TEHRAN - Situated in an affluent quarter of Shiraz and on a street with the same name, Afif-Abad promises a unique experience of visiting genuine Iranian gardens.

Covering an area of 127,000 square meters, the lovely garden is another excellent location to chat with Iranians. The property embraces arrays of rose bushes and seasonal flowers surrounding a historical mansion. Moreover, it is home to a museum of old guns, swords and other weaponry.

The history of the garden traces back to the Safavid era when it was used by the kings. Later, during the Qajar epoch, Mirza Ali Khan Ghavam al-Molk purchased and restored it.

To reach the main entrance, you should first stroll along a lovely stone sidewalk for a while. The complex mostly follows the tradition of European gardens while the edifice results from a combination of Achaemenid, Sassanid, and Qajarid architectural characteristics, with some European touches.

Military figures from various historical eras are carved into the lower portion of the walls on the exterior. The porch also features four curved columns, similar to those at Persepolis, which is a UNESCO World Heritage.

The first floor of this mansion is divided into a central hall and a number of flanking chambers that are embellished with tilework, stucco moldings, and columns.

It houses a museum dedicated to military supplies, which was made accessible to the public in 1992 and contains a collection of swords, automatic and semi-automatic weapons, and other items from the Safavid to the Pahlavi eras.

Visitors may be dragged into the mansion’s life during the Pahlavi era by the second floor’s nostalgic design. The centerpiece of this floor is a grand hall with a wooden ceiling decorated with delicate paintings. Additionally, it is furnished with the finest carpets, the most expensive items, and large, elegant chandeliers.

An old piano that was given to a former Iranian Queen as part of the celebrations for the Iranian monarchy’s 2500th anniversary is the most famous item in the room. This hall is surrounded by some hallways and rooms, including a living room, a dressing room, a study room, a gambling room, and various reception rooms.

One of these niches has a window that faces the garden’s main entrance and is thought to serve as a sentry post for guards. In the garden’s courtyard, a few large weapons are on display. This neatly kept garden has a lovely, cozy traditional teahouse with several paintings depicting scenes from Ferdowsi’s epic Shahnameh.

On the west side of the structure, there is a traditional bath with a dressing room, a heating room, and a bathing room. All of these components are exquisitely decorated with Qajarid stucco, which depicts the tale of Farhad from the poem by the Persian poet Nezami, who lived in the 12th century.

Celebrated as the heartland of Persian culture for over 2000 years, Shiraz has become synonymous with education, nightingales, poetry, and crafts skills passed down from generation to generation. It was one of the most significant cities in the medieval Islamic world and served as the Iranian capital from 1751 to 1794 under the Zand dynasty. Some of the most magnificent structures and sights in the nation can be found in Shiraz. It draws an increasing number of tourists from abroad and within the country to this provincial capital. Among the historical, cultural, and historic sites in Shiraz that draw both domestic and international tourists are Eram Garden, Afif-Abad Garden, Tomb of Hafez, Tomb of Sa’di, Jameh Mosque of Atigh, and Persepolis.

A World Heritage site, Persepolis, which was once the Achaemenid Empire’s ceremonial capital, is situated 60 kilometers northward of Shiraz. The UNESCO-listed Pasargadae and the Naghsh-e Rostam necropolis are just two of the magnificent Achaemenid sites that surround Persepolis. Millions of Iranians take advantage of the opportunity to travel during Noruz when most businesses and workplaces are closed as well as schools.

AFM