“Another female star of the pre-modern age was “Mulla Fatemeh” Naghai, a performer of music and poetry for the Zand dynasty court in Shiraz during the 1700s. This woman gave public concerts outside the Vakil bazaar, playing the lute, harp, tambourine, and reed pipe, and she could recite over 20,000 verses of classical or contemporary poetry from memory. She was an outspoken critic of clerical hypocrisy and of bigotry in general, demanding justice for the powerless both in the court and on stage.” WomenHistoryIranArtistsShiraz Book:Mother Persia: Women in Iran's History Source: Mother Persia: Women in Iran's History
“Ah, Shiraz! What a town! The rose gardens, the nightingales. Paradise. You know, I got a hold of some wine while I was there. I'll never forget that bouquet." Julian cleared his throat. " 'Rose petals let us scatter and fill the cup with red wine, the firmaments let us shatter and come with a new design.' " He lifted his glass in a toast to Hafez's ode to the fermented grape. Marjan met his toast with her own glass.” WineMarjan And JulianJulian Winthrop MuirShiraz Book:Rosewater and Soda Bread Source: Rosewater and Soda Bread