Tomb Of Hafez-e Shirazi

• November 28, 2019
• Updated in 11 March 2022

Introduction

Iran is one of the countries in which great and educated people have opened their eyes to the world, those who are respected today not only in Iran, but also for the world and have special attention.

Iran also has great poets whose poems will last forever. One of the most well-known and famous poets of Iran, Khajeh Shamsuddin Mohammad Hafez Shirazi, is known as the Lesan Al Qeyb. Khajeh Hafez Shirazi can be introduced as one of the most famous orators in the world. This great Iranian poet was born in the eighth century in the beautiful city of Shiraz.

The great poet and sonneteer of Iran, Khwaja Shams ud-Din Muhammad Hafez Shirazi, known by the pen name Hafez (the memorizer) and referred to as Lisan al-Ghayb (the Tongue of the Unseen), was born in Shiraz but the exact date of his birth is unknown and is estimated to be sometime between the years 720 and 729 AH.

You must prepare a ticket before entering the tomb.

Get acquainted with the tomb of Hafez

The tomb of Hafez (Hafezieh) is located in the north of the city of Shiraz, down the Darvāzeh Qur’an (Quran Gate).

In the past, this place was a cemetery where the body of Khajeh Hafez Shirazi was buried, but over time, this cemetery took on a new shape and became a kind of tomb for a great and famous Iranian poet.

There are many old tombstones in the area of the tomb, all of which are very old.

Throughout history, the grounds and tombs of Hafez Shirazi have changed a lot, but since about 2007, more changes have been made in this place. Currently, Shiraz Memorial Tomb is a historical and recreational place and due to its green space, many people, especially foreign tourists, want to visit Hafez Tomb.

The area of the Hafeziyeh tomb is about 2 hectares and is divided into two courtyards, north and south. The north and south courtyards are separated by a large hall of 56 meters. This hall has 20 columns, which is known as one of the attractions of this historical place from the viewers’ point of view.

The tomb of Hafez Shirazi is located in the northern courtyard. Of course, the tomb of Hafez has two parts, east and west, which are located in the eastern part of the tomb of the Moadel family and in the western part, the tomb of the Ghavam family.

The complex has four entrance/exit doors. The main door is situated in the south, two in the west and the other in the northeast of the tomb.

History of Hafez Tomb

It was around 791 or 792 AH that Khajeh Hafez Shirazi died and his body was buried in a place with a pleasant climate, which is said to have been his resort. During the reign of Mirza Abolghasem Gurkhani, about 65 years after the death of Khajeh Hafez, he decided to build a tomb on his tomb.

Also, a pond was built in front of this tomb, in which water was supplied from Roknabad water.

Throughout history, the tomb and tomb of Hafez underwent many changes, each of which was done by one of the kings of the time, but major changes and the construction of a magnificent tomb with stone columns was done during the reign of Zandi kings.

Karim Khan Zand, in addition to building a very beautiful area as a tomb of Hafez, ordered that a very large and majestic marble be prepared for Hafez’s tomb and that poems by Hafez be carved on it. It is said that the dimensions of this stone are about 40x80x266, which is still on the tomb of Khajeh Hafez Shirazi.

Of course, after Karim Khan Zand, other kings who ruled Iran also made changes in the tomb of Hafeziyeh, which is recorded in the history of this monument.

Architect of the Hafez tomb

Andre Godard was a famous orientalist and a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts in Paris. He was known in the world as a powerful person in the field of architecture. He was invited to Iran in 1307 AH and was entrusted with the construction and restoration of many historical sites in Iran.

Andre Godard lived in Iran for about 32 years, during which time he tried to create many changes in the field of archeology and cultural heritage of Iran by preparing a list of changes and construction of historical monuments in Iran. He and his wife also introduced Iranian historical and cultural artifacts in a French-language publication.

It can be boldly said that the construction and restoration of the tomb and tomb of Hafez was one of the most enduring activities of Andre Godard in Iran, which made his name forever recorded in the history of Iran.

Tomb of hafez hall

Hafezieh hall was built during the Zandiyeh dynasty. It is 56 meters in length and 8 meters in width. It is made of 20 stone pillars, each 5 meters in height.

In the past, the hall included 4 pillars and 4 rooms, but later on the rooms were omitted from the structure. There are two rooms in the eastern and western parts of the hall, one of which belongs to the Cultural Heritage Organization and the other is the Tomb office. The architecture of the hall is typical of the Zandiyeh and Achaemenid eras.

Apart from housing the Tomb of Hafez, Hafizieh is also a very beautiful and eye-catching place with tall trees, gardens and colorful flowers which make it perfect for relaxation and recreation.

Tomb of Hafez is divided into four areas

The northern area

It includes the tomb, sour orange trees and two big pools which feed the pools of the entrance garden. Moreover, there exist the building of HafezShenasi (the study of Hafez) with an area of 330 square meters, a library with an area of 440 square meters and a shop for cultural products.

The Tombstone of Hafez

The most important part of Hafez’s tomb is the tomb of Khajeh Hafez, which is located in the middle part. The tomb, which is far from the ground, has five steps and is located about one meter above the courtyard of the tomb. The tomb has a large dome with eight stone columns 10 meters high above Hafez’s tomb.

Below this dome, you can see the handicrafts of many Iranian artists, including mosaics and tiles.

The walls around the northern courtyard

On the walls of this part of Hafezieh, sonnets from the Divan of Hafez are written on tiles and marble.

The Hafezieh library

In the north of the Tomb of Hafez, there is a library with an area of 440 square meters which includes over ten thousand books. The library is used as the center of HafezShenasi (The study of Hafez).

Handicraft sales booth

One of the spectacular parts of Hafez Tomb is visiting the handicraft stalls where, in addition to being acquainted with the handicrafts of Shiraz and Fars province, tourists can prepare their desired souvenirs and gifts from this small bazaar.

The items sold in this bazaar include rhinestones, handicrafts such as inlays, leather products and so on.

The bazaar may be closed from time to time.