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<H1 ALIGN="Right">The Garden</H1><H2 ALIGN="Right">Makan<BR>The Sense of Place</H2>
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<H5>These pages offer a short over-view of the religious and architectural aspects of Persian Garden design. For a fuller treatment of the subject, visit my Persian Gardening pages. You will need a browser which supports forms and tables to view them properly. Click the flower to visit.</H5><BR CLEAR=ALL>
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The garden has been inextricably tied with Iranian culture since the Emperor Cyrus planted fruit trees at
Pasargardae, just north of Shiraz. Indeed our word "Paradise" derives from the Persian word for an
enclosed garden. For the formerly nomadic tribes of central Asia, the concept of a permanent place in
which flowers and trees were planted to be enjoyed over successive years, became a powerful symbol.<BR>
The concept of garden is fundamental to an understanding of <A HREF="../abbas1.html">Shah
Abbas I</A> intention in rebuilding Isfahan. The palaces he built were small since each had a definite
purpose; the entertainment of visitors, the dispensation of justice, but they were linked by gardens set out
along his great central avenue, <A HREF="../../4bagh/4bagh.html">Chahar Bagh</A> (or four
gardens).<BR>
There are few gardens left today in Isfahan but every house has its own miniature enclosure which will
normally include some shade and a small pool around which people may gather when the weather
permits.<BR>
The architectural conception of garden reflects the "sense of place" - makan -, the garden being viewed as
a defined space encompassing within itself a total reflection of the cosmos. At the same time it reflects for
the intellect the essence, the hidden dimension latent in positive space, symbolised in the picture above
which shows men relaxing or discussing their affairs in the tea garden attached to the palace of <A HREF
= "../../40sotoon/40sotoon.html" HREF="../../40sotoon/40sotoon.html">Chehel Sotoon</A>.<BR>
An architectural parallel is found in the cloistered study spaces of the <A HREF =
"../../masimam/masimam.html">Masjed-e-Imam</A> or the garden in the <A HREF =
"../../madmader/madmader.html">Madrasa Mader-e-Shah</A>. There is a poignant story that seventy
years after the death of Shah Abbas I his pious but ineffectual successor, Sultan Hussein, who built the
Madrasa Mader-e-Shah, laid out a new garden within Isfahan at Farahabad. When he was defeated by the
Afghanis in a battle which marked the end to the <A HREF = "../history.html#safavid">Safavid</A>
dynasty, he offered to surrender the city of Isfahan in exchange for a peaceful life in Farahabad. The
Afghanis took the city and the garden and destroyed the latter.<BR>
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<A HREF = "bagh.html"> <IMG ALT="Right Arrow"SRC ="../../right16.gif"></A> Learn a little more about
gardens<BR>
<A HREF = "../../persgard/index.htm"> <IMG ALT="Persian Flower"SRC ="anigol.gif"></A> Learn a great deal more about Persian gardens and horticulture<BR>
<A HREF = "../concepts.html"> <IMG ALT="Book Icon"SRC ="../gloss16.gif"></A> Fundamental
Concepts.<BR>
<A HREF = "../../digar.html"> <IMG ALT="Sights Icon"SRC ="../../digbtn16.gif"></A> Other
interesting sights.<BR>
<A HREF = "../../isfahan.html"> <IMG ALT="Home Icon"SRC ="../../home16.gif"></A> Isfahan Home
Page<BR>
23-August-96
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