'GAZETTEER OF PERSIA. VOL. III.' [‎426r] (856/982)

sm-sm
841
is also beyond the city the dargah of Mir ’AH, son of Mirza Hamzeh, and
grandson of the Imam Musa. While the houses of Shiraz are, in general
srna , and the streets narrow and filthy, the great bazar, built by Karim
Khan, and commonly called the Bazar-i- Vakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. , situated at the north-east
comer of the city, forms a distinguished exception to this general
description. It is built in the shape of a cross and is about 500 yards in
length 120 yards in breadth, made of yellow burnt brick
with a vaulted roof, 22 feet high, and a central dome at the inter
section of its arms. It has numerous skylights, which, with its doors
and windows, always admit sufficient light and air, whilst the sun
and ram are completely excluded. This bazar is allotted to the different
raders of the city, all of whom have their assigned quarters, which they
possess under strict regulations, and it is well supplied with goods imported
nf°wnr I ^ ia ’ ^ ns ^ nt 1 lno P le and Russia. The shops display good specimens
km gold and silver, as well as of copper and brass work, cotton-goods,
tobacco, spices and dried fruits, and European tinned and other goods.
Local provisions of excellent quality of butchers’ meat (mutton), bread,
vegetables and fruit—the last of most luscious appearance and quality—are
ound in abundance. The Ark, or citadel, in which the Governor-General
of Pars resides is a rectangular building about 80 yards square, with large
pen spaces on ree sides. The palace within is far from being an elegant
structure ; the pillars of the Divan Khaneh, its greatest ornament, having
been removed by Agha Muhammad Khan to adorn his palace at Tehran
requent earthquake shocks have caused much damage to several of
the principal buildings. The parishes of Shiraz have been celebrated by
many different persons, and notably by Hafiz (the Anacreon of the East)
who was a native of this city and is buried in a small garden, about half
a mile north-west of the town. The tomb of the poet was erected by Kar-
mi Khan, and is a plain block of white marble in the form of a coffin
on which are inscribed two of his poems and the date of his death. His
works are not, as has been stated, chained to his tomb ; but a splendid
copy of them is always kept in an adjoining house. The simple dignity of
the great poet s resting-place has, however, been sadly marred by the erec
tion over it in 1701, by Prince Shu’a-us-Saltaneh, Governor-General of Pars
ot a tawdry painted, iron structure surmounted by tin flags. Not far from
t e fomb of Hafiz is the garden of Jehan Numa, known in the time of Karim
as the Vakil Elected representative or attorney, acting in legal matters such as contracting marriage, inheritance, or business; a high-ranking legal official; could also refer to a custodian or administrator. s garden. It was formerly reputed to be the most beautiful
m the neighbourhood of Shiraz, but is now almost entirely shorn of its
former charms. Other gardens are the Bagh-i-Takht, the property of the
hu a-us-Saltaneh; the Bagh-i-Nau, the property of the Imperial Bank
o Persia and the residence of their European officials ; the Bagh-i-Iran
Dilkusha and Gulshan. The last, the property of the Quvvam-ul-Mulk’s
younger son, Nasr-ud-Dauleh, is now the finest garden of Shiraz. In a
gorge behind the garden of Dilkusha, and about a mile and a half north of
e town, m a little walled garden, is the resting-place of the immortal Sa’adi.
At one end of the garden is a building containing some small rooms in the
centre and an arched divan on either side, in one of which with plain white
washed, unpretentious walls, behind a tall brass lattice or screen, reposes the
1121. B - - *