Eram Garden
Historic Persian garden in Shiraz, Iran, dating to the 19th century.
Eram Garden (Persian: باغ ارم, romanized: Bāgh-e Eram) is a historic Persian garden in Shiraz, Iran, located at the northern shore of the Khoshk River in the Fars province. Its origins may go back to the 12th century during the Seljuk era, when a garden later called Bagh-e Shah probably existed on the site up to the 18th century, possibly influencing the overall layout of the current garden. The garden and its pavilions were designed and built in the 19th century during the Qajar era, and it is now part of the Shiraz Botanical Garden of Shiraz University, open to the public as a historic landscape garden and a World Heritage Site.
- location
- Shiraz, Iran
- established
- 1824 (current garden)
- era
- Qajar era (19th century)
- type
- Historic Persian garden
- status
- World Heritage Site, part of Shiraz Botanical Garden
Quick Facts
- Location
- Shiraz, Fars province, Iran
- Part Of
- The Persian Garden
- Criteria
- (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)
- Year
- 2011
- Area
- 12.7 ha
- Buffer Zone
- 70.5 ha
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The origins of Eram Garden may go back to the 12th century during the Seljuk era, when a garden later called Bagh-e Shah probably existed on this site up to the 18th century. This earlier garden may have influenced the overall layout of the current garden. The current garden and its pavilions were designed and built in the 19th century during the Qajar era. The garden was established in 1824 by Muhammad Qoli Khan Ilkhani, the chief of the Qashqai tribe, and at that time included a three-story residential pavilion with a front porch supported by two columns. The estate was later sold to Nasir ol-Molk, who commissioned the architect Muhammad Hasan—the same architect who worked on the Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque—to rebuild the pavilion in its current form between 1875 and 1897.
Reader's Guide
Eram Garden is a significant example of the Persian garden tradition, recognized as a World Heritage Site and protected by Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts. Its design reflects centuries of garden-making in Iran, with possible roots in the 12th-century Seljuk era. The garden's current layout and pavilion were shaped during the Qajar era, notably through the patronage of Muhammad Qoli Khan Ilkhani and later Nasir ol-Molk, who employed the architect Muhammad Hasan. Today, the garden serves as part of the Shiraz Botanical Garden of Shiraz University and is open to the public, preserving both its historical and botanical value. Its inclusion as a World Heritage Site underscores its importance as a cultural landscape that embodies the aesthetic and functional principles of Persian gardens.
Did You Know?
- Eram Garden is located at the northern shore of the Khoshk River in the Fars province of Iran.
- The garden was established in 1824 by Muhammad Qoli Khan Ilkhani, chief of the Qashqai tribe.
- The pavilion was rebuilt between 1875 and 1897 by architect Muhammad Hasan, who also worked on the Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque.
- The garden is part of the Shiraz Botanical Garden of Shiraz University and is a World Heritage Site.
More in World Heritage Sites in Iran 1-24
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