Finest Shiraz and Nocturnal Sexytime

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The 14th century poet Hafez, gave me a sign to me before I left to Iran. Randomly turning to his page of poems, I had concluded through his words that it was right for me to go back to his land to find out more about Iran. he was right. When i sat at the base of his tomb's gazebo, i felt a distinct connection as i sat there with his anthology. Although i'm far from being Iranian (ie. being Jap-Aussie) there was a certain quality I felt when i stared upon his tombstone. Shiraz is a marvellous city indeed, full of mystical elements.

This time, friends didnt shower me with 'Why are you going to Iran out of all places?' questions, but 'why bloody hell NOW in August???'. Simple. Iranian night life comes into action during this season called 'Tabestuun', as soon as they daytime heat cools off, and the locals all appear outside to have some fun - families with kids, couples, packs of friends. During my last visits earlier in the year, night life seemed to be rather dead, but this time I truly witnessed how busy parks could be with late night picnicking.
Also i knew that skantily clad old female tourists with see-through shirts and black bras would stay the hell away from potential panoramic shots in my camera. On top of that, my fellow Japanese tourists despise the summer sun like cockroaches to insect repellant. Nothing more can ruin a photo than a Japanese hag painted white holding her sun brolly alongside her pair of SPF+50 gloves and tour group badge.
The city proved to be of good temperate climate, but an hour's drive away? 52C/125F. Headbutting it was a disaster as i felt like a human fountain of sweat and radiator at the same time.

Shiraz was a city i fell in love with at first sight. During my second visit, I felt the same again. it wasnt just my slight alcoholism that lured me to this city (until the Islamic Revolution in 1979, it was famous for producing the finest of wines in this perfect climate) but the cultural elements of it. It's a masterpiece of a city. whilst visiting it, it was more rewarding than seeing the Godfather movie for my 12th time. Comparing it a movie, Shiraz is a city you can never tire of, which you can see a gazillion times despite the fact that you know every single bloody line of it. It's a cultural capital, comparable to the wonders of famous Esfahan a few hours away. You just need to know the story of it...the key.

Shiraz began as a prominent Achaemanid 5th century BC city, but continued to prosper throughout the times. By the 11th century it was compared to Baghdad for its beauty and commercial important, and hence was given the name of 'Place of learning' (dar-ol-Elm) but was ruined in the Afghan turmoil of the 18th century. the Ruler Karim Khan fell in love with the city more than I, and embarked upon an endeavour to revive the city to its greatness once more, and built several structures as well as motivation to fellow Iranians to build new mansions. Today the city is full of architectural feats with its exotic gardens.

Karim means 'generous' in Persian. The 19th century ruler was very much this way. It is said that when he was smoking his gold clad waterpipe, a worker saw this moment and complained that his name too, was Karim, but he was not blessed with the generosity of the King. Karim Kahn gave his favorite waterpipe to this man, then asked him to sell it to him again. Thus, he didnt insult this poor laborer's pride by giving him money directly. this is a fine example of the intricacies of magnificent Iranian culture.

Karim Khan built his citadel, which featured both a winter and summer section for his living quarters. Witht the winter quarter full of stained glass exposing rooms, and the summer sector full of innovative natural air conditioners, i marvelled at the entire complex with its toppling tower accomodating the baths. Even engineers specializing in the leaning tower of Pisa are unable to do anything about it.

The city has a wonderful bazaar (a Persian word, FYI), unique architecture such as the Rose mosque full f colorful pinks and unislamic motifs and....its full of marvels. Sure, bazaar shopping has a tremendous collection of gifts but also consists of historical and architectural beauty. the famous rose water drinks of the region provides a refreshment for the summer exheausted visitor. the architecure of the complex also give a generous coolness even in the horrible heat outside.

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