Shiraz is a city of sophistication that has been celebrated as the heartland of Persian culture for more than 2000 years. Known as the Dar-ol-Elm (House of Learning), the City of Roses, City of Love and City of Gardens, Shiraz has become synonymous with education, nightingales, and poetry. It was one of the most important cities in the medieval Islamic world and was the Iranian capital during the Zand dynasty (AD 1747–79) when many of its most beautiful buildings were built or restored.This city is situated in the south-east of Iran and is the capital city of Fars Province, with a population of about 1 500 000. Shiraz International Airport is the main international airport of Fars province and southern region of Iran.