Known as the city of poets and nightingales, Shiraz has a number of tombs and gardens of which none are finer than in the Bagh-e Eram garden, well-known for its cypress trees and a 19th century Qajar palace. Alexander the Great passed by on his travels sacking the nearby city of Persepolis as he did so, but even today it is an impressive ruin. Huge columns still stand and the craftsmanship that went into creating the bas-reliefs is still evident. Excursions from Shiraz can take in the tomb of Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae and the wonderful rock tombs and Zoroastrian temple at Naqsh-e Rustam.