Centre for Documentation, Architectural Studies and Restoration, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study aims to elucidate the characteristics and conceptual evolution of “Chaharbagh” gardens in Persian texts from the 9th and 10th centuries AH. It also compares extracted features of the texts with the model presented by Abu Nasri Heravi in “Irshad al-Zira’a”. The main research problem focuses on identifying the Chaharbaghs mentioned in this period, examining their physical, functional, and semantic characteristics, and determining their alignment with or divergence from Heravi’s model. The study employed a qualitative approach and content analysis of primary historical texts to extract descriptions of Chaharbaghs, analyze them based on the chronology of the texts’ composition, and compare them with Heravi’s model. The findings indicate that no uniform model for Chaharbagh existed during this period. Some texts mention cypress trees alongside water channels, which aligns with Heravi’s description, but the presence of multiple buildings or discrepancies in the types of flowers and trees contradicts Heravi’s account. This lack of conformity suggests the flexibility of Chaharbaghs in responding to local and governmental needs, indicating that Heravi likely described an idealized Chaharbagh. The geographical context of Heravi’s residence also appears to influence his depiction. Many Chaharbaghs were located on the outskirts of cities, featuring governmental functions, water pools, and fruit trees, and served political, cultural (e.g., gatherings of poets in Samarkand), and social roles (e.g., mythological ties in Kabul and religious significance in Mashhad). The absence of evidence for a specific, particularly quadripartite, geometry and the transformation of the Chaharbagh’s meaning (e.g., Chaharbagh Street in Isfahan) underscore the importance of the cultural context of Greater Khorasan.
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Akhlaghi Sharif,M. and Jeyhani,H. (2025). A Comparative Study of Timurid Chaharbaghs’ Features in Persian Texts of the 9th and 10th Centuries AH with Abu Nasri Heravi’s Model. MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape, 17(72), 6-15. doi: 10.22034/manzar.2025.527011.2356
MLA
Akhlaghi Sharif,M. , and Jeyhani,H. . "A Comparative Study of Timurid Chaharbaghs’ Features in Persian Texts of the 9th and 10th Centuries AH with Abu Nasri Heravi’s Model", MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape, 17, 72, 2025, 6-15. doi: 10.22034/manzar.2025.527011.2356
HARVARD
Akhlaghi Sharif M., Jeyhani H. (2025). 'A Comparative Study of Timurid Chaharbaghs’ Features in Persian Texts of the 9th and 10th Centuries AH with Abu Nasri Heravi’s Model', MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape, 17(72), pp. 6-15. doi: 10.22034/manzar.2025.527011.2356
CHICAGO
M. Akhlaghi Sharif and H. Jeyhani, "A Comparative Study of Timurid Chaharbaghs’ Features in Persian Texts of the 9th and 10th Centuries AH with Abu Nasri Heravi’s Model," MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape, 17 72 (2025): 6-15, doi: 10.22034/manzar.2025.527011.2356
VANCOUVER
Akhlaghi Sharif M., Jeyhani H. A Comparative Study of Timurid Chaharbaghs’ Features in Persian Texts of the 9th and 10th Centuries AH with Abu Nasri Heravi’s Model. MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape, 2025; 17(72): 6-15. doi: 10.22034/manzar.2025.527011.2356