GARDENS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD · Spring 2023 · Torch: U.S.
17
Differing greatly from the gardens of Mesopotamia, Persian gardens had the more practical applications of offering shelter from the extremes of desert climate. Pasargadae, the gardens of the palace of Cyrus the Great, are the oldest ruins of a Persian garden from around 500 B.C. Such gardens exemplified the "paradise garden" and were thus surrounded by a mud wall to keep out the elements and included fruit trees, pavilions, and trellises for shade. Along a similar evolution, the Old Persian word for a walled garden, "paridaida," eventually became the English "paradise."
Persia, c. 500 BC
Persian gardens followed the concept of chahar bagh (four gardens), which outlines a quadrilateral garden divided by walkways or flowing water that intersect at the center of the garden, creating geometric irrigation and division. Water may have been provided continuously to the gardens by tunnels called qanat that carried water from aquifers or by animal-run wells. Oftentimes, the garden would connect to an indoor courtyard at the back of the house.
One of the most widely adapted designs in the ancient world, some Persian gardens still extant include the Prince’s Garden in Mahan and Bagh-e-Fin in Kashan. The Taj Mahal's gardens and Versailles were also inspired by Persian gardens.
Persian carpet from 1622-32 depicting a formal Persian garden from an aerial view.
Bagh-e-Eram, an existing example of a Persian garden in Shiraz, Iran.