Tomb of Hafez

The open pavilion structures are situated in the Musalla Gardens on the north bank of a seasonal river and house the marble tomb of Hafez.

A beloved figure of the Iranian people, who learn his verses by heart, Hafez was prominent in his home town and held a position as the court poet.

[1] In his memory, a small, dome-like structure was erected in Shiraz near his grave at Golgast-e Mosalla in 1452, by the order of Abul-Qasim Babur Mirza, a Timurid governor.

Believing they were ordered by omens in Hafez's poetry, Abbas the Great and Nader Shah both carried out separate restoration projects in the following 300 years.

Following this, the site became a subject of controversy, when, in 1899, Ardeshir, a Parsi from India[citation needed] began to build a shrine around Hafez's grave.

The people of Shiraz protested the destruction and the government ordered the rebuilding of the monument, but Fāl-Asiri opposed them and pronounced that he would destroy any building raised there, even if it were erected by the shah himself.

[2] The site remained in ruins for two years, until 1901 when Prince Malek Mansur Mirza Shoa as-Saltaneh placed a decorative iron transenna around Hafez's tomb.

[2] Activities to restore and expand the memorial to Hafez began in 1931, when the orange grove was repaired and the Hāfezieh was altered by a governor of Fars and Isfahan, Faraj-Allāh Bahrāmi Dabir-e Aʿẓam.

Scholars recognize this design as a significant typology: "Circular or round in plan, with a domed or tent roof, these tomb towers established a type which persisted for centuries".

[2] An octagonal structure was built around the tomb, featuring a dome adorned with Moaraq tiles, Hafez's poems, and Iranian geometric patterns.

[3] Several rectangular pools have been added amongst the gardens, and well-maintained orange trees, paths, streams, and flower beds create a pleasant environment for the tourism hub of Hafez's tomb and memorial hall.

Drawing by Eugène Flandin , 1840s
Drawing by Pascal Coste , 1840s
Photograph of Hafez's tomb, 1906
A photo of iron transenna, once in place around Hafez's tomb
View of the tomb of Hafez
Plan of Hafez's Mausoleum
The tomb of Hafez, illuminated at night
View of the tomb from the ground
Inscription of the tomb construction report