Shiraz is one of the most beautiful cities in Iran and the capital of Fars province. This city is located in a region with a moderate climate and is very suitable for agriculture. For this reason, Shiraz is known as the city of gardens inside and around it. Eram Garden in Shiraz is considered one of the oldest gardens in Shiraz.
Eram Garden of Shiraz used to be located at the northwest end of Shiraz. This rectangular garden is approximately 250 x 720 meters and has occupied an area of 18 hectares. Today, only the northern edge of the garden remains, which has an area of about 9 hectares.
This garden is now run by the College of Law affiliated with Shiraz University and is managed as a botanical garden under their supervision. In addition, visitors pay a small admission and enter this garden. Every year several domestic and foreign travelers go to Shiraz to explore it for themselves.
History of Eram Garden of Shiraz
Eram Garden is one of the oldest Iranian gardens, dating back to the 12th century. This garden was created during the Seljuk period and by the order of Atabek Qaracha, the ruler of Fars.
Then, during the Zandiyeh period and by order of Karim Khan Zand, measures were taken to improve the garden. Also, during the Qajar period, a mansion was built inside the garden. Finally, the Eram Garden was completed in this way. The mansion in the garden is a building with the architectural style of the Qajar period, which was built in imitation of the architectural style of Zandiyeh.
Outstanding Features of Eram Garden
The Eram Garden of Shiraz has a main axis that runs parallel to the lateral sides. This main axis is located in the middle connecting the east of the garden to its west. A wide street divides the garden into two halves. On the sides of the street, there are rows of cypress trees, among which a taller tree can be seen. This tree is called Sarv-e Naz because of its characteristics and uniqueness in Shiraz.
Eram Garden of Shiraz is created on a slope, the difference in altitude between the highest part and the lowest part is about 10-15 meters. This garden has two platforms that divide it into two halves, the north, and the south. Each of the two halves is divided into two sub-platforms. The secondary axes are located on the edges of the platforms.
The main entrance of Shiraz Eram Garden can be seen from the southeast side and the lowest part of the garden. There are also two side entrances for this garden. One of these entrances is located on the northeast side of the garden and the other is on the northwest side of the garden.
The main longitudinal axis of the garden consists of three parts:
- The garden entrance gate.
- Middle building: it is the boundary between the main south and north platforms.
- The main mansion at the end: It is located at the end of the northern platform.
The middle mansion of the garden is a one-story building that is stretched parallel to the garden. This mansion is located on the main longitudinal axis of the garden. The middle mansion overlooks both sides of the garden and the passage axis.
Also, the main pavilion at the end of the garden has three floors and is stretched parallel to its width. This pavilion has a central courtyard. In this courtyard, ornamental cypress and orange trees as well as all kinds of ornamental flowers can be seen. There is a large water feature in front of it with its water reflecting its beauty. In addition, there is a large pond in the middle of the garden.
From the Tileworks to the Wall Paintings of the Pavilion
There are fabulous sunlike tiles on top of the building facade. These tiles are composed of three crescents:
- The upper crescent of this building shows the four scenes of Rostam’s presence in the court of Suleyman the prophet.
- The crescent on the left shows fainted servants while watching the beauty of Yusuf the prophet.
- The crescent on the right depicts Armenian princess, Shirin, bathing and king Khosrow watching her.
In the center of this sun, there is a picture of Naser al-Din Shah riding a horse. In all these images, whether mythological or fictional, the power of the king is a common theme.
In addition, paintings can be seen on the walls of the Eram Garden pavilion. These paintings are drawn with three themes:
- Mythological and ancient themes: the images show battle scenes, lion-and-sun emblems, hunting scenes, and hunters.
- Story themes: These paintings are related to Quranic stories and ancient Iranian stories.
- Decorative motifs: these motifs include plant motifs, views of urban buildings, animal and bird motifs, etc.
Do not Miss Visiting This Attraction
Gardens are among the beautiful places for tourism that have a positive effect on people’s spirits. Eram Garden of Shiraz, which existed for a long time, is one of the most beautiful and historical gardens of Shiraz. Along with the mansion inside it, this garden is a very attractive spot for domestic and foreign travelers.
If you are planning to travel to Shiraz independently or on Iran tours, visit the city’s Eram Garden first. Destination Iran invites you to visit the tourist attractions of Shiraz and this historical garden along with its inner buildings.
