Shiraz

Shiraz is located in the southwest of Iran and is the sixth most populous city in Iran. The earliest reference to the city, as Tiraziš, is on Elamite clay tablets dated to 2000 BC. In the 13th century, Shiraz became a leading center of the arts and letters, thanks to the encouragement of its ruler and the presence of many Persian scholars and artists. Shiraz was the capital of Persia during the Zand dynsity from 1750 until 1781, as well as briefly during the Saffarid period. Shiraz is known as the city of poets, and has been known to have had major Jewish and Christian communities.