Persian Gardens (Traditional Iranian Gardens)

Persian Gardens (Traditional Iranian Gardens)

Persian Gardens (Traditional Iranian Gardens)

All Persian gardens, from ancient to classical or modern, were made in opposition to the hard and arid deserts of the Iranian plateau. Unlike the historic European gardens, which seemed carved or shaped within their existing landscape, the Persian gardens were made on the empty lands as refreshing places to be used mostly by the reach or loyal people and sometimes by the ordinary people too. Its ethereal and delicate qualities highlighted its intrinsic contrast to the hostile environment.

Fin Garden, Kashan

Traditionally, the style of Persian gardens has influenced the design of the gardens in Andalusia to India and beyond. The gardens of the Alhambra show the influence of the concept of the Persian Garden and the Moorish-style scale of the pavilion of the time of Al-Andalus in Spain. The Taj Mahal is one of the largest imitations of Persian garden in the world in very large scale, since the era of Mughal Empire in India.

Concept and etymology

A schematic diagram of a Persian garden is the four-part structure with central water source, connection aqueducts, and surrounding trees, as well as the placement of the pavilion.

From the time of the Achaemenid dynasty, the idea of ​​an earthly paradise formed and spread through Persian literature and became an example for other cultures, like the Hellenistic gardens of the Seleucids and the Ptolemies in Alexandria. The Avestan word pairidaeza, ancient Persian paridaida, the median paridaiza, was taken to ancient Greek: Paradeisos, then went to the Paradisus Latinos, and from there entered European languages, for example, Paradis in French, Paradies in German and paradise in English.

Shahzadeh Garden, Mahan, Kerman

The purpose of the Persian Garden was, and is, to provide a place for protected relaxation both spiritually and physically in a place like paradise on earth. The common Iranian word "enclosed space" was pari-daiza- (Avestan pairi-daeza-), a term that was adopted by Christian mythology to describe the garden of Eden or Paradise on earth.

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The construction of Persian Gardens can be formal (with an emphasis on structure) or informal (with an emphasis on nature), following some simple design rules. This allows a maximization, in terms of function and emotion, of what can be done in the garden.

Persian gardens can originate from 4000 BC. Decorated pottery from the period shows the cross plan of the Persian garden. The outline of the Persian Pasargad Garden, built around 500 BC, can be seen today.

Eram Garden, Shiraz

During the reign of the Sassanids (third century AD), and under the influence of Zoroastrianism, water, as one of the four elements that form the universe, was considered increasingly important. This trend is manifested in the design of gardens, with more beautiful water circulation system and fountains and ponds for creating liveliness and the relaxing sound of water in the gardens.

After Islam, the aesthetic aspect of the garden increased in importance in comparison with utility. During this time, the aesthetic rules that govern the garden grew in importance. An example of this is the Chahar Bagh Garden in Isfahan, a form of garden that attempts to picturise Eden, with four rivers and four quarters that represent the world. The design sometimes extends an axis longer than the transverse axis, and you can find the water channels that cross each of the four gardens and connect to a central pond.

After the Mongols invaded Persia in the thirteenth century a new emphasis is seen on the very ornate design and construction of the Persian gardens. 

The Mongol Empire then spread the original traditional Persian garden to other parts of the empire, especially India.

Babur introduced the Persian garden to India. The now neglected Aram Bāgh garden in Agra was the first of the many Persian gardens he built in India. The Taj Mahal incorporates the Persian concept of an ideal and heavenly garden.

Dowlat Abad Garden, Yazd

The Safavid dynasty, a very influential dynasty in Iran in terms of architecture, has built and developed large and epic designs that went beyond a simple extension of a pavilion and the palace-like pavilions became integral aesthetic and functional parts of Persian Gardens. In the following centuries, European garden design, particularly the designs of France, and Russia and the United Kingdom began to influence Persian Gardens. Western styles influence resulting in changes in water use and plant species used in gardens.

Traditional forms and style of Persian Gardens are still applied in modern Iranian gardens. It also appears in historical places like museums and in the houses of the rich people.

Elements of the Persian garden

Elements of the Persian garden, are the shadow, jub (water ways), Hayat (Yard) and the Pavilion.

It is Most of the time sunny in manyparts of Iran, thus, unlight and its effects were an important factor when designing the palaces and houses in Persian gardens. Textures and shapes were smartly chosen by the architects to take advantage of the shadows and lights.
In Iran the dry heat makes the shadow essential in the gardens, which would be almost useless without it. Trees and trellises largely have biotic shade, pavilions and walls are also structurally important in blocking the warm sun.

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