Shiraz is Iran’s fifth largest city and also the most populated city in southern Iran. Some of the old names of the city of Shiraz include the city of lovers, the city of orange blossoms, the land of lovers, the city of love, the city of gardens, flowers, and nightingales, the kingdom of Solomon, Solomon’s estate, Dar al-Mulk, Dar al-Elm, and Dar al-Fazl. What we learn from history is that about 2000 BC, the name of Shiraz was mentioned on Elamite clay tablets. Permanent settlement in Shiraz dates from the Sassanid period or even before that, but the first mentions of this city date back to the early years of revelation of Islam. This beautiful city lies in southwestern Iran. According to the census conducted for the calendar year to March 2022, the city has a population of 1.955 million.

 

Tourist Attractions

 

Shiraz is brimming with captivating and unparalleled tourist attractions and recreational activities. Saadi’s Tomb, Hafez’s Tomb, Karim Khan Citadel, Eram Garden, Quran Gate, Vakil Mosque, Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, and Afif Abad Garden are just a few of Shiraz’s enthralling tourist destinations. Moreover, other notable sites include the Qajar Edifice, Abunasr Palace, Kakha Citadel, Agha Babakhan School, Pars Museum, Haft Tanan Museum, Qavam Naranjestan Garden, Jahan Nama Garden, Takht Garden, Chehel Ten Garden, Salehi House, Mortaza Ali Well, Bagh-e Neshāt Bathhouse, and dozens of other stunning and historical tourist attractions.Shiraz’s natural wonders include the Kohmare Sorkhi Waterfall, Qaleh Bandar Park, Bamou National Park, Shiraz Birds Garden, Joushak Spring, Dasht Arzhan Lake, Maharlu Lake, Qareh Aghaj River, Atashkadeh Recreation Area, Cheshmeh Salmani Recreation Area, Haft Berm Recreation Area, and many other spectacular and unique attractions. Religious sites abound in Shiraz, chief among them Shah Cheragh, a revered shrine with a long history, attracting visitors from across Iran to admire its beauty and historical significance.

 

Saa'di Global Status

 

The sweet-spoken poet of Shiraz, whose fame has spread beyond the borders of Iran and has inspired others to praise him. Saa'di has been translated and published in various languages, including English, German, Spanish, Latin, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Polish, Dutch, Turkish, Arabic, Malian, Italian, etc., from all over the world since 1636 AD when the first excerpt of Gulistan was translated into French by André Doria and published in French.

Praise for Saa’di and the extensiveness and diversity of Saa'di's works have made him a skilled orator and a renowned thinker, attracting a wide range of tastes. Saa'di's persistent presence among the people and his interaction with different social groups have made his words and expressions popular with everyone so he is considered the spokesman of the people. This continuous presence has not remained confined to the geographical boundaries of the Persian language, but it has crossed many borders. That is why the American poet, writer, and thinker Emerson believes that: "Saa'di speaks the language of all nations and peoples of the world, and his words, like those of Homer, Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Montaigne, are always fresh."

 

Achaemenids, Sassanids and Persepolis

 

Fars, in southern Iran, on the shores of the open sea, has produced two great dynasties: the Achaemenids and the Sassanids, which have ruled over Iran and the world for more than six hundred years. The ruins of Persepolis are located in Fars, and its history is intertwined with that of its neighboring province, Khorasan. Blessed with both tropical and temperate zones, no natural blessing has been withheld from this land. At Persepolis, everything is turned towards life, power, and creativity. Art becomes a showcase of human capability. Lions, falcons, bulls, and the lotus flower are respectively symbols of power, domination, fertility, and splendor. The struggle between man and Ahriman conveys will and effort. Persepolis, in the minds of its builders, was to be the showcase of a world government, the first world empire created by the Persians, embodied in this monument. The unknown world of the era, from the Mediterranean to the mouth of China was under their command. The twenty-four countries whose representatives’ figures are carved in stone bear witness to this authority, as does the number of nations that participated in the construction of this magnificent palace. Just as there was no similar kingdom to the Achaemenid in history, Persepolis also remained unique on the planet. This palace was built in an era when royal buildings were dedicated to religious sanctuaries or tombs, of the type of the Egyptian pyramids and linked by a thread to the other world. Persepolis, on the contrary, is the palace of this world, the monument of human greatness and the celebration of life. In the image where the Lord bestows divine grace upon the ruler, heaven and earth put on display their harmony. God is called the "bringer of joy" in Darius's inscription, not the sender of death.

 

Oil/Gas Potential

 

The high volume of gas and oil reserves in Fars province, the operation of numerous refineries and petrochemical plants, its proximity to the South Pars gas reservoir, and the possibility of utilizing the Persian Gulf’s potential, pave the way for Fars province to become a hub for oil and gas. In addition, the scientific capacity of Shiraz University, the active Oil and Gas Growth Center in Fars Science and Technology Park, and the availability of experts and experienced personnel are other factors in achieving this important goal.

 

Shiraz Petchem Plant

 

The first petrochemical plant in Iran, with over six decades of operation, remains one of the country’s most important industries in the production of chemical fertilizers and other petrochemical products. The company was established in 1963 to produce chemical fertilizers; and in the following years, with the development and expansion of its production capacities, it became one of the largest petrochemical plants in Iran.

Shiraz Petrochemical Complex currently produces a variety of products including urea, ammonia, nitric acid, ammonium nitrate, methanol, argon, and UAN (liquid nitrogen fertilizer). The company has also been a pioneer in mitigating greenhousegases (GHG) and has become the first petrochemical company in the country to receive a carbon mitigation certificate from the United Nations.

 

Shiraz Refinery

 

Established in 1973, around 22 kilometers from the city of Shiraz and near the city of Zarqan. Shiraz Refinery is one of the 10 refineries in the country that has a 3% share in the production of petroleum products in the country.

The plan to establish Shiraz Oil Refining Company started in 1963 and was established as a private joint stock company in 1973, but in 2009 it became a public joint stock company. The nominal capacity of Shiraz Refinery is 40,000 b/d and its operational capacity is 60,000 b/d.

 

South Zagros 3.4% Share

 

South Zagros Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Company is the largest subsidiary of the Iranian Central OilFields Company (ICOFC), which was established in Shiraz in 1999. The company is responsible for the production of oil and gas and the supply of feedstock to the Farshaband, Fajr-e-jam, Sarkhoun, and Parsian gas refineries and Shiraz Oil Refinery, as well as supplying part of the gas from the Maroun oil field for injection into this reservoir. 17% of the world’s gas is in Iran and 20% of Iran’s gas is in the South Zagros region, in other words, 3.4% of the world’s gas reserves are in the reservoirs located in the South Zagros region.

The company currently operates five operational regions: Nar/Kangan, Aghar/Dalan, Parsian, Sarkhoun and Gashouye Jonubi and Sarvestan/SaadatAbad in the provinces of Fars, Bushehr and Hormozgan. In the future, with the operation of new exploration fields, the provinces of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad,and Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari will also be added to the company’s operational area. The company has set a target of producing 280 mcm/d of gas by (2027) based on the plan communicated by the Iranian Central Oil Fields Company, which has been taken into account based on development and maintenance plans for production capacity from its various fields.

 

by:Hossein Dehghan