The Image of Bāgh-i Hāreth in Balkh, Based on the Narration of Rabe'a in 'Attar’s Ilahi-Nama

The layout and plan of a garden represent an important part of its characteristics.The Study of the existing gardens or garden documents is among the main ways to recognizethe different types of gardens. However, many gardens have been demolished and therefore, inthe absence of the mentioned examples, the historical and literary texts could make it possibleto study them. In this regard, the current study aims to rediscover the image of the garden that'Attar has implicitly described while narrating Rabe'a story. Therefore, the current study seeksto answer these questions: How is the general layout of bāgh-i Hāreth? and based on the poet’sdescriptions, which of the elements is included in this garden? The article seeks to answerthese questions through the interpretation of the poem’s text and the study on the retrievedimage. In this regard, the mentioned image will be compared with other gardens’ images andlayouts. The result of this study shows that bāgh-i Hāreth consists of two sections, and thesetwo sections are connected through the garden’s entrance edifice. While the garden has anexterior and public area located opposite the edifice of Tāq, it also includes a private gardenwith a pavilion, an avenue, and a pool. The investigations show that this private garden hasprobably had a longitudinal spatial structure, which is similar to the garden described by AbuNasr Heravi in the later centuries.