Fars, which is historically known as Persis in European languages, is one of the largest provinces in Iran, covering almost 10 per cent of the country. Located near the southern border of the country, the name Persia and the Persian language come from the name of this region.

The capital of Fars is Shiraz, which is about 700 km south of Tehran. Shiraz is famous for its roses, gardens, wine hills, carpets and the two classical poets Hafez and Saadi, who lived there in the 14th and 13th century. It was the home of the early prophet Zarathustra, as well as many scientists over the course of its history.

Despite of an subtropic latitude of 27-32 degrees, the Fars has a temperate climate. This is caused by the Zagros Mountains and the green valley of the Qom river, which falls into the southern salt lake of Niris.

The ruins of Persepolis are found in the northeastern corner of the province, as a witness to the ancient glory of the Achaemenid empire which existed 2,500 years ago. The empire and its capital was burned by the army of Alexander of Macedon in 331 BC, but due to the high quality of the buildings, much of the city survived. Dozens of antique reliefs give historians a look at many of the details of the earlier lifestile.

See Also

• Provinces of Iran

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