Richards considers Persepolis the most spectacular Iran gem

The British artist and tourist Fred Richards, who traveled to Iran at the time of the first Pahlavi King Reza Khan, left a travelogue behind in which he described the Iranian cities.
According to correspondent, Richards, who traveled to Iran in late 1920s, coinciding with the peak of Reza Shah’s power, tirelessly passed through the difficult roads and observed and reviewed the major Iranian cities of the time. He also traveled to the city of poetry and literature and writes: “The most beautiful gem of Iran, Shiraz, the cradle of knowledge, poetry, and Nightingale has once been the center of the historic province of Fars which is said to have had a population of 200,000 inhabitants at a time. Earlier, Thomas Herbert, who passed through this city in 1627, writes that Shiraz is a place where magic first came to being and where Nimrod lived for a while, and Cyrus, the greatest king of all, was born.” He also adds: “Perhaps future historians point to add that Hafez and Sa`di also lived in this land.
Shiraz population is estimated at around 50,000 to 60,000 people, and anytime I look at this city from Tang-eAllah O Akbar and its wide roads, the view of the city and its beautiful junipers reminds me of the old towns of Italy.
Although Shiraz has largely lost its splendor, it still retains some of its past beauty and attractions. As the passenger passes through the long desert road from Isfahan to Shiraz which resembles a silvery strip stretched across the plains, he is aware of three things that can guide his spirit. He knows that he will see Yazdkhah, Persepolis and Tang-e Allah O Akbar on his way, and if you consider the height, Dehbid that is 8,000 feet above the sea-level, can be added to these three. It is said that Dehbid is the highest residential village in Iran and is the second in terms of the wind that blows through it. But perhaps Yazdkhast can be considered the most amazing, Dahbid the windiest, Persepolis the most spectacular and Tang-e Allah O Akbar the most scenic of the four.”