Shazdeh Mahan Garden
Shazdeh Mahan Garden is one of the historical gardens of Iran. This garden is located about 2 kilometers from the city of Mahan and dates back to the late Qajar era. Covering an area of approximately 3.5 hectares, the garden has two sections: eastern and western. The buildings in this garden, also known as pavilions, are beautifully constructed and two stories high. The entrance of the garden, with its unique and beautiful architecture, distinguishes it from other Iranian gardens. The fountains and water features throughout the garden are among the most beautiful examples of fountains in Iranian gardens and operate using the force of gravity.
The garden’s dimensions are 407 meters in length and 122 meters in width, making it one of the largest and most beautiful historical gardens in Iran. The ponds and waterfalls in the garden emphasize the perpendicular axes to the main axis and, along with the plant arrangements, create unique interior landscapes. Various fruit trees can be seen in this garden, and in front of the buildings, there are pools and fountains that create a beautiful view. The garden’s water is supplied by the small Tigran River. This garden is an example of Iranian stepped gardens and is built on a rectangular piece of land covering 5.5 hectares. It has a very beautiful entrance gate, and the buildings in the garden include the main pavilion, which was the permanent or seasonal residence of the owner, located at the end of the garden’s uphill path.
The entrance gate of the garden occupies the linear front of the garden’s entrance and is built on two floors. The upper floor of the entrance gate has rooms for living and hosting guests. Other service buildings in the garden utilize the main enclosure and are placed as a composite wall, housing various service buildings in appropriate locations. Besides the entrance gate, the garden also includes a residential pavilion and a bathhouse. Currently, the residential pavilion has been converted into a restaurant and is managed by the private sector. The garden was initially commissioned by Mohammad Hasan Khan Sardari Iravani, the then governor of Kerman, and its internal construction was completed by Abdolhamid Mirza Nasser-od-Dowleh, the governor of Kerman, during his eleven years of governance. However, after his death, the construction remained incomplete. The garden’s construction dates back to 1897. It is one of the nine Iranian gardens that were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2011.
