Gardens of Persia

Gardens of Persia, by the distinguished British garden writer Penelope Hobhouse with photographs by Jerry Harpur, was published in 2003–2004.

The book traces the history and philosophy of the Persian garden from Cyrus the Great’s garden at Pasargadae (6th century BC) and its “chahar bagh” (fourfold garden) design — quartered by water channels, symbolizing the four elements and an earthly paradise.

The Persian word “pardis” is the root of the European word “paradise,” a sign of how the Persian garden shaped the world’s image of Eden — an influence that reached the Mughal gardens of India and the Alhambra in Spain.

With lucid prose and beautiful imagery, Hobhouse brings the Persian gardening tradition alive for the modern reader. In 2011, UNESCO inscribed “The Persian Garden” as a World Heritage property, covering nine gardens including Fin (Kashan) and Eram (Shiraz).