Re-discovering the Spatial Structure & Planting Plan of Salar-e-Jang Garden in Shiraz based on Terence O'Donnell Memoirs

Current knowledge about Shiraz gardening heritage is limited to the outstanding and famous courts and governmental gardens, hence limited data from the other ones has remained. Among these, the garden of Salar-e-Jang (Minou-e-Salar) or Garden of the brave in War (English meaning) is the striking example that was built by Naser-al-din Koupal Shirazi (celebrated Salar-e-Jang) and is worth studying and analyzing. The aim of this study is to re-discover this garden based on memoirs of Terrence O'Donnell who spent nearly 10 years (1960-71) of his life in this garden. His description provides an overview on the Iranian garden planting order in Qajar and Pahlavi era. This current study is the first step in identifying the historic gardens of Ghasroldasht (Bardi) area in Shiraz suburban gardens that has not been investigated yet. Therefore, recognition of geometrical-spatial order of the garden, rereading and understanding the irrigation method and the garden planting patterns have been considered. In addition, the garden has been perceived as a place for various events and social-individual life. The research method was a combination of descriptive-historical strategy and case study based on analytical procedures in a deductive approach. The findings are segmented into four parts which show the stages of development and destruction of the garden. They also show that the gardens are a mixture of two categories of dualities: a) conceptual and b) functional. The paradoxical nature of the garden is identifiable in the conflict between owners and occupants of the garden, contradiction between literary and cultural character of the founder and his unusual habits and finally, the distinction between the notion of Garden and the Farm. also the garden is a mixture of two types: Persian Governmental garden and and orchard. The garden has two perpendicular axes and contrary to usual practices, the pavilion is not placed at the intersection of two longitudinal and transverse axes. This eventually converts a kind of suburban garden from a place for recreation and lounge to a productive farm and orchard garden. As a result the garden turns into a unified social, economic and natural system that indicates the integration of aesthetics with the functional and production aspects of the garden.