a city of Persia, formerly capital of the whole country, and now of the province of Fars, 115 miles E.N.E. of Bushire. It stands in a wide plain, 25 miles long by 12 broad, enclosed by bare limestone mountains. The greater part of the plain is stony and barren; but a large portion has been brought under cultivation. The immediate vicinity of Shiraz is celebrated for its beauty and fertility, and is occupied with extensive suburbs and gardens. The town itself is encircled by walls 34 miles in circumference; and entered by six gates, each flanked by two towers. Formerly there were here a large palace, numerous mosques, colleges, bazaars, and caravanserais; but the aspect of the place has been entirely changed by the earthquake which took place in April 1853, by which nearly the whole town was laid in ruins. Previous to this earthquake there had been others nearly equally destructive in 1812 and 1824. Besides these, and other natural disasters, the town has suffered very much from the oppression of its rulers, so that it is now reduced to a very wretched condition. One of the gates is named after the poet Sadi, who was born here in 1149 A.D., and died here also at the age of one hundred and twenty. He is buried in a mausoleum, 22 miles to the N.E. of Shiraz. About half a mile N.E. of the Ispahan gate of the city is the tomb of Hafiz, the Anacreon of Persia, also a native of Shiraz. The most remarkable commodity of the place is wine, of which there are two kinds. Its seal-engravers are very famous in Persia; and it has also manufactures of silk and cotton goods, firearms, cutlery, and earthen-ware. Its trade, too, is very considerable, as it stands on the routes from the port of Bushire to Kerman, Yezd, and Ispahan, in the interior. According to Persian legends, Shiraz was built by Jamsheed; but history makes Hadji bin Yusuf its founder, A.D. 697. The principal mosque was built by Atabah Sal Zanzi, A.D. 1226; but the greatest benefactor of the town was Kerim Khan, who lived towards the end of the eighteenth century. Since that time the place has gradually declined. In the vicinity lie the remains of many splendid ancient buildings; and about 25 miles N.E. are the ruins of Persepolis. Pop. 30,000, including about 400 families of Jews.