TEHRAN – A selection of five centuries-old plane trees standing in the Kashan county of Isfahan province has recently gained national status.

“Five plane trees, each dating more than 500 years, have recently been added to Iran’s national list of natural heritage,” kashan’s tourism chief Ahmad Danai said.

For millennia, many gardens in Iran have combined the wonder of nature with the aesthetic qualities of art and architecture to create a symbol that represents heaven on Earth. UNESCO describes the Persian garden as an idea that combines natural elements with man-made components to realize the concept of Eden or heaven on earth.

In 2011, a selection of nine Iranian gardens, bearing important architectural, traditional and cultural elements, was jointly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the title “The Persian Garden.”

The Persian Garden, as a genuine concept, is deeply rooted in time and interweaves natural elements with manmade components to embody the idea of creating a paradise on Earth using artistic, philosophical, figurative, and religious notions.

According to UNESCO, 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, engineering, architecture, botany, and agriculture.

AFM