Getty | Building Paradise in Persian Gardens

In the time of Cyrus the Great’s reign during the 5th century BC, Greek and Persian sources described the king as the creator of planned, walled gardens featuring a great variety of plants and animals. These special spaces were called “paradaiza”—eventually, “paradise” in English, due to their verdant beauty and serenity. Historian Touraj Daryaee discusses the early concept of gardens and the ancient Persian tradition of king as gardener. He traces the development of garden design from Iran to Spain, India, and then worldwide, and the conceptual and ideological meaning of gardens in Zoroastrian religion.