for couple of decades in Australia, when he came back to Iran after a long time. you may find it amazing, I attach some pictures to give you a clearer idea:

Naqshe Rostam (Rostam’s Drawings translated loosely) is an ancient site in Mid-Southern Iran, which cannot be expressed through words. A crude description of the place would be “a series of tombs of Persian kings, surrounded by sculptures, all of which are carved into a cliff edge”. It is located at the heart of one of the most scared locations in Iran, less than an hour away from Perspolis and Centre of Shiraz .

No one knows the real name of this place; hence the name Naqshe Rostam as it was concluded by those who first laid eyes on this site thousands of years ago, that only a mythical Persian character would be powerful enough to build it (type Rostam in google.com for more info). For people that come here today, the real name of the place is irrelevant, as the sheer size of the cliff face and the carvings are enough to make anyone feel humble and insignificant when standing beside them. As if this isn’t enough history to move just about anybody, one of the first ever Zartosht temples is also situated opposite the cliff edge, just to remind everyone not to take things for granted as they walk on hallowed ground, the same place where many Persian kings once stood and admired their creation.

To Iranians, Naqshe Rostam is symbol of pride and patriotism, a sign of who they were and how great they can be in the future if they dare to try. To a foreigner, it is difficult to comprehend how great mankind was in the past and what they can achieve during their time on earth, if they are willing to do so. Despite these subjective and objective points of view, Everyone who come to this site agrees that Naqshe Rostam is most certainly a symbol of hope and inspiration. After all if our ancestors were capable of creating something as astonishing as this more than two thousand years ago, there is no reason why any one of us today should ever believe that we cannot accomplish feats just as stunning in the future.

the last picture I think is for Apadana stairs, near the Naqsh e Rostam.