Structural Transformations of Shiraz from Before Islam to Qajar Period

Shiraz is rich in history and has always been regarded as one of the most important cities in the central plateau of Iran. Also, it is one of the most important habitats of Iran during the Achaemenid and Sassanid eras, due to its proximity to Marvdasht plain and was also considered as one of the most important cities of Iran in the post-Islamic period. This role took distinctive features after the Mongol invasion and Shiraz was regarded as a hub for Iranian culture and literature. Further, the impact of the morphological features of the city is of particular importance. As there is a lack of reliable documents for the form of the city in historic periods, especially until the beginning of Safavid, it is necessary to create a clear picture of the evolution of the physical representation of the city. In the present study, with respect to its historical subject, the related data were collected by descriptive method based on historical- documentary approach. Data were analyzed based on comparative method. Finally, the changes in architecture and urban spaces in Shiraz were divided into pre-Islamic and post-Islamic period until the advent of the Safavid and the architectural features of the buildings and urban spaces in each period were described based on the presented maps.