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Overview of Islamic Gardens: PERSIA

© Alia F. Hasan

With the rise of Islam around the seventh and eighth century CE came a new type of architecture and landscape. This architecture began in Arabia and spread outwards as far as the Islamic religion carried it to places like Persia, India, and Spain. The concepts of appropriate Islamic architecture and landscape were not rigid and were therefore adaptive to preexisting concepts and forms of architecture. As a result the Islamic garden, also called the oasis or paradise garden, is an ensemble of Islamic ideals and local traditions and varies according to the historical and geographical context in which each garden is found.

EARLY GARDENS OF PERSIA:

Persia was one of the first countries to come under the rule of the Islamic empire in 642 CE after the Sassanian dynasty was defeated. Persia at this time had a well-developed culture and architecture and because Muslims were lacking in these things these traditions continued, only adapting Muslim ideology when appropriate. The result is that much of what is considered Islamic in the Islamic garden can be attributed to the earlier Persian culture.

Many garden elements that are features of the Persian-Islamic garden can be found in early Persian gardens. One such garden is found at Pasargadae dating back to the early sixth century BCE. This is the palace complex built by Cyrus, ruler of the Achaemenid empire. The complex, now just ruins in a large expanse of meadowland, once consisted of two palaces, two pavilions, and a stone watercourse broken up by pools. Though the watercourse was a formal element it may also have served as an irrigation channel. This garden was viewed from a distance in large pavilions rather than expressed through walkways or paths through it. According to John Brookes in his book Gardens of Paradise "This aspect of the garden, to be viewed rather than used, was a constant factor in Persian layout" (p.32). This aspect as well as the inclusion of water and a loose relationship between palaces or pavilions and the garden would be used more formally in later gardens.

In addition to Pasargadae the complex at Persepolis and the Palace at Susa also show the devotion of space to the garden in palace architecture. Persepolis, erected by Cyrus' successor Darius, contained many areas of gardenry and outside the complex were more palaces with elaborate gardens. The palace at Susa demonstrates the use of the courtyard as an important outdoor space which is adjacent to or surrounded by the palace. Both examples demonstrate the increasing importance of gardens, in at least elite architecture, since Cyrus' rule.