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For more than three thousand years, the Persian garden has been a focus of Iran's national imagination, influencing its art, literature, and even religion. The Persian garden's inspirational role has, however, extended far beyond the land of its origin its precepts have exerted a profound influence on garden design around the world. The Persian Garden Echoes of Paradise chronicles the history of the Persian garden, from the magnificent sanctuaries and hunting parks of fifth century b.c. Persepolis to the magical nightingale gardens of nineteenth century Tehran. All were seen as a kind of earthly paradise the English word paradise has its roots in the old Persian word pairi daeza meaning a walled space. To an astonishing extent, that vision seems justified. This book was meticulously researched and created over a period of six years in, Paris, Tehran and Washington by photographer, Mehdi Khansari and architect Minouch Yavari, together with the renowned Persian architect and architectural historian Reza Moghtader. It explains the philosophy behind Persian garden design and offers an authoritative account of its developmentintroducing new historical material in the process. This extraordinary story is enhanced by vivid descriptions of Persian gardens as seen through the eyes of travelers to Iran during the past five hundred years. Over 240 illustrations in full color, complement the text. They include magnificent color photographs, old plates and engravings, as well as exquisite architectural renderings and plans of the sites and the gardens. A selection of the finest Persian garden carpets, textiles, miniature paintings, stone reliefs, painted tiles, pottery, and poetry, augment the reader's experience of an ancient art form that for centuries has sought to meld the physical and the spiritual. About the AuthorMehdi Khansari was born in Tehran and studied photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York. He has coauthored with his wife, Minouch Yavari, Espace Persan Pierre Mardaga, 1986, a book on traditional architecture in Iran, and The Persian Bazaar Veiled Space of Desire Mage, 1994.
ISBN: 0934211469
Author: Mehdi Khansari (Photographer)
Category: Architecture
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