Fars
(2002 pop. 4.2 million). Fars, in southern Iran, is one of the largest Iranian provinces, with an area of 133,294 square kilometers; it is a region with great historical significance. The nucleus of the ancient Persian empire (c. 550–331 BCE), it was called Persis and was the seat of the royal cities of Pasargadae and Persepolis. An evolved version of the ancient Persian tongue (called Farsi or Parsi after the region) is still spoken today in Iran and is the official language of the country.
The Iranian-speaking Aryans first came to northern Fars; later the valleys of the Kur and Pulwar rivers became centers and remained so until the time of the Sasanid dynasty. Darius the Great (reigned 522–486 BCE) built Persepolis where the Pulwar flows into the Kur on the plain of Marwdasht. Another town on the banks of the Pulwar, called Istakhr in the Middle Ages, was the focal point of the Sasanid dynasty. Other cities of Fars later outshone Istakhr in terms of size and activity (namely Shiraz, Fasa, Siraf, and Arrajan).
Throughout history, Fars flourished and waned according to the fortunes of the dynasty in power. Shiraz was the capital of various dynasties, but eventually power, money, and prestige shifted from this area to the northerly cities of Tehran and Isfahan. Fars nevertheless remained a significant commercial and cultural center. Today Shiraz is not only the bustling hub of commerce for the Fars region, but is also one of themost industrialized cities in Iran. It is a major destination for tourists who appreciate historical sites and art centers and wish to visit the tombs of the poets Sa'di and Hafez.
Ruins of the Persian capital of Persepolis in Fars. (CORBIS)Several nomadic ethnic groups, including the Qashqais, inhabit Fars as they did in past centuries. Nomads mounted on horses or camels may spend summers on the high plateaus and move south to the Persian Gulf in the winter to search for pastures for their herds; others spend winters in a city. These groups represent not only an economic mode of production, but also a lifestyle that has strong cultural and traditional roots in many parts of Iran.
Further Reading
Barthold, W. (1984) An Historical Geography of Iran. Trans. by Svat Soucek. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Ghirshman, Roman. (1978) Iran. Middlesex, U.K.: Penguin Books.
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