Eram Garden (Bagh-e Eram), located along the northern shore of the Khoshk River in Shiraz, is one of the most famous and beautiful Persian gardens in all of Iran. It should be noted that the word ‘Eram’ is the Persian version of the Arabic word ‘Iram’ which means heaven in Islam’s most holiest of books, the Qur’an. With its beautiful grounds, lush plant life and aesthetic attractions, it’s easy to see why Eram evokes such a description.
The Eram Garden is one of the most beautiful and monumental gardens of Iran. Apparently, its history goes back to the period of the Saljuq Dynasty (A.D.1038-1194). Since its construction and until the late 18th century, it was predominantly used by the local rulers and Persian monarchs. During the late Zand Dynasty, the garden was owned by Qashqai tribal chiefs. A Qashqai tribal chief, Mohammad Qoli Khan ordered the construction of the original mansion in the early eighteenth century, planting the garden with different trees including cypress, pine, orange and persimmon trees.During the reign of King Nasser ed-din of the Qajar Dynasty, Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Nasir-al Mulk bought the gardens from the Qashqai tribes and constructed the present pavilion which was designed by a famous Shirazi architect, Mohammad Hassan.
Eram owes its fame and importance to the botanical garden which is home to a verity of unique and rare plants. The main building in the gardens was built by Nasir-ol-Molk , the creator of The Pink Mosque and is ornamented by numerous inscriptions and alluring paintings. The garden with its beautiful flowers, refreshing air, tall cypresses (a stately, beautiful cypress tree there known as sarv-e naz which is said to go back to 3000 years ago) and fragrant myrtles is a major tourist destination especially in the spring.
On both sides of the large porch, two other small porches can be seen facing the rays of the morning sun. Two-meter high solid stone plates decorate the external façade of the building six of these plates have inscriptions in beautiful cursive Persian, depicting poems by some of the most famous Persian poets, notably Sa’di, Hafez and Shurideh.
On the top of the façade, there are three large and two small crescent-shape tile works, each illustrating an epic or religions event painted on seven-colored titles. The seraglio is located in the back and is allocated to the convenience of the family members. The building also hosts a large pond in front of it.
The presence of tall and beautiful cypress trees around the garden captures everyone’s attention. The pleasant fragrance of flower along with the song of nightingales and the alluring dance of blossoms enchant the visitor.
Today, Eram Garden and building are within Shiraz Botanical Garden (established 1983) of Shiraz University. They are open to the public as a historic landscape garden. They are World Heritage Site, and protected by Iran’s Cultural Heritage Organization.
