Fath Abad Garden of Tabriz

Tabriz is a city with a pleasant climate and there are many gardens in it, including Fath Abad Garden, which has been turned into an educational and cultural complex under the name of “Al-Ghadir Cultural Camp”. This garden is located at a distance of five kilometers from the city of Tabriz and on the Basmanj road, near the village of Fath Abad. The Zanjan-Tabriz highway, which passes near this camp has made accessing it very easy.

History of Fath Abad Garden

According to some statements, the foundation of this garden dates back to more than a century ago. Donald Wilber (1907-1997), a researcher of the history of Iranian and Islamic architecture, has mentioned this garden in his book titled “Persian Gardens and Garden Pavilions” and described it as follows: “The center of the garden is covered with fruit trees.

The long axis of the water stream connects the whole garden in a way that is common in Iran and gives it a kind of harmony. Only the new building built in place of the old pavilion disturbs the harmony of the garden. If we enter from the high part, i.e. the south side of the garden, we will come across a low and long street and the ponds that are located on its way and are different from each other. In one part of the garden, green borders can be seen by the streams, which in turn are decorated with a row of geranium flowers. Finally, we reach the most prominent point of the garden, namely its deep pool, the edges of which have been made of stonework. This pool is very deep and surrounded by thick old trees. The northern part of this pool is slightly higher than the ground level... While the garden as a whole is attractive and peaceful, none of the parts of this garden alone has a great and impressive beauty.” Wilber, who is also known as one of the US spies in Iran, has prepared a map of the garden, which shows that there were some structures such as stables and washrooms existed in this garden, but no trace of them can be seen today.

The elders of the region attribute the construction of this garden to a person named Saaed al-Molk. He was one of the influential people of Tabriz. It was almost in the Mid-19th century AD that the Adl family, one of the wealthy and famous families of Tabriz, bought this garden. The qanat, the pool, the building in the garden, and part of the land of Fath Abad Village had also been purchased by the Adl family as part of this transaction. Later on, when the garden was still in the possession of the Adl family, it was expanded and the existing mansion was renovated. In the process of renovation, a floor was added to the mansion, and some structures were built around it. This mansion has an area of nearly 200 square meters. It is said that in the past, Fath Abad Garden of Tabriz was the main place for the proliferation of grafted elm trees in the region.

Change in the Functionality of Fath Abad Garden

In 1995 AD (1374 AD), Fath Abad garden was purchased and put at the disposal of the educational department of East Azerbaijan Province. Thus, this garden was renamed into Al-Ghadir Cultural Camp, and new buildings for educational and cultural purposes were built in it. Planting saplings and revitalizing trees, making walls around the garden, and covering the water axes, ponds, and catchments were among other actions that took place during this period. The addition of these parts and the change in the structure of the garden were done in such a way that there is no change in its overall shape.

The Structure and Sights of Fath Abad Garden

Fath Abad Garden is located on an almost flat and low-sloping land with a north-south extension. This path fits the direction of the water flow of the old qanat of the garden. A sidewalk path with eight platforms with a total of 18 steps has been built along this stretch. The height difference between the lowest and the highest part of this sidewalk is 305 cm.

National Register of Fatehabad Garden, Tabriz

Fath Abad Garden and Mansion, which has an area of nearly 30 hectares, was inscribed on the list of Iran’s national heritage in the year 1999 AD.