Dowlat abad Garden

Standing in the middle of the dry city of Yazd, Dowlat Abad garden (Bagh-e Dowlat-Abad) testifies to a variety of architectural capabilities developed in this city. Dowlat-Abad garden was a residential–governmental garden commissioned by Mohammad Taqi Khan Bafghi in 1750. He was the ruler of Yazd during the Zandiyeh period and commissioned several other historical buildings in the city such as Khan School, Square, and Bazaar. It is said that in 1759, the founder of Zand dynasty, Karim Khan, accompanied by his enormous troop (about 40000 men), came to Yazd and lodged in this garden for 40 nights. In the Qajar period, the garden was restored two times: once, during the rule of Mohammad Taqi Khan’s son and then, during the reign of Zell al-Sultan (the late 19th century). 

The Persian garden, is deeply rooted in the architecture of ancient Iran, represented as a metaphor for Paradise. During the Zand reign, gardens were mostly inspired by the Safavid style of architecture. Dowlat-Abad garden is properly built according to the traditional principles of the Persian garden, incorporating a symmetrical layout of fountain pools, cedar and pine trees and a sophisticated irrigation system. Yet, its fame comes from the world’s tallest mudbrick wind-tower (badgir), as high as 34 meters. There used to be fruit gardens and farms surrounding the garden as well.

This UNESCO heritage site covers an area of 40000 meters, consisting of two public and private gardens. The private garden or Andaruni, was a rectangular garden aligned along the northwest-southeast axis of the garden, used to be the residential part of the complex. It is this part of the house which is today represented as the garden of Dowlat-Abad. The spacious entrance of the garden now hosts a number of shops, displaying and selling the handicrafts of Yazd.