Shiraz: History, Former Names & Timeline
City of poets in Fars, home of Saadi and Hafez and capital of the Zand dynasty.
ShirazExplore Shiraz in the interactive map
Former names of Shiraz
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| AD 693 | Shiraz |
Timeline of Shiraz
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| AD 693 | The Arabs expand Shiraz (about this date) |
| AD 934 | The Buyids make Shiraz their capital |
| 1210 | The poet Saadi is born (about this date) |
| 1315 | The poet Hafez is born (about this date) |
| 1765 | Karim Khan Zand makes Shiraz his capital |
Who ruled Shiraz
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–324 BC | Achaemenid Empire |
| 323 BC–301 BC | Empire of Alexander |
| 300 BC–2 BC | Seleucid Kingdom |
| 1 BC–399 | Parthian Empire |
| 400–499 | Persia |
| 500–699 | Sasanian Empire |
| 700–799 | Umayyad Caliphate |
| 800–899 | Abbasid Caliphate |
| 900–999 | Saffarids |
| 1000–1099 | Buwayhid Emirates |
| 1100–1199 | Seljuk Empire |
| 1200–1299 | Khwarazmian Empire |
| 1300–1399 | Ilkhanate |
| 1400–1491 | Timurid Empire |
| 1492–1599 | Emirate of the White Sheep Turks |
| 1600–1782 | Safavid Empire |
| 1783–1919 | Persia |
| 1920–today | Iran |
Landmarks in and around Shiraz
PersepolisRuins · 518 BC
Famous people of Shiraz
Nearby cities
- Isfahan · about 348 km
Further reading
Questions about Shiraz
Which states have ruled Shiraz?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Shiraz lies within 17 different states: Achaemenid Empire, Empire of Alexander, Seleucid Kingdom, Parthian Empire, Persia, Sasanian Empire, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate, Saffarids, Buwayhid Emirates and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Shiraz?
AD 693: The Arabs expand Shiraz (about this date). AD 934: The Buyids make Shiraz their capital. 1210: The poet Saadi is born (about this date). 1315: The poet Hafez is born (about this date). 1765: Karim Khan Zand makes Shiraz his capital.
Which famous people are connected with Shiraz?
Saadi (poet, c. 1210 – 1291); Hafez (poet, c. 1315 – 1390).
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.