TEHRAN – Tourist attractions across the southern Fars province attracted over 1.4 million visitors during the Iranian new year holidays (Noruz), the provincial tourism chief has said.

A total of 1,452,000 people visited historical sites and natural sights throughout the province during the mentioned period, Seyyed Moayyed Mohsen-Nejad explained on Saturday.

Of the figure 387,921 people visited Hafezieh, 276,922 toured Persepolis, 245,093 people visited Sadi mausoleum, 155,970 people visited Karim Khan Citadel, and 154,514 people toured Pasargadae, the official added.

The ancient region of Fars also spelled Pars, or Persis was the heart of the Achaemenian Empire (550–330 BC), which was founded by Cyrus the Great and had its capital at Pasargadae. Darius I the Great moved the capital to nearby Persepolis in the late 6th or early 5th century BC.

Celebrated as the heartland of Persian culture for over 2000 years, the capital city of Shiraz has become synonymous with education, nightingales, poetry, and crafts skills passed down from generation to generation. It was one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and was the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty from 1751 to 1794. Moreover, Shiraz is home to some of the country’s most magnificent buildings and sights. Increasingly, it draws more and more foreign and domestic sightseers flocking to this provincial capital.

Eram Garden, Afif-Abad Garden, Tomb of Hafez, Tomb of Sa’di, Jameh Mosque of Atigh, and Persepolis are among the historical, cultural, and ancient sites of Shiraz that are of interest to domestic and foreign tourists. The ancient city is also home to some magnificent historical gardens such as Bagh-e Narenjestan and Eram Garden, which are top tourist destinations both for domestic and international sightseers.

ABU/AM