Shiraz, 1790

gardens, ghazals & grapes

era: evolutions 

elements: lilac • green leaves • oud • dark musk • amyris 

feel: elevated, moody & intriguing

intensity: strong

For centuries both before and after the poet Hafez composes his famed ghazals here, Shiraz is considered the cultural capital of Persia, where gardens, flowers, music, and literature thrive. The word lilac weaves its way into English by way of French, Arabic, and especially Persian (nīlak, or bluish) but is rooted in Sanskrit, and the "Persian lilac" originates in China—all of which underscores the cosmopolitan nature of this ancient city.

Hafez frequently referenced the local wines:

O wine-bearer brighten my cup with the wine
O minstrel say good fortune is now mine.
The face of my Beloved is reflected in my cup
Little you know why with wine, I always myself align.

Read some of Hafez's ghazals here.