Paradises and Chaharbaghs in Ancient Persia

What is a Chaharbagh?

A Chaharbagh is a garden divided into four sections by two perpendicular axes, in accordance with various interpretations of the symbolic meaning of the number four. A water channel runs along these axes, lined with tall trees. Each corner of the intersection connects to an orchard of fruit trees and flowers, adding beauty and freshness to the surroundings. This is the archetypal Iranian garden layout, first created in Pasargadae by the order of Cyrus the Great. Thus, the Chaharbagh plan is a lasting innovation of the Achaemenids, used during the Parthian and Sassanian periods and later incorporated into Islamic-era symbolism of paradise and its four rivers (cf. Foroughi, 2016).

The strong visual and sensory appeal of combining trees, shade, and water in Iran’s mostly arid landscapes was a major factor in the creation of gardens. The Persian garden, as an enclosed complex, provided favorable climatic conditions for the growth of greenery, generated humidity and oxygen, moderated the microclimate, and controlled weather conditions—all under the shade of ancient trees. There were also more personal reasons for building gardens: a king might wish to display his authority by the order and beauty of his gardens; a tomb might be surrounded by gardens as a sign of love and respect; or a hunting ground might be maintained for the ruler’s recreation and prestige. The main factors behind creating Persian gardens can be summarized as economic motives and the love of cultivation and beautification, as well as religious, political, governmental, and recreational reasons (Ghaem, 2017: 65–66).

Chaharbagh in the Achaemenid Period

Excavations in Susa and Pasargadae suggest that the Chaharbagh layout was already in use during the Achaemenid era. The best evidence lies in the main palace garden at Pasargadae, where remains of stone water channels point to the existence of a large garden, probably built in the later years of Cyrus the Great’s reign (Stronach, 1990).

These features are also seen in Xenophon’s writings about Lysander’s visit to the gardens of Sardis, belonging to Cyrus the Younger, where he remarks: “The trees were planted in perfect order, at equal distances, and in straight lines.” The palace grounds of Xerxes in Susa also followed the quadripartite garden pattern. This beautiful garden was likely located on the west bank of the Shaour River, with six rows of evenly spaced stone-paved walkways running the length of the site. To the south may have stood a small palace from which the king could overlook the entire northern section of the garden (Stronach, 1990).

The Shaour Palace in Susa

During Xerxes’ reign, a fire damaged the Apadana Palace at Susa. To repair it, a new palace was built across the Shaour River during the reign of Artaxerxes II. The Shaour Palace was surrounded by greenery with irrigation facilities. Its columned hall had four porticoes. The one facing the inner garden was separated from the hall by an intermediate space, meaning the garden view was not easily accessible to everyone—only those permitted to pass through this space could see it. In the middle of the garden lay a fairly large pool. Although no certain evidence of cross-cutting water channels was found, Stronach deduced—based on the perpendicular alignment of the palace’s axis with the columned hall’s axis and the central pool—that the garden was a Chaharbagh, and that this design can indeed be traced back to the Achaemenid era. While the pool was certainly there, the orthogonal channels were reconstructed by Stronach (Ghaem, 2017: 69).

The Influence of Persian Paradises on Greece and Rome

It seems that from the Achaemenid period onward, the idea of the “heavenly garden” entered the literature and myths of other cultures. The word pardis has an Avestan root, which became the Greek paradeisoi, then the Latin paradisus, and from there spread into European languages. The word also entered Semitic languages: pardesu in Akkadian, pardes in Hebrew, and firdaws in Arabic (Hunt, 2011).

After Alexander the Great’s conquests, the Greeks borrowed both the idea and the name of the Persian paradise, creating their own versions—what Xenophon called “pleasure parks.” These included grand fountains, like those in Alexandria during the Ptolemaic dynasty. The concept later reached Rome: elite houses in Pompeii often had a courtyard styled after the Persian pardis. Quintus Curtius Rufus referred to such places as “hunting parks.” Rome had its own famous gardens, such as the Hortus Sallustianus and the gardens of Maecenas and Agrippa, among many others. The central areas and outskirts of the Vatican and Janiculum hills were filled with luxurious gardens attached to private villa estates, many of which later became state property. Roman villa gardens were a distinct variation of the Persian paradise—different in scale, plant variety, and with water supplied directly from Rome’s major aqueducts (Hunt, 2011).

The Influence of Persian Paradises on Humanity’s Concept of Heaven

This far-reaching influence of Persian paradises shaped humanity’s vision of heaven. In the myths of many peoples, paradise is depicted in the likeness of these gardens. They became the symbol of the most beautiful landscapes imaginable, and naturally, humans envisioned heaven as resembling them.

The Evolution of Paradises in Iran

It is clear that the quadripartite garden plan was well known to the Sasanians. The concept of the “Eight Gardens of Paradise” was probably derived from this layout and its evolved versions, whose traces could be seen across much of the Near and Middle East for centuries (Stronach, 1990).

After the advent of Islam—and despite the devastating invasions of the Caliphs’ armies and Genghis Khan’s Mongols—Persian paradises were not destroyed. In fact, during the Timurid and Safavid periods, they once again flourished.