Persian garden design: influential factors upon the Shazdeh Garden / Nazanin Nafisi

Garden structure in Iran has a long and extensive history as it continuously lived and developed through the ages in accordance with time, location, beliefs, and cultural traditions. The design of Iranian gardens is usually a mixture of architectural styles and culture. The preferred garden possesses the elements of a Persian garden, and its unique architectural design has captured the attention of several architects. The aim of this research is to develope a conceptual framework for Persian garden and Shazdeh Garden of Mahan, Iran. In order to develop the aim, the objectives of this study are: to identify influential factors behind the Persian Garden; to determine the implementations of these factors in Shazden Garden; and to establish the perception of visitor on Shazdeh Garden to the cultural features. The study was conducted through surveys, in-depth interviews and observations. The survey involved a sample size of 211 respondents from Iran. The study likewise concentrated on the cultural influence of the Persian garden, as well as contributed to the existing cultural literature in the context of Iran. The data were processed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21, ATLAS Ti, and AMOS Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) The findings of the study suggested that the influence of culture on the creation of a garden. In Persian culture, mythology and symbolism are the elements that outline and affect architectural and garden design in Iran. Similarly, religion and culture are two factors discovered to be related to Persian garden design. The results of this research have raised concerns about the meaning involved in cultural concepts. Accordingly, they have paved the way for the study of behaviour construct as they are understood in other cultures. The research will provide insight and further understanding about people’s religion and culture, and their concurrent relation with Persian garden design. Finally, this study is among the first to address and explore the relationship between Persian garden and culture by exploring the social layer in Iran.