TEHRAN – A selection of twelve old trees standing in the Khorasan region has been added to Iran’s national heritage list.

12 old trees that stand in various rural villages of Khorasan Razavi province have been inscribed on the national list of natural heritage, a local tourism official said on Wednesday.

Ancient trees are mainly considered symbols of vitality and antiquity in villages and they have a special place and respect among the people, Mahmoud Toghraei said.

“The national registration of old trees is aimed at attracting attention to their protection and care,” the official said.

Paying attention to old trees and taking care of them has been a part of Iranian culture for hundreds of years, he stated.

For millennia, Iranians have cherished trees and gardens as the magic of nature with the aesthetic qualities of art and architecture in a bid to form a symbolic representation of paradise on Earth.

In fact, a typical Iranian garden interweaves natural elements with manmade components to embody the idea of creating a paradise on Earth by the means of artistic, philosophical, figurative, and religious notions.

The UNESCO-designated Persian Garden includes nine gardens in various provinces. They exemplify the diversity of Persian garden designs that evolved and adapted to different climate conditions while retaining principles that have their roots in the times of Cyrus the Great, 6th century BC.

Typically divided into four sectors, with water playing an important role in both irrigation and ornamentation, the Persian garden was conceived to symbolize Eden and the four Zoroastrian elements of sky, earth, water, and plants. These gardens, dating back to different periods since the 6th century BC, also feature buildings, pavilions, and walls, as well as sophisticated irrigation systems. They have influenced the art of garden design as far as India and Spain.

According to the UN cultural body, the flawless design of the Persian Garden, along with its ability to respond to extreme climatic conditions, is the result of an inspired and intelligent application of different fields of knowledge, i.e. technology, water management, and engineering, architecture, botany, and agriculture.

AFM