Saed News: The city of Shiraz is one of Iran’s major tourist hubs, also known as the city of poetry and literature. One of the most beautiful attractions in Shiraz is the Tomb of Saadi, the renowned Persian poet whose poems and ghazals are still admired and cherished to this day.
Saed News Travel Service Reports: Shiraz is one of the oldest and most popular tourist destinations in Iran. The scent of poetry and literature can be felt throughout the city, enchanting every visitor. While the name Shiraz may first evoke Hafezieh (the tomb of Hafez), one must not overlook Saadi’s mausoleum—Saadieh—the final resting place of the incomparable master of eloquence. Join us on a journey to discover more about this renowned tomb.
Saadi’s mausoleum is one of the most famous attractions in Shiraz, frequently visited by lovers of literature and poetry. The peaceful atmosphere of the complex, its unique structure blending classical and modern architecture, tall columns, and cobalt-blue tiles captivate every visitor.
Originally, this place was where Saadi lived. After his passing, it became his burial site. Despite historical upheavals, the tomb eventually took its current form—the image once printed on Iran’s 50-rial coins and later on the 100,000-rial banknote.
Saadi’s mausoleum is one of the main tourist sites in Fars province, located in the northeast of Shiraz at the foot of a mountain, at the end of Boostan Street and beside Delgosha Garden. You can get there by public transportation or personal vehicle. Bus lines like Shahid Dastgheib Terminal–Narenjestan Blvd and Narenjestan Blvd–Namazi Terminal stop near the site at a station called “Saadieh,” which is just a short walk away. The closest Shiraz Metro station is Valiasr, a few kilometers from the tomb.
Moshref (Sharaf) al-Din Mosleh Shirazi, known as Saadi Shirazi, was a renowned Iranian poet and writer of the 13th century (7th century AH). Sources vary on his birth year, citing either 585 AH or 606 AH, while most agree he passed away in 691 AH.
He was born into a family of religious scholars:
"It was your love that taught me poetry
Though all my tribe were scholars of religion."
He lost his father at a young age and was raised by his mother, who was from Kazeroon. Enthusiastic about learning, Saadi pursued knowledge vigorously. The unstable political conditions during the fall of the Khwarazmian dynasty—particularly the invasion of Shiraz by Sultan Ghiyas al-Din—compelled him to leave his hometown.
Saadi began traveling in 1126 AD, exploring the Near and Middle East, India, Abyssinia, Egypt, and North Africa for nearly 30 years. His books Gulistan and Bustan reflect his profound worldview. He studied at the Nizamiyya School in Baghdad, where he also received a stipend.
His journeys were difficult. In Gulistan, he recounts entering a mosque barefoot and miserable, only to see someone without legs—an encounter that filled him with gratitude. In Bustan, he tells of toppling a false idol in India and advises readers to expose deceit in similar ways. His writings are filled with moral lessons, and he believed that faith brought comfort and healing. He attributed his long life to his strong belief.
In 2002, Iran’s Saadi Studies Center declared the 1st of Ordibehesht (April 21st) as Saadi Day. The designation was formalized in 2010 during a global poets' summit in Shiraz.
Originally a khanqah (Sufi monastery) where Saadi spent his final years, the tomb was first built in the 13th century by Khwaja Shams al-Din Muhammad Sahib-Divani. It was destroyed in 1590 by Yaqub Zolghadr, ruler of Fars. The earliest surviving record of Saadi's tomb is from 35 years after his death, by traveler Ibn Battuta. At the time, visitors would wash their clothes in marble pools at the tomb, believing the water had healing powers.
In 1773, Karim Khan Zand constructed a two-story mausoleum from plaster and brick. Later, during the Qajar period, the tomb underwent multiple restorations.
One Qajar-era cleric, disapproving of Saadi’s Sunni background, ordered the destruction of the gravestone. It was later replaced by Ali Akbar Khan Ghavam al-Molk, who engraved part of Saadi’s poem praising the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) on the new stone.
Modernist architect Mohsen Foroughi designed the current structure in 1948 with influences from Persian palaces like Chehel Sotoun and traditional Iranian architecture. The tomb was rebuilt by 1950, with the grand opening held in May 1952, attended by notable figures like Dr. Mahmoud Hesabi and Ali Asghar Hekmat. A statue of Saadi, created by master sculptor Abolhassan Sadighi, was unveiled the same day.
The current tomb is cube-shaped from the outside but octagonal inside, decorated with turquoise tiles, marble, and lapis lazuli. The main hall features seven stone inscriptions with verses from Gulistan, Bustan, and Saadi’s other works.
Notable inscriptions in the tomb include:
“All things perish, but You remain,
Noble in nature, beautiful in character…”
“A lifetime is a treasure, alas, not eternal.
Do not rely on these fleeting days.”
“From Saadi’s Shirazi soil, the scent of love shall rise
A thousand years after his death.”
To the left of the tomb is a famous fish pond. According to legend, Saadi built marble pools here with flowing water. Shirazis believed that washing in the water—especially on Chaharshanbe Suri (Persian Fire Festival)—brought blessings.
In 1993, tilework in the Seljuk style was added to the pond by master craftsman Tirandaz and executed by Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization. The pond features a skylight and connects to the courtyard via 28 steps.
The tomb complex also includes:
A traditional teahouse in the basement.
A public library (established in 1972).
The tomb of poet Shourideh Shirazi.
Hours: 8:00 AM – 7:30 PM (Closed on major religious mourning days).
Ticket prices (2020):
Domestic tourists: 5,000 Toman
Foreign tourists: 50,000 Toman
Let me know if you'd like this text formatted for a travel brochure, website, or presentation!
