Is it possible to talk about gardens, flowers, and plants and not mention Shiraz? It is a paradise of colorful trees and plants and a world of beauty. But Jahannama garden is something else; it is older and has a different effect and is older.
Jahannama Garden is situated in the northeast of Shiraz, where Hafez Street and the tomb of this famous poet are on its eastern side. It is a short way from Hafezieh Square to Jahannama Garden. This beautiful Garden of Shiraz has an area of three hectares. Therefore, we are talking about a piece of land, green and full of flowers and plants. Nearly 3500 meters of that green space is green, and the rest of it forms streets and kiosks that we will talk about.
The Jahanname garden (meaning world view) has a long history. When Timur Lang conquered Fars, Jahannama garden was at the peak of its beauty and attracted the attention of every viewer. Timur, the conqueror, also enjoyed the beauty of the garden, so much so that he ordered a similar garden to be built in his capital, Samarkand. The Timurid historians named the Jahannama garden “The ornament of the world” or in other words “the world beauty”. Indeed, Jahannama Garden, like many other historical gardens of Iran, is a rare example of the attractiveness and beauty of the world!
During the Safavid era, Jahannama garden gained more importance. Every traveler and tourist who came to Iran from Europe and passed through the city of Shiraz spoke about its beauty. Alas, after the end of the Safavid dynasty, Bagh Jahannama, like many other sights in Iran, was subjected to political conflicts and faced destruction. When Karim Khan Zand came and expanded his kingdom, they started rebuilding the garden. He built a summerhouse in it, which, fortunately, is still in good shape, an excellent example of the charm of Iranian structure. In addition, he ordered to build a fence around the garden and by laying out a walking path and many trees, helped to increase its beauty. During Qajar rule, Jahannama garden was known as one of the sightseeing places of Shiraz, and it was a place to receive high-ranking and influential government guests.
There is not garden in Shiraz older than Jahannama garden. It is the oldest among all other gardens. In the middle of the garden. one can see a pavilion (summerhouse) which, as we mentioned, is one of the works of the Karim Khan Zand period. Its facade is built of octagonal bricks. Although there are no traces of its paintings and tiling’s, it is believed that they had such arrays in the beginning and disappeared over time. The summerhouse has a marble pool in it which attracts one’s eyes. The building has four main rooms in the northern side of the house, which takes in plenty of sunlight. The windows of this summerhouse are presently made of iron!
Some horrible taste must have removed the beautiful wooden windows and faxed iron ones instead! The house is surrounded by green trees, of course, at a short distance from the house. Pavilion rooms are two-story and have octagonal ceilings. In the past years, repairs were done to this pavilion, so that it does not lose its beauty and charming appearance inside and outside.
An important point about Jahannama garden is that it has the same characteristics as other historical gardens in Iran. It is built in such a way that a stream goes through it. So, the trees and plants are watered by this running water. Thus, its trees and plants are watered by flowing water—old trees, such as cypress, orange, boxwood, chrysanthemum, petunia, and violet flowers. This garden is more like an earthly paradise! Iranian gardens are known for their style and the art of Iranians and the inhabitants of this ancient land. The manmade beauties have been created by artful hands and full of imagination and abilities. The Iranian Garden is the best example of Iranian art and craftmanship, and Jahannama garden of Shiraz is one of the most beautiful of them.
