Iranian Shârbâgh; The Position of Persian Garden in Urban Landscape

The arrangement rhythm of urban grains in traditional cities of Iran are formed in accordance with the water supply system of the cities and villages. In this regard, Persian gardens play a key role in formation of city structure and urban landscape of traditional cities as well as incorporation of architectural grains , green infrastructure and green natural organs of the city. The triple factors of water, vegetation and architectural grains can be identified as the main factors in formation of Iranian traditional city structure. The current research studies Persian Shârbâgh or Persian city garden in order to discover the relation between these triple factors in formation of sustainable landscape in traditional cities and the role of Persian garden as a key factor in formation of Persian city gardens. The interaction of these triple factors results into formation of city structure and creation of a green belt in peripheral parts of the city. This is enabled by the presence of gardens and fields as well as the existence of architectural grains that can be considered as green grains since they are all considered courtyard houses and garden houses. Not only does this arrangement provide a desirable micro climate in an undesired context, but also it creates a sustainable landscape within a sustainable composition and allows an interaction which enables a full productivity of nature by human and offers a perpetual life of the traditional cities. Here, an exploratory method based on field observations and aerial and satellite photographs are used. The results indicate that the urban landscapes of past Iranian cities were formed in a combination of water, vegetarian and architectural grains which provided an apt microclimate in houses and cities and resulted in a unique, appropriate, functional and aesthetic rhythm in cities.