FARs

Fars, also known as Pars, is a historic and cultural region in southwestern Iran. The name derives from Pars, the ancient homeland of the Persians, and is the source of the ethnonym Persian and the name Persia. The region roughly corresponds to the modern Fars Province and nearby areas on the Iranian plateau, including parts of the Zagros foothills and the Persepolian plain. Its major city is Shiraz, a long-standing center of culture, trade, and education.

Historically, Fars was the heartland of the Achaemenid Empire, and its ceremonial capitals Persepolis and Pasargadae are among the region’s most important archaeological sites. The area remained a core of Persian culture through the Sassanian era and into the Islamic period, shaping language, administration, and identity for much of Iran. In the modern state of Iran, the term Fars commonly denotes the cultural region associated with the Persian-speaking population, with Fars Province as its administrative core.

Demographically and linguistically, the region is predominantly Persian, with Persian (Farsi) as the main language. Fars has produced a wealth of literary and artistic figures and is famed for its historic gardens and monuments.

Economically, the area combines agriculture, industry, and tourism. Agriculture includes fruit cultivation and crops typical of the Iranian plateau, while tourism centers on its archaeological sites, including Persepolis and Pasargadae, and on Shiraz’s cultural heritage.