The Persian garden: water, shade and geometry

In a hot, dry climate, a garden is a precious thing. The Persian garden answered with a clear design: a walled enclosure, water brought in by channels, and trees and flowers arranged in geometric order.

The key elements

• Chahar bagh — the "four gardens": water channels or paths divide the garden into four parts, often meeting at a central pool or pavilion.
• Water — channels, pools and fountains cool the air, reflect the sky and fill the garden with sound. Water was often brought from far away by qanats, underground channels.
• Trees and shade — rows of cypress, plane and fruit trees give shade and structure.
• The pavilion — a building placed to look along the main axis, so the whole garden can be seen from it.
• Walls — the enclosure keeps out dust and wind and creates a private world inside.

A World Heritage tradition

In 2011 UNESCO inscribed "The Persian Garden" on the World Heritage List as a group of nine gardens: Pasargadae, Eram in Shiraz, Chehel Sotoun in Isfahan, Fin in Kashan, Abbasabad in Behshahr, Shazdeh in Mahan, Dowlatabad in Yazd, Pahlevanpour in Mehriz, and Akbarieh in Birjand.

Bringing the ideas home

• Use a clear central line — a path or a narrow water feature — to organise a courtyard.
• Even a small bowl of water adds reflection and calm.
• Plant for shade first, then for colour.

Tools for this

• Ornament techniques