Eram Garden Introduction
Shiraz, the city of love and passion, the paradise of the earth in spring and the uproar of colors in autumn. A city with numerous gardens such as Eram Garden shows the enthusiasm of people for nature and spending pleasant times together. The large number of arenas in this city have made it known as the city of arbors. Nowadays, we see a unique garden that may be considered the flagship of Shiraz gardens. An ancient arena attracting everyone from all over the world.
Eram Garden in the northwest of Shiraz is an example of unique Persian historical arenas that are displayed by nature painters today. We can see the beauty of creation in this plot in every season, especially May in which this monument turns into one of the most charming places at the time. For a walk in the humorous Shiraz of May, the Eram Garden, will delight any person interested in natural and historical monuments. The historical monuments and the botanical garden located in it make this estate one of the unique arenas of the country. This garden has been compared to Eram or paradise (the Garden of Eden) due to its dazzling beauty.
History of Eram Garden
The exact time of construction of this garden is not known, but its construction is attributed to the Seljuks. At the end of the Zand dynasty, this arena was occupied by the houses of the Qashqai tribe, and the interior was built by the first Qashqai khan and his son Mohammad Qoli Khan, during the reign of Fath Ali Shah Qajar. While Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar was the king, Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Nasir al-Mulk bought this place and built the present mansion instead of the previous building. Haj Mohammad Hassan Khan, one of the most famous architects of Shiraz, designed this building.
In the travelogues of the tenth and eleventh centuries AH, there are references to this arbor in which tourists from the Safavid era described the Eram Garden as prosperous and magnificent. The remarkable point is the historical course of this plot; The Eram Garden existed during the Seljuk and Al-Inju eras, and during the region of Karim Khan Zand it was restored and maintained.
Later, the government became the owner of Eram Garden, and this arena was given to Shiraz University. During this period, the trees and flowers that once represented the arbor fence were cut down, and iron fences were placed in this area, tall and old trees were cut down, and North Eram Boulevard was built in the plot bed. In 1979, at the same time as the Islamic Revolution of Persia, the Eram Garden in Shiraz was returned to its original owners. Khosrow Khan dedicated this arena to all the people of Shiraz. Today, this lawn belongs to the Shiraz Faculty of Botany, and the mansions inside it have been turned into a museum. In 1390, the Eram Garden was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Eram Garden Architecture
Eram Garden of Shiraz is built on a rectangular land with an area of 110,000 square meters. The entrance doors of the parterre are on the larger side, to the north and Eram Boulevard, and the smaller side is to the west and “Jam-E Jam Boulevard” or the former three-story mill. In the past, these two sides had mud walls, which today have been replaced by short walls and fences, which are now covered with Amin al-Dawla jasmine and pomegranate branches. Other parts of this plot are limited to arenas and residential houses.
The Garden Plants
Eram Garden has a very high diversity of plants so that the whole place is covered with ornamental trees, cypress, and orange, as well as a variety of decorative flowers. Plants from many parts of the world have been planted in this estate, which has turned it into a museum and exhibition site for a variety of flowers and plants, some of which you may not have seen before.
When you walk into the vast yard, citrus trees, a large pond in front of the mansion, as well as a three-story mansion with rotating arches are some of the first things you will see.
One of the most spelling parts of Eram Garden is the passage that extends from east to west. As soon as you enter the place from the main entrance, this passage will appear on your left. Both sides of the passage are covered with magnificent cypress trees that are hundreds of years old. The beauty, splendor, and order of these headers can attract any viewer, just as you pass through them.
The Garden Waterways
Eram Garden has a slope from east to west, and its main building is located on a high part, and the slope of the ground is smoothed with class waterways and stairs that compensate for the different height of the passages. The combination of these waterways and stepped passages add to the beauty of this arbor. To enter the Eram Garden, it is necessary to pass through its historical entrance, which is located in the northeast of the monument, with its valuable decorations.
Eram Garden Mansion
The main and wide passage of the place leads you to the main building. At first, you will see a large rectangular pool decorated with a waterfront in front of the mansion. In every corner of this pond, there is a magnificent Phoenix palm tree. This pond has an area of more than 300 square meters, which is covered with 18 large pieces of stone. Its water is supplied from a river that passes through the cellar of the mansion. There are also two wells in the Eram Garden that are used to irrigate trees and plants.
In the northwest of the garden, by passing through a passage covered with large boulders which while being irregular, are decoratedin a stunning way, a small garden pond appears in front of you, three sides of which are covered with green trees. There are large rocks around the pond that you can easily sit on and watch the fishes inside the pond.
As we mentioned, the Eram Garden mansion, which is the main mansion of the yard, is located at the top of the arbor slope. This three-story mansion with two magnificent columns inspired by the columns of Persepolis is known for its circular arches. There are also stone inscriptions in the corners of the yard, which are a relic of Nasir al-Molk, the architect of the building.
The Mansion Decorations
The mansion is one of the most exclusive mansions of the Qajar period, which includes stunning paintings, bedding, carvings, and tiles. Right in front of the building, there is a painting and two circular arches that form three interconnected crescents and show scenes from the Shahnameh and the battles of the Qajar kings. The tiles of the central porch are so deceptive and have created a dazzling beauty that its example can’t be found in any other Qajar building.
The lower floor of the mansion is the same crypt with floors and walls decorated with colored tiles, which was intended for hot summer days, and the water stream that we mentioned earlier that fills the pool in front of the mansion, through this crypt. It passes that creates a favorable atmosphere.
The Garden Mansion Persian Architecture
Another important part of the mansion is its iron windows. There are three iron lattice windows on the first floor and at the foot of the large porch, which is related to the entrance of the mirage. There is a large window in the middle and two corneal windows on the sides, which are remnants of the previous mansion used in the construction of the present structure. These windows date back to the time of construction of the original building. Regarding the doors of Eram Garden, it should be said that most of the wooden doors of Eram Garden are made of teak wood. Therefore, after many years, they remain intact and have maintained their general shape. This unique and special arena with its clear water in the middle of the pond is in its most fresh, joyful, and passionate state in the morning. We suggest you visit the arena in the morning so that the dance of the sun lights on the clear water will revive the passion of love in your heart.
Shiraz Sarvenaz, a World-Famous Survey
One of the most famous species in this arbor is its towering cedars. Many people know Shiraz as Soroush trees, but among all these cypresses, Shiraz Sarvenaz is a deceptive tree that is world-famous. This tree is more than forty meters high, and some historians consider it to be more than a thousand years old. In fact, this cypress is the oldest in Shiraz.