GARDENS BEYOND BORDERS
Have you ever wondered about the hidden connections between well-known monuments such as the Taj Mahal, Shalamar Gardens, Chehel Sotoun Palace, and the Royal Garden of Pasargadae? While these gardens are geographically distant, they share an interconnected architectural brilliance. Transcending borders and time limits, this website explores the connections between Persianate gardens, also known as Paradise Gardens, Islamic gardens, and four-fold gardens (Chahar Bagh). It challenges the definitions of heritage by national borders, as the political outlook on heritage hinders us from observing the hidden interactions and exchanges.
This website, as a part of my PhD dissertation, focuses on the cultural zone spanning Central Asia, the Iranian and Deccan plateaus. The close connection between Iran, India, and Central Asia is particularly evident in the Timurid, Safavid, and Mughal eras, during which Persianate art and architecture spread beyond national borders and bonded many communities and cultures. Instead of National Borders, the study recategorizes Persianate Gardens using a new set of criteria, inspired by shared architectural concepts. These concepts and their hidden socio-cultural context unfold the connections and consistency in the four-fold gardens.
Shared Vocabulary of Landscape Design
The spatial hierarchy, exemplified by stepped gardens, shows the hierarchical levels of physical and visual access.
This concept is about the four-fold design of landscape and the nine-fold design of Pavilions.
Transparency is about the level of solidity and visual connections of multiple spaces.
Royal Quarters shows how four-fold gardens acted as royal cities.
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