Visiting Afif-Abad Garden in Shiraz, Iran is an amazing experience you will never forget. Not only does this beautiful garden feature lush, green landscapes, but it also has an impressive history that dates back centuries. Here at the Iran travel guide center, we’ll explore the beauty and significance of the Afif-Abad Garden and why it’s so beloved by locals and tourists alike.
Introduction to Afif-Abad Garden
Gulshan Garden of Shiraz city is one of Iran’s most notable public gardens. This garden has been a place to relax and escape the hustle and bustle of the city while still being close to the urban center. It has many lush, verdant gardens, sparkling fountains, tranquil ponds, and majestic trees that provide shade during Iran’s hot summers. Gulshan Garden of Shiraz is renowned for its collection of rare plants and flowers, carefully cultivated over many years. Visitors can admire its beauty from afar or wander its paths to explore the unique flora and fauna in more detail. It is an excellent place for locals and visitors to take a stroll and appreciate nature’s beauty.
The garden is home to numerous flower species, including magnolia, Chinese tulip trees, cypresses, oaks, and other varieties of trees. Moreover, its large array of flowers and plants offers a magnificent display of color in the spring months, making it one of the most attractive places to visit.
This garden is home to numerous monuments, buildings, tombs, and pavilions, which provide visitors with a unique experience of strolling through the grounds while taking in its historical richness. In this way, the Gulshan Garden of Shiraz is a must-visit attraction for anyone interested in learning more about Persian history and culture.
History of Afif-Abad Garden
Afif-Abad Garden is one of the old gardens of Shiraz. During the Safavid era, this garden was one of the most important gardens in Shiraz and where the kings descended. Yaqub Khan Zul Qadr, the ruler of Fars during the time of Shah Abbas Safavi, built a castle in a part of this garden and used stones from Jafar Abad and Mosali cemeteries to build this castle.
The Afif-Abad Garden mansion, which was the landing place of the sultans, and Yaqub Khan turned it into a castle, was the same palace Shah Ismail built in Shiraz. The current mansion was built in the garden, and the garden and trees were renovated. Later Qawam II bought a canal near the garden to rinse it. At the end of the Qajar era, this garden was handed over to Afifeh Khanum, the niece of the garden owner. He made extensive changes and improvements in this garden, and for this reason, this garden is known as Afif Abad.
The Gulshan Garden of Shiraz complex includes a royal palace, a museum of old weapons, a Persian bath, and a Persian garden. But the heirs of the garden gift it to Farah Pahlavi, the wife of Mohammad Reza Shah. In 1962, the army bought this garden in an auction, and after the Islamic Revolution, Afif-Abad Garden became the country’s Military Museum No. 2 military museum.
Shiraz Afif-Abad Garden
Features and Flora of Afif-Abad Garden
The main royal palace
The Royal Palace is a two-story building similar to the Eram Garden in Shiraz regarding architecture and structure. This mansion, with 30 halls and nested rooms, combines Achaemenid, Sassanid, and Qajar period architecture. The huge palace of Gulshan Garden of Shiraz, with a large and open veranda, is surrounded by tall columns. All the rooms on the second floor have access to the balcony. In the space of the porch, the moment of the coronation of one of the Sassanid kings has been tiled and immortalized.
The palace’s main entrance, the garden, is located on the north side of the court and leads you to the main hall by a few stone steps. The entrance gate has four columns with capitals similar to those of Persepolis. The most attractive point in this section is the wooden ceiling and oil paintings covering the entire interior. The eastern facade of the Afif-Abad Garden Palace in Shiraz is a wide and very large porch that forms the main part of the mansion’s exterior. Two terraces with eight columns are designed on both sides of the building.
Military Museum
In Afif-Abad Garden Military Museum, all war tools from different eras of history are displayed. This museum is considered one of the largest weapons museums. The military museum has opened many cold and hot weapons, swords, armor, rifles, pistols, etc., to the public. This museum includes a valuable and spectacular collection of weapons of important people in history, such as Fath Ali Shah, Naseruddin Shah, Mohammad Reza Shah, Reza Shah, and Muzaffaruddin Shah.
Ebrat Museum
The first floor of Gulshan Garden of Shiraz mansion is connected to the second floor through three stairs. This floor has a long corridor with nested rooms on the sides. The gallery guides you to the center of the bed, considered a large and luxurious garden hall.
The hall’s ceiling is made of wood, elegantly painted with flower and bush designs, and joy and happiness. Another attraction of the hall is the two marble fireplaces in the north and south. This floor is known as the Ebrat Museum, a place to store and display the personal belongings of the Pahlavi family.
This museum has different parts, including a conference room, living room, dressing room, study room, reception, and gambling hall. The original and precious carpets of the rooms and Farah Pahlavi’s piano are among the most important items exhibited in Ebrat Museum.
Traditional bath
This traditional bath is in the western part of Afif-Abad Garden in Shiraz. The bath structure is similar to other conventional Iranian baths, but its traditional Iranian architecture has created a visual atmosphere. The interior walls of the bathroom are decorated with reliefs from famous old stories such as the Farhād Tarāsh in Mount Bistun, the meeting of the people with Sassanid Khosroparviz, the scene of Yusuf’s entrance to the Egyptian women.
Two cold and hot water tanks were in the traditional garden bath, and a large copper pot at the bottom of the tank supplied hot water.
In the past, by lighting a fire under the cauldron, the water was gradually heated, and the smoke from the fire was released through the minaret on the bathroom roof. The roof of the traditional bath has a minaret and a dome (small dome). This bathroom has been renovated over the years, and it can be said that it has moved away from its former originality.
Gulshan Garden in Shiraz (Afif-Abad)
To Conclude
With its stunning gardens, fascinating history, and rich cultural background, the Afif-Abad Garden is a must-visit destination for anyone who wants to experience the beauty of Shiraz, Iran. Whether you are looking for a relaxing day outdoors or a unique insight into Iranian culture and history, there is something for everyone at Afif-Abad Garden. So what are you waiting for?
Get ready to explore the enchanting world of the Gulshan Garden of Shiraz, Iran.
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