The ancient region, known as Pars or Persis, was the heart of the Achaemenian Empire (559-330 BC), which was founded by Cyrus the Great and had its capital at Pasargadae. ‘Darius I’ moved the capital to nearby Persepolis in the late 6th or early 5th century BC. Alexander defeated the Achaemenian army at Arbela in 331 and burned Persepolis. Persis (Fars) became part of the Seleucid kingdom in 312 after Alexander’s death. The Parthian empire (247 BC-AD 224) of the Arsacids (corresponding roughly to the modern province of Khorasan in Iran) replaced the rule of the Seleucids in Persis during 170-138 BC. The Sassanid empire (224-651 AD) had its capital at Istakhr. Not until the 18th century, under the Zand dynasty (1750-79 AD) of southern Iran, did Fars again became the heart of an empire, this time with its capital at Shiraz. It is known as the city of literature, poets, wins and flowers with unique souvenirs like: Faloudeh, Masqati, Distillates and etc.