The copper dome
On eight columns.
Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mshayati — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Delso — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Tomb of Hafez, known as Hafezieh, is a memorial to the great Persian poet Hafez, in the Musalla Gardens at the northern edge of Shiraz. Iranians learn his verses by heart, so it is more than a monument, a living place where people come to read his poems, above all in the evening light. Hafez was born in Shiraz in 1315 and died there in 1390. The present buildings date from 1935, designed by the French architect and archaeologist André Godard, on the site of earlier structures, the best known built in 1773. Gardens and memorials to other figures surround the tomb, making it the cultural focus of the city. You climb a few steps to a long colonnade, then pass through to a garden holding the marble tomb under a copper dome shaped like a dervish's helmet, carried on eight columns. Inside the dome are fine tile patterns. Verses of his poetry are carved on the tomb. Visitors sometimes rest a hand on it, so be respectful and wait your turn. It is about 2 km in a straight line from Nasir al-Mulk Mosque and about 3 km from Eram Garden. The finest time is at and after sunset, when the dome is lit, though crowds grow in the evening. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Iran and warns that British nationals risk detention, so check official guidance before making any plans. We could not confirm the current state of this site.
On eight columns.
Finely patterned tile.
Carved with verses.
Musalla Gardens, northern Shiraz, Iran
A Persian poet of Shiraz who lived from 1315 to 1390, and Iranians learn his verses by heart.
At and after sunset, when the dome is lit, and expect bigger crowds.