The Gardens of PersiaGardens of Persia demonstrates world-renowned author Penelope Hobhouse's rare ability to combine meticulous research and a practical knowledge of gardens and plants with a love of garden history and travel. By telling the story of the development of gardens throughout the Persian culture's 5,000-year-old history, she imparts a passionate view of the Persian paradise garden as a model for today's gardeners. Buildings, water, and plants combine to give the gardens of Persia a beautiful spiritual quality that has served to inspire garden design across time and diverse cultures. Indeed, Ms. Hobhouse begins with the oldest living garden, Pasargadae, created by Cyrus the Great in 550 BC. It represented paradise on earth and spawned other gardens to be seen as settings for sacred contemplation and spiritual nourishment. In later centuries, these gardens evolved further around the world as representations for romance, power, prestige, and symbols of the afterlife. Gardens of Persia is beautifully illustrated with Jerry Harpur's specially commissioned photographs of Persian gardens as well as with similarly inspired ones from around the world, and with lovely images of sumptuous carpets and Persian miniatures. |
Contents
ENCLOSED PARADISE | 8 |
Pasargadae | 14 |
THE PERFECT PLACE | 46 |
Persepolis | 52 |
DYNASTIC GARDENS | 59 |
THE KORANIC PARADISE | 68 |
SOJOURNS FOR EMPERORS | 82 |
GARDENS IN TEHRAN | 138 |
THE BRITISH LEGATION IN TEHRAN | 144 |
MOORISH GARDENS | 154 |
MUGHAL GARDENS | 160 |
Notes for travelers in Iran | 172 |
185 | |
Index 186 Acknowledgments | 192 |
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Common terms and phrases
19th century Abbasid Achaemenid ad-Din Shah Alborz almond ancient Arabs architecture avenues ayvan Babur Bagh-e Fin Baghdad beautiful Botanic building built caliph canals carpets cascades Caspian chahar bagh Chardin Chehel Sotun court courtyard cypresses Cyrus date palms decorated desert dome dynasty east Empire enclosed enclosure Farahabad Fath Ali Shah flanked flowers foothills fruit trees GARDENS OF RULERS groves Hafez Hasht Behesht India Iran Iranian irrigation Isfahan Islamic Kashan Khaneh Khosrou king Koran land layout mausoleum miniatures Mohammad Mosque mountains Mughal Muslim oasis octagonal OPPOSITE orchards palace Paradise park Pasargadae pavilion Persepolis Persian garden PERSIAN LEGACY plains plane trees plants plateau pomegranates poplars Province Qajar qanat Qazvin reception reign river roses royal RULERS AND MERCHANTS Safavid Sasanian Seljuk shade Shah Abbas Shiraz slopes spring square summer Tabriz talar tank Tehran terraces tomb town traveler TRIUMPHANT GARDENS valley walls water channels water rills Zagros