Shazde Garden (Persian: Bāgh-e Shāzdeh) meaning Prince’s Garden is a historical Persian garden and the greatest one in Iran, located near (6km away from) Mahan in Kerman province, Iran. 

May 15th

We bought Falude Kermani, an especially cool and sweet dessert made of semi-frozen syrup consisting of sugar and rose water, a bit different version of which I had already eaten in Shiraz. We carried them and sat on one of the broad benches next to the pavilion. Near the pavilion, we had a great view of the whole garden, exactly as Abdolhamid Mirza, the late possessor of the garden, had upon his property.

From that point, we could see the rectangular shape of the garden surrounded by a wall all around it. The entire garden is built on an inclined land which helps to have it constantly under the control. We could see the many steps carrying water down to the monumental portal entrance. From top to down, these terraced pools consist of fountains, which add to the aesthetical pleasure and are constructed in a manner to help the water flow, a very vital element in here. Shazde Garden is located in the middle of the desert, a wonder that could not be constructed without the ingenuity of using water, fountains, architecture, and gardening.

Shazde, an abbreviation for shahzade, meaning prince, has an especially cultural implication for Iranians, a reference to the wealthy and prosperous time of the Qajar dynasty which is also entangled with a sense of tyranny and abuse. It is coded so well in Iranian literature, recalling mostly Shazde Ehtejab, a short novel written by Hushang Ehtejab, a famous Iranian author, in which Shazde is portrayed as a patriarch ruler. As for the Shazde of Shazde Garden, it is also said he was a tyrannical monarch: they say when the bricklayer who was working at the time Shazde died, left the garden unfinished out of happiness of the news. The place for three tiles has since stayed empty.

However, sitting there, within the stunning beauty of the garden, all I can sense is happiness and pleasure, the picture for me is of the children playing hide and seek by the trees or with the water of the fountains. The picture for me is indeed the beginning scene of the movie Khaste Nabashid.