In the Seljuk period, there was a world-famous garden in Isfahan, and it was called Karan Garden.
Karan Garden was located at today’s Khajou Neighbourhood and apparently next to other gardens, such as Salm Garden, Falasan Garden and Ahmad-Siyah Garden.
Even Hafez Shirazi, the renowned Iranian poet, has mentioned this garden in his poems: “Although hundreds of rivers flow from my eyes constantly / I remember the Zendeh Roud and Karan Garden with delight”
Other gardens, such as Naqsh-e Jahan, Chini-Khaneh, Badamestan, Behesht Ayin, Angourestan, Kajaveh-Khaneh, Tajabad, Takht-e Tavous-Khaneh, Nastaran, Mirza Mahdi Khan, Baba Amir, Kal Anayeb, Qoush-Khaneh, Shah, Zereshk, Manouchehr Khan Mo’tamed ul-Doleh, Darougheh, Tofangchi, Aghasi, Vaqaye’-Nevis and Divan-e Beygi were also located in Isfahan.
All of these were beautiful gardens founded during the Safavid era or a little later and in the vicinity of the Zayandeh Roud and mostly around the area of the Safavid Government House.
Yet, today even a single tree has not remained from almost any one of these gardens.
Only some streets and alleys in Isfahan have been named after these lost gardens. So, the street name signs are the only things that might remind you of the previous green glory of Isfahan!
