Shazdeh Garden
In the vicinity of Mahan city in 35 km southeast of Kerman province, there exists an impressive historical Persian garden named Shazdeh Garden (Prince’s Garden) situated in the strategically suitable route of Silk Road between Bam citadel and Kerman city.
As the ninth Iranian garden registered on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the 5.5 hectares Shazdeh garden dates back to 1873, once belonged to Abdul Hamid Mirza, one of the last princes of Qajar dynasty as a personal promenade in which the natural aspects of the land -- the prominent feature of every Persian garden -- have been dexterously used.
Built in a rectangular shape with nice pools in a terraced fashion, the garden includes a two-floor residential structure at the upper end and an entrance structure and gate at the lower end as well as the most beautiful water fountains of Persian gardens lined between the two ends. Likewise, the entrance structure has been built with distinctive architecture, making visitors have a fantastic view of the garden and surrounding natural landscapes on the second floor.
Benefitted from great climate, fertile soil, and subterranean water canal, the garden is replete with a wide variety of nice, tremendous, and climatically resistant trees such as evergreen, windbreak pine and cedar as well as shady, wide-leaf elm and plane which are the main elements of the garden’s identity, creating a unique view observed from the above reaches.
The garden includes a 6.4-percent natural slope which is one of its main features, resulting to an almost 20-meter difference in height, making the running water cascades over eight steps and falls providing amazing scenery. The water supply of the garden is from Tigran aqueduct which originates from the adjacent Joupar altitudes, flowing down from the highest level while irrigating the trees and plants along its path.
As a fabulous example of Persian gardens, the charming Shazdeh Garden takes advantage of impressive structures offering breathtaking views of the garden and Joupar landscapes, beautiful verdant trees, running streams, and wonderful pools, making it a relaxing, memorable, and must-see place which has been drawing the attention of domestic and foreign tourists.
