Charbagh

– Concept
– Chaharbagh has a four-part garden layout with axial waterways joining at a small square basin in the gardens centre.

– History
– Chaharbagh layout originated in the paradise gardens of the Achaemenid Empire.
– Highly structured geometrical scheme became a powerful method for landscape organization.
– After Muslim conquest of Persia, chaharbagh symbolized the four gardens of Paradise.
– Waterways represented the four rivers mentioned in a hadith.
– Chaharbagh layout was brought to the Indian subcontinent by the Mughal dynasty in the 16th century.

– Notable examples
– Mughal charbagh gardens of monumental scale belonged to imperial mausoleums.
– Examples include Bagh-e Babur at Baburs Tomb in Kabul, Afghanistan.
– Charbagh at Humayuns Tomb in Delhi, India is another notable example.
– The Taj Mahal’s charbagh was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
– Shalamar Gardens in Lahore, Pakistan, were also laid out by Shah Jahan.

– Contemporary
– A charbagh is located on the rooftop of the Ismaili Centre in South Kensington, London.

– See also
– Gardens portal
– Paradise garden