After a few days in Shiraz I realized that some of the amazing khatam-kari’s that I’d seen in Vakil bazaar have been inspired by the geometric patterns of some of these beautiful places, such as the tomb of Hafiz and details of Saadi’s mausoleum, the amazing mirror hall of the Qavam house and the memorable details of Nasir-ol molk’s mosque.

As our stay in Shiraz was near its finale we made one last stop to Persepolis also known as Takht-e-Jamshid – the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire.

The historical structures and remains exemplify the Achaemenid style of architecture. UNESCO declared the ruins of Persepolis a World Heritage Site in 1979. It was such an jaw – dropping moment when we got into the site, we followed our guide and reached the entrance after a long walk and then up the stairs and into an area of beautiful columns, statues and palaces. We walked through an archway seeing graffiti from the 19th century. The stone depictions on the wall of men bringing offerings to Darius are well-preserved and relate the extent of the empire in 500 BC. Alexander the Great came 200 years later and destroyed the palaces. Above the palaces are the tombs of two later ruler. I’d recommend the climb up there as the view over Persepolis is wonderful.

This experience had a huge impact on me – it was not only very inspirational yet it had a really powerful expression as I could feel the vibe through the stones and statues. It is mind boggling to realize that Persians or in other words – human beings had the power of constructing such an amazing master piece around 2500 years ago without any technological facilities and advancements to amaze all the nations across the globe and to flaunt their own power and majesty of a powerful empire ruling about 2 third of all the lands of the earth.

And just like that,  our journey in Shiraz came to an end. Although I didn’t find the exact Ceēnie’s I had in mind, all the many sites and places were a dream which led to the idea of special ordering custom Ceēnies in the near future based on inspirations from the beautiful culture of Shiraz . Take a look at Ceēnies under the Khātam category of the site to see examples of beautiful wooden art pieces that were offered in this beautiful city of Love, Poem and Wine.

After our visit to Kerman, I found myself packing again and this time I was traveling from Tehran to Shiraz. Ceēnie’s wanderlust journeys continued. Shiraz – The capital city of the Fars Province, and one of the oldest cities of ancient Persia is known to be the city of Love, Poem, and Wine (gotta admit this three work incredibly well together).I had a mission, I knew what I wanted and what was I looking for: More unique Ceēnies, perhaps similar to the incredible handmade copper ones I found in Kerman.

In any historical city its a given that you’ll find the most eclectic and unique items within the heart of the city – the Bazaar. Interestingly enough Shiraz’s Bazaar shares the same name as Kerman’s: Vakil Bazaar. The trip began as my business partner and I got lost throughout the city, parts of the royal districts and enjoyed our time in the magnificent city as tourists.

The grand Bazaar left me speechless. Each ancient trade center than remains from reign to reign and era to era carry on the most beautiful, nostalgic and cultural characteristics. Some similarities were evident between Kerman and Shiraz’s Bazaars. Architecturally they spoke the same language, both even had a mosque and public bath in the near premises even though they’d been constructed during various periods under different rulers. While exploring the Vakil bazaar I came across so many beautiful hand beaded fabrics and hand crafted carpets, jewelry, souvenirs and that smell, a scent I will never forget, of fresh spices were just mesmerizing.

Much to my surprise I wasn’t seeing Ceēnies that I was envisioning, however; I didn’t give up. I knew there must be something spectacular to be offered by this magnificent city – so I kept my eyes open and looked further. Khatams stood out the most. ‘Khatam Kari’ – is an ancient Persian technique of inlaying. It is a version of marquetry where art forms are made by decorating the surface of wooden articles with delicate pieces of wood, bone and metal, precisely-cut in intricate geometric patterns.

As we explored, sights were unbelievably beautiful, especially Vakil mosque with its candy- twist columns and beautiful haft-rangi tile works.  The tombs of two major Persian poets: Hafiz and Sa’adi are amongst popular destinations amongst tourists from all around the world. All the hype about Shiraz was no lie, it truly took my breath away. If you haven’t been to Shiraz yet, I hope one day you’ll get a chance to visit.