مجله منظر
پیاپی 33 (زمستان 1394)

Gardening Art is an outcome of Iranian civilization and culture which its elements and principles has not been revealed completely yet. Besides the main street and streamlets, Persian garden is composed of some other elements which their entity and role in creating the garden should be recognized. Surrounding wall, which has been repeated in all samples of authentic Persian garden is a kind of mixture of iconic cultural complexity and functional simplicity elements. Surveying the wall as a conspicuous element can reveal some secrets in Persian gardening style and its role in landscaping.
Wall is a multi-conceptual element which its application to enclose the garden, regardless of its functional benefits, has an important role in creating an Iranian identity for the garden, as Persian Garden is an arena for illustrating the nature and human’s pondering in verses of cosmos. Due to the audience mentality and the landscape (and space) capacity, this field needs to adhere to certain traditions which this wall is among the most important ones.

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.

Funerary architecture in Pre-Mughal India offers numerous examples of forms and settings, including gardens. The concepts of these burials are probably connected with the habit of ziyarat or visiting the tombs, i.e. those of saint patrons such as the Chishti’s, but also of ancient kings. From early 13th to mid 16th century, the evolution of landscape and architecture followed a contrasted line, both in scale and setting. The goal of this paper is to highlight a few hints on the anthropology and architecture of funerary landscape in the Delhi sultanate.

The Pavilion can be outlined among the most important architectural identity elements in Persian gardens. Usually these structures were built in the middle of the garden and at the confluence of two longitudinal and transverse axes in such a way that it could be seen from four sides to maximize the geometrical composition of the Persian four-garden. Although relatively different reasons for the formation and structural categorization of these architectural spaces can be seen in Persian gardens. Nine-part divisions in Iranian pavilion are of an extensive use. This type of architecture is the result of the fusion of three basic requests in architecture: Attention to beauty, function and stability. Thus, the right mix of volumes, adds to their beauty. The existence of hierarchy to achieve empowerment for the palace’s performance and also the inhibition of central thrust loads, have made significant contributions to the sustainability of these Persian environments. On the other hand, this plan has strengthened the permanent request of centralization in four-part buildings, adorned Persian gardens from the Achaemenids period so far in two major forms of introvert and extravert. In this article firstly the need for such spaces in the existence of hierarchies and response to promotional aspects of palaces is demanded. Another question is that, in the same condition and in the heart of the Persian garden, why is this map implemented sometimes completely closed (Châhâr-Sofe), at times a combination of closed and semi-open spaces (Hasht-Behesht) and in rare cases like the central building of Qajar palace in Tehran, completely semi-open (Canopies)? The results of this study show that the existence of four homogeneous facades that open to the axis of the charbâgh, empowered the architectural mass over the mass of landscape and helped their coalescence and spatial fusion and in general, the hierarchical architecture in the heart of a four-garden structure would not have a better answer than a nine part space. Also it seems that, on one hand, a climatic-seasonal usage and on the other, paying attention to the bio-ritual and occasionally ceremonial functions, in order to meet the demands of the governments, are among the main reasons for these changes.

Among Shâh ‘Abbâs I’s palaces in Mâzanderân, the ‘Abbâsâbâd estate is outstanding by its original features: it linked an informal garden, the elements of which are loosely assembled around an artificial lake to a formal space, on higher grounds, with a geometrical outlay, more common in the art of Persian gardens. The coexistence of these juxtaposed parts and the close relation of the residence with the surrounding forest, the lack of outside walls customary in Persian gardens, hint at an original relation of some Safavid gardens with the natural landscape i.e. a will to “reproduce” or “preserve” nature in its wilder aspects, with the intent, not of building a great Royal garden, but rather, a simple hunting residence: a gusheh-ye ‘eysh-e shâh, a "pleasure corner for the king".

Despite the comprehensive study especially during recent years in regard with phenomenon of Persian garden, the unknown dimensions and discrepant issues are so much; regarding formation and geometry of Persian garden. In between, the Châhârbâgh’s pattern which knows it;” garden is consequences of two orthogonal axes with existence a palace in confluence location of axes”, introduced as archetype of Persian garden by citing some of evidence; like designs of cruciform inscription and descriptions of paradise where Adam driven from there; This idea had criticized by some researchers in recent years. Current article criticizes common archetype of Châhârbâgh as viewer is on the vision point where perception by user is impossible and more importantly; it’s not able to justify all Persian garden forms. By question about how formation the human, water and trees relations in Persian garden and also be able to justify various of developed forms in Persian garden; hence this article is going to introduces the existence hidden pattern in Persian garden that be able to justify all developed forms of Persian garden.
Researching about Persian garden elements and how space usage and Iranian’s specific aesthetic are indications concerning existence of triplet pattern water, plants and Nazargâh (Belvedere) in Persian garden; that effort in all of physical species was toward utilizing water and plant perspectives from the location like Nazargâh as most important of natural elements.

The paper examines some sixteenth and seventeenth-century Indo-Iranian garden sites of the Deccan in southern India. It argues that terrain and water management practice in southern India resulted in a landscape expression that differed markedly from that in northern India and Iran. The gardens of the Deccan, located near large water storage tanks, were responses to the geographical context and to native cultural practice. This is strongly suggested in the evidence of water pavilions and the detailing of water edges at, or near, Bijapur, in the sultanate of the Adil Shahs. The placement of palaces on hills overlooking expanses of water and gardens, as at Hyderabad and Golconda, in the sultanate of the Qutb Shahs, was also a contextual response. Gardens were enjoyed during the season of the rains, at Bijapur as well as at Golconda/Hyderabad. Although ladies accompanied the sultans during their visits to gardens, gardens specifically for ladies, called zenana gardens, were located only in the citadels where the privacy of ladies could be ensured. The public, in general, could enjoy royal pleasure gardens only occasionally, following a royal visit. Gardens in the Deccan, in common with those elsewhere in the Indian subcontinent, were used not only by day but especially in the evening. Because many Indian flowers open for pollination in the evening and are white, strongly scented, and tubular to attract nocturnal insects, an Indic tradition of an evening, or moon garden, existed. Traditionally, in the Indian subcontinent, scented flowers have long been associated with love and arousal and it would seem that amorous pursuits were enjoyed in gardens, in particular, at the cooler time of the day when flowers released their fragrances. In conclusion, it could be said that although the gardens of the Deccan share a family likeness with other Indo-Iranian gardens and were used in similar ways, the terrain of the Deccan and the reliance in this region on native Indic practices of water storage and management resulted in landscapes that were rooted in the Indian soil; if, stylistically, these gardens could be considered Iranian, temperamentally they were very much Indian.

The recognition and perception of the whole Pasargade complex as the first capital of Achaemenes is not that simple, due to the dispersion of the ruins in the whole plain. Archeological findings were mainly concentrated on components and buildings without providing a general structure for Pasargade. This research, firstly, attempts to prove the existence of a garden as a connecting factor in Pasargade area by studying historical documents along recent archeological findings. Secondly, by analyzing the remained components, based on Persian landscaping traditions such as the existence of the main axis and symmetry, tends to find the geometry of the garden and its pattern. The results indicate that all of the buildings in Pasargade plain are constructed based on a spatial structure and that a large garden surrounded all the elements. “The royal garden” was only a small component of this large compound. In fact, it seems that the first governmental-ritual Achaemenid center was being constructed under the form of a garden-city with an ordered and integrated structure.

This paper explores perception by examining various elements of The Court of the Lions at The Alhambra in Andalusia, focusing mainly on the fourteenth century. The position of The Court of the Lions in relation to the site of The Alhambra is set out within its historical context. The paper outlines the relationship of The Court of the Lions to its adjacent spaces: The Hall of the Two Sisters, The Hall of the Abencerrajes and The Lindaraja Mirador. The muqarnas prisms in the domes of the two halls are described and explored, particularly in terms of how they might function perceptually. The overall context of The Court of the Lions is briefly described in terms of outside and inside spaces. Architectural inscriptions are described and interpreted, particularly poetic epigraphs on specific locations. The perceptual effects produced by all these architectural and poetic features, as well as by still and moving water in the courtyard, do not have a merely aesthetic effect; they are also designed specifically to release and guide our imagination.

"Garden-axis" –the urban structural axis influenced by the gardens- is a great urban element in the cities of the Safavid era. Cities such as Qazvin, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shiraz and Nishabur, developed with garden-axes during this era. The first Safavid rulers built their new capitals by connecting them to old towns with garden cities which were organized around a special kind of public garden spaces (squares and streets).
Shiraz, owes its civic life to existence of gardens, such as "Garden-axes" and also governmental gardens. The main question in this article is “What is the role of garden-axes in the development of Shiraz?”
To answer this question, at first the concept of garden-axes and two garden-axes on north and west of the city is explained. Then their role in urban development during the Zand era and after it was analyzed and evaluated.
The results show that garden-axes has been an achievement which drove gardens in the historic city of Shiraz in the Safavid era for the physical manifestation of the spatial structure of the city in the new system. Not even northern and western garden-axes of the city were the identification elements in the urban system, but they also have an important role in urban development.
The formation of these garden-axes, represent Safavid basics of building gardens for identifying of the entrances to the city (Estakhri gate) and also led the development of the city during the Zand and Qajar and Pahlavi era. In the period of Karim Khan Zand Government, creation and integration of gardens with government buildings, including Bagh-nazar and Arg-Karimkhan Garden, along with revival of two garden-axes of north and west, strengthened the urban system.
In the early stages of urban development of Shiraz in the first Pahlavi era, the western-oriented garden-axes became Karim Khan Zand street and in later periods, the integration of important administrative activities in this street and the process of development, led to the breakdown and destruction of gardens.

Structural and spatial representation of various gardens of different era in Iran based on archeological and historical literatures and documents is one of the major fields in surveying Iranian gardens. These surveys can assist us to gain a better perspective and understanding of pattern and structure of Iranian gardens.
Utilizing a story from Masnavi Haft-Paykar, this current article attempts to introduce a lesser known pattern of Iranian gardens belonging to past historical periods. In this poetry, Nezami describes a complex garden composed of two parts, an internal (Golestan) and an external (Boostan) parts. A mansion (Hejabgah) existed in between those parts. Boostan was an enclosed part located between high walls exclusively for women’s privacy and occupancy. The view of Boostan was only available through the mansion. This represents a kind of garden which can be found in Masnawi of “Vis-O-Ramin” to some extent. Similarly, these spatial images may be extracted from earlier stories with much older historic roots in literature. Furthermore, it is possible that poets such as Fakhreldyn As’ad Gorgani and Nezami in narrating older stories visualized their knowledge of fifth and sixth centuries so that the stories could be matched with the ancient stories. Finding a proper answer to this question is extremely difficult. However, existing images in works of both poets can help us in recognizing a new configuration and pattern and allows us to gain a better comprehension of garden design in Iran.

Landscape Architect Mohammad Shaheer (1948-2015) was the principal consultant in the restoration of several historic gardens in India and Afghanistan. This article presents his particular approaches and methods in three landscape restoration projects: Humayun’s Tomb gardens and Sunder Nursery central axis in Delhi, and Babur garden in Kabul.Shaheer had a deep understanding of Persian Garden and was the Master, discerning the design intention of the Mughal builders. Restoring the authenticity of these historic gardens is the result of this understanding and also his special attention to details. Restoration of water flow and planting in these projects is carried out based on historic description also considering local tradition with the aim of bringing the garden back to the state of a flourishing orchard.
Shaheer’s thorough understanding of local cultural context and his special style in design_ simple yet to great effect_ has ensured modern functions are incorporated in the historic gardens and turned them into major tourist attraction sites.