Hafez is a 14th-century poet whose celebration of love and wine lead many to call him a heretic. The name Hafez was chosen because from an early age, this poet had known all chapters of the Quran by heart, and the influence of this holy book is evident in his poetry. His lyric poetry is known for its antinomian characteristic, and criticism of hypocrisy. Love, wine and tavern are very important in his poetry, they are Hafez’s way of reaching jouissance. His poetry is so rich and prone to different interpretations that his Divan or poetry collection is considered as a source of foretelling the future or better said a consultant that helps people with their decisions.
65 years after Hafez’s death, the governor of Shiraz ordered a dome-like building to be made over Hafez’s tombstone and a beautiful water duct was later added in front of it. The importance of this literary figure and his prominent place in Persian culture made all rulers of the following eras pay respect to this talented poet and his mausoleum, many such rulers added different buildings and created a beautiful garden in the surrounding area. During the Zand era, a monument with Zand architecture was replaced with the old one and marble stone with two of Hafez’s lyrics engraved on it was added as his tombstone.
In 1314, Ali Riazi, the chief of Fars Cultural Center, with the help of Andre Godard, French architect, and archeologist, designed a new mausoleum inspired by Zand architecture and Hafez’s poetry which is the monument we see today.
