Fārs Province

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For other uses, see Fars (disambiguation).
Fars Province
استان فارس
Location
Map of Iran with Fars highlighted.
Statistics
Capital:
 • Coordinates:		 Shiraz
 • 29.609° N 52.532° E
Area : 122,608 km²
Population(2005):
 • Density :		 {{{pop}}}
 • 35.8/km²
Sub-provinces
(Shahrestan):		 23
Time zone: UTC+3:30
Main language(s): Persian

Fārs or Pars (Persian: فارس) is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. It is in the south of the country and its center is Shiraz. It has an area of 122,400 km². In 1996, this province had a population of 3.8 million people, out of which 42% resided in rural areas and the rest were urban residents.

Nominally, Fārs is the original homeland of the Persian people. The native name of the Persian language is Fārsi or Pārsi. Persia and Persian both derive from the Hellenized form Πέρσις Persis of the root word Pārs. Fārs is the Arabicised version of Pars. The Old Persian word was Pārsā.

Contents

[edit] Geography and climate

Fars Province landscape.
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Fars Province landscape.

The Zagros Mountains stretch from the northwest to the southeast, dividing the province into two distinct geographical regions. The first is located on north-northwest, while the second is located on the south-southeast of the province, and both are mountainous highlands. According to the latest divisions, the province contains the following counties: Estahban, Abadeh, Eqleed, Bovanat, Jahrum, Darab, Sepidan, Shiraz, Fasa, Firouzabad, Kazeroon, Lar, Lamerd, Marvdasht, Mamasani, Khonj and Nayreez.

There are three distinct climatic regions in the Fars Province. First, the mountainous area of the north and northwest with moderate cold winters and mild summers. Secondly, the central regions, with relatively rainy mild winters, and hot dry summers. The third region located in the south and southeast, has moderate winters with very hot summers. The average temperature of Shiraz is 16.8 °C, ranging between 4.7° and 29.2 °C.

Parishan Lake
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Parishan Lake











[edit] History and culture

Before Islam, two main Persian leaders named Cyrus The Great and Ardeshir Babakan rose from Anshan and created the vast dynasties of the Achaemenids and Sassanids respectively. Alexander later established many cities in the province as well.

The ruins of Persepolis still impose their grandeur and elegance on the visitor, after being burnt by Alexander of Macedon.
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The ruins of Persepolis still impose their grandeur and elegance on the visitor, after being burnt by Alexander of Macedon.

The cities of Fars province put up a firm resistance to the Arabs during the Islamic Conquest of Iran, particularly in areas around Istakhr. The province however, as well as most of Persia ultimately fell to the conquest.

Fars then passed hand to hand through numerous dynasties, leaving behind numerous historical and ancient monuments; each of which has its own values as a world heritage, reflecting the history of the province, Iran, and western Asia. The ruins of Bishapur, Persepolis, and Firouzabad are all reminders of this.

Thus due to the geographical characteristics of Fars and its proximity to the Persian Gulf, Fars has long been a residing area for different natives and tribes from other parts of the world such as the Turks, Semites, and Aryans who were under the influence of Iranian culture. However, the original tribes of Fars including Qashqai, Mamasani, Khamseh and Kohkiluyeh have kept their native and unique cultures and lifestyles which constitute part of the cultural heritage of Iran attracting many tourists.

[edit] Fars today

Districts of Fars
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Districts of Fars
Fars is a colorful place with 715 listed historical attractions according to the Iran Cultural Heritage Organization.
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Fars is a colorful place with 715 listed historical attractions according to the Iran Cultural Heritage Organization.

Shiraz Airport is the main international airport of the province. The cities of Lar and Lamerd also have airports linking them with Shiraz and Tehran and nearby Persian Gulf countries such as the UAE and Bahrain. Shiraz is along the main route from Tehran to southern Iran.

Agriculture is of great importance in Fars. The major products include cereal (wheat and barley), citrus fruits, dates, sugar beets and cotton.

Fars has major petrochemical facilities, along with an oil refinery, a factory for producing tires, a large electronics industry, and a sugar mill.

Tourism is also a large industry in the province. Many come to see the superb handicrafts such as the silver smithing, marquette and skill-embroidery of Shiraz; the Giveh weaving of Abadeh; the ceramics in Estahban ; and the rug, jajim (fine carpet made of wool or cotton), and Gelim (carpet made of goats' hair) of Firouzabad. The tribal woven rugs, the rose water made in Firouzabad, the sweets produced in Fasa, and the lime juice and plant essence extracted in Shiraz are of the highest quality.

Shiraz is also where a famous Persian ice cream named faloodeh is made as well.

UNESCO has designated an area in the province, called Arjan (known as Dasht e Arjan) as a biosphere reserve.

[edit] Attractions of Fars

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

[edit] Historical & Cultural

Fars as homeland of Achaemenid and Sassanid Persians, hosts numerous splendid archaeological site, monuments, mosques and gardens.

[edit] Pre-Islamic sites (...-637)

Achaemenid Empire (648–330 BC)

Sassanid Empire (226–650)

[edit] Post-Islamic (637–...)

See Shiraz

Saffarid dynasty (861–1003)

  • Jame’e Atigh Mosque

Mongolian Empire (1231-1256)

  • New mosque
Saadi tomb.
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Saadi tomb.

Ilkhanate (1256–1353)

Muzaffarid dynasty (1314–1393)

Timurid Empire (1370–1506)

Safavid Empire (1501–1722/1736)

  • Khan school

Zand dynasty (1750–1794)

  • Arg of Karim Khan
  • Bazare Vakil
  • Saraye Moshir(A caravanserai at the south entrance of Bazaar Vakil which is now the exhibition of Iranian handicrafts.)
  • Vakil Mosque
  • Ghal'eye Karim Khan
Eram Garden is a famous tourism attraction.
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Eram Garden is a famous tourism attraction.

Qajar Dynasty (1781–1925)

Pahlavi Dynasty (1925–1979)

  • Qor'an Gate(Originally built as an ornamental entrance by the Buwwayhids(Buwayhid dynasty) about 1000 years ago, it was ignorantly demolished 60 years ago. The present gate was erected on its site, later, by a local merchant.)

[edit] Colleges and universities

Fars province contains the following major universities:

[edit] Notables from Fars

[edit] Fars Province in poetry

Fars: The ancient homeland of Persia.

روی گفتم که در جهان بنهم
گردم از قید بندگی آزاد

که نه بیرون پارس منزل هست
شام و روم و بصره و بغداد

"I said, turn your path to the greater world,
So I should be free of the chains of slavery.

But I found no place for me outside of Fars,
Not Levant, not Anatolia, not Basra, nor Baghdad."

--Hafez, The Nightingale of Shiraz

[edit] External links

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Ardabil • Bushehr • Chahar Mahaal and Bakhtiari • East Azarbaijan • Isfahan • Fars • Gilan • Golestan • Hamadan • Hormozgan • Ilam • Kerman • Kermanshah • Khuzestan • Kohkiluyeh and Buyer Ahmad • Kurdistan • Lorestan • Markazi • Mazandaran • North Khorasan • Qazvin • Qom • Razavi Khorasan • Semnan • Sistan and Baluchistan • South Khorasan • Tehran • West Azarbaijan • Yazd • Zanjan

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