Aesthetic Aspects of the Iranian-Islamic Garden from the Perspective of Quranic Verses Describing Paradise

Abstract

After the advent of Islam in Iran, architecture and urban design, including garden design, underwent significant transformations. Since then, the integration of Quranic themes with Islamic art has attained a sacred dimension, with the aesthetic embodiment of the verses of the Holy Quran becoming a key tool and source for artists and architects of gardens throughout the Islamic world. As the Quranic verses describing paradise offer the best depiction from a garden architecture perspective, this study seeks to analyze the alignment of these heavenly descriptions with the design of earthly gardens. It examines how these abstract, conceptual descriptions are reflected in concrete, visual representations. The research first explores a selection of Quranic verses related to paradise, then aesthetically and comparatively analyzes the symbolic and architectural elements of Islamic gardens inspired by these verses. The methodology is descriptive-analytical, with data gathered from library sources and analyzed based on Quranic interpretations, particularly Tafsir al-Mizan. The findings indicate the divine harmony between the promised paradise and the worldly and otherworldly lives of humanity, though the Iranian garden can only be considered a partial reflection of this ultimate truth.

Keywords

• quranic paradise
• islamic garden
• aesthetics
• structural elements
• functional elements