Shiraz celebrates the arrival of spring in style. Capital of the Fars province, This city in the southwest of Iran shines with its own light for its cult of flowers and poetry, for its lively university atmosphere, its open spirit and its historical and religious legacy. Two of the great poets of Persian literature were born and died here., Hafez y Sa´di, who have impregnated the hearts of generations of Iranians with their verses. And its mausoleums continue to be a mandatory stop for all those in whom the love for poetry still throbs and for those who throughout the centuries sang our joys and miseries to help us digest them..
A small double-propeller plane has brought us here from Abbas city, the strategic port enclave of the Persian Gulf. With the arrival of spring, The city is already bustling with tourism. Many Iranians choose it for a few days of vacation. And they do not lack reason. Shiraz is calm and cozy, a nod to the peace that you want to explore on foot. And, top it off, Persepolis, the magnum opus of the persian kings, is alone 70 km.
In Shiraz there is no reason to be bored. In the Nasir-ol-Molk mosque, popularly known as the pink mosque (by the color that predominates in its tiles), The explosion of colors from its stained glass windows remains engraved on the retina.. It is one of those places where you can breathe a special atmosphere and where, unfortunately, the posturing of social networks has also crept in. The security guards are very attentive to prevent young people and not so young people from taking advantage of the hypnotic reflections of the lattices to improvise. (or not) a real photo album to nourish your profiles, carelessly invading restricted spaces between the twelve columns of the prayer hall (as many as Shiite imams) and breaking the magic of the place.
With the arrival of spring, the city is bustling with tourism. Many Iranians choose it for a few days of vacation
If cities had feelings, Shiraz should be eternally grateful to Karim Khan, head of the Zand dynasty, who moved the capital here in the second half of the 18th century and beautified it with palaces and gardens. His bust is a few meters from the entrance of the citadel that he ordered to be erected., like the mosque and the bazar de vakil, which can be reached by walking in a few minutes.
brick fortification, with striking geometric decorations, It is topped by four cylindrical towers of large proportions.. While we walk around its perimeter, A dapper-looking man takes the opportunity to practice his Spanish with friendly questions about our country. The sun is shining and the temperature is pleasant to walk to the terraces located next to the Vakil mosque, where you have to stop to remember that visiting a city should never be a race against time in which emotions get in the way of memory. It happens that, sometimes, A good cappuccino and a cheesecake can last in the memory more indelibly than this or that archaeological vestige of a hurried journey..
And with that same philosophy, and following the wise advice of Bitar Lead, travel companion before guide, which it is and wonderful (the photo agency, where you work, has a well-established routes department in Spanish directed with enthusiasm by Hossein Zali), We are now approaching the Gardens of Eram (paradise). among rose bushes, palm trees and more than two hundred species of trees and plants, one can imbibe the soul of this city surrendered to spring. And reconcile with the silence among the murmur of the water fountains of the palace of Mohammad Gholi Khan the, simply, rest the experiences of the day sitting on a bench in the shade of the grove.
A good cappuccino and a cheesecake can last in the memory more indelibly than this or that archaeological vestige
After fulfilling the tradition of visiting the mausoleum of the poet Hafez, that sleeps eternal sleep between ponds and aromatic flowers (In the two adjoining bookstores you can buy his poems, also in Spanish), we get confused in the hubbub of the food supply market Sang Siah and its narrow brick streets. You have to hurry to get to another mausoleum, Shah Cheragh, before the last flashes of sunlight illuminate its dome. Sayyed Mir-Ahmad is buried in this shrine, brother of Imam Reza, eighth imam of the shia. After being martyred in the 9th century, His tomb became a place of pilgrimage.
A Shiite cleric accompanies us on the visit to the sanctuary, joined by a Czech traveler who has crossed Syria and Afghanistan alone. At the entrance there is a strict control of the clothing of visitors (in fact, a young woman is not allowed to access the interior, because his ripped jeans expose his ankles). They also don't allow us to enter the camera, although I do take photos with my cell phone, except inside the mausoleum. Among so many arguments and arguments, Night has already fallen and the visit is somewhat lackluster, although the view from the outside of the imposing ceramic dome and minaret is really beautiful.
The reverse of the coin to so much rigor is found in the modern neighborhood of Afif Abad, where the stereotypes of Iran veiled in black between wide avenues are demolished, as Satarkahn Boulevard, neon markings, luxurious shop windows and avant-garde buildings. It is the Iran that looks towards the global village that Mc Luhan anticipated.
In the modern Afif Abad neighborhood, stereotypes of Iran veiled in black are demolished
Saying goodbye to Shiraz at the hotel Toranjestan -a bicentennial manor house that the entrepreneurial drive of Mehruaz Jorsandi and her husband has converted it into a cozy homestay for four years- It has the advantage of being able to breathe that breath of fresh air so necessary for the Iran of the future. Mehruaz is an exceptional woman in Shiraz: runs a hotel where, if daring wasn't enough, the entire staff is completely female. Located very close to the pink mosque, Its interior patio is a true delight.
“Éste es uno de los barrios más antiguos de la ciudad y tiene una cultura tradicional muy arraigada”, she explains, for whom in today's Iran “es importante inculcar a las mujeres que tienen el mismo valor que los hombres y que pueden propiciar cambios en la sociedad”.
Mehruaz bids us farewell by scattering water with rose petals as we pass., a metaphor to wish us a good trip and a future return. pure poetry. Hafez would be proud.
