With an octagonal pavilion, marble pool and cypress-lined avenues perfumed by orange blossom, Jahan-Nama is Shiraz’s small royal paradise — best visited in spring.
If you’ve ever been to beautiful Shiraz, you’ll know choosing which garden to visit first is a delightful dilemma. This guide from Alibaba Travel Magazine introduces Jahan-Nama Garden and explains exactly what to expect in this lovely, historic green space.
Jahan-Nama is one of the first gardens you reach upon entering Shiraz. It sits on Hafez Street and is an easy walk from the Hafezieh — after visiting Hafez’s tomb you can continue to the garden and lose yourself in the sound of water and shade.
If you prefer public transport, take the bus lines running from Vali-Asr terminal to Rokenabad or from Kolbeh Square to Rokenabad, get off at the Hafezieh crossroads and walk along Hafez Street to the garden. Taxis are also abundant — telling the driver “to Hafezieh” will get you close. There is no nearby metro station because of the historic urban fabric, so buses and taxis are the practical options.
The garden opens at 08:30 and remains accessible until 20:00. These hours apply to the first six months of the year and may change in colder months because of earlier nightfall.
Jahan-Nama dates back to the eighth century AH and originally sat along an irrigation channel, which helped guarantee its continual fertility. Through the centuries its trees remained lush — it was once known by the name Zinat-ol-Dunya.
Karam Khan Zand gave the garden its greatest splendor: he ordered the site enclosed with walls, lined the streets leading to the garden with trees and built the central pavilion. The pavilion’s polygonal roof is an outstanding example of the period’s architecture.
The overall sight — a marble pool and formal flowerbeds around the central pavilion — is unforgettable. Historians and Iranologists have long described Jahan-Nama in classic travelogues and historical texts.
Traditional Persian gardens typically feature a water channel running through the site, a garden house placed centrally and a large pool in front of that house. Jahan-Nama contains all these elements and presents them elegantly.
The irrigation channel that crosses the garden has been a constant source of the garden’s beauty. The central house is an eight-sided pavilion surrounded by windows, and the large pool with its fountain remains from ancient times.
As noted, the garden reached its peak in the Zand era and was once called “Vakil Garden.” Under the governorship of Fath-Ali Shah the name changed to Jahan-Nama. Timur the Mongol (Tamerlane) admired Jahan-Nama so much that he reportedly ordered a replica to be built in Samarqand — hence there is another garden of similar name and beauty there.
Viewed from above, the garden reveals four aisles flanked by cypress and orange trees. One avenue contains a water channel ending at the garden walls, decorated with small fountains whose tranquil sound complements the trees’ visual beauty.
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Karam Khan’s fondness for the number eight is visible everywhere in Jahan-Nama: the central pavilion is octagonal; each avenue contains eight cypress trees; the long water channel is divided into eight sections and each section has eight small fountains. In ancient Iran the number eight was considered auspicious, so the repeated use of eight appears to be intentional rather than accidental.
The best month to visit is Ordibehesht (roughly April–May). In spring the air fills with the scent of orange blossom and the tall cypresses stand out against the fresh peaks of the Zagros Mountains, lending the garden a vivid and restorative atmosphere.
Early in spring colourful flowers are planted in the flowerbeds so the garden is at its most beautiful during Ordibehesht. Even the poet Hafez wrote about the garden’s springtime beauty.
Today Jahan-Nama belongs to Shiraz broadcasting (IRIB) and access can be limited, but until recently the octagonal pavilion — known locally as the kushk or the “kola-ferangi” pavilion — functioned as part of a garden-museum open to visitors. The pavilion hosted handicraft and souvenir shops where visitors could buy handmade jewellery and local treats.
A notable detail: until a few years ago the pavilion’s wooden windows encircled the building, but a private owner replaced them with iron frames during restoration. Many heritage and architectural experts believe this change harmed the building’s visual authenticity, as iron is not traditional to kushk architecture.
As mentioned, the garden opens at 08:30 and closes at 20:00 (these hours apply to the first six months of the year and may change with the seasons). Entrance fee: 3,000 toman for Iranian visitors and 15,000 toman for foreign tourists. Keep two points in mind: the garden is closed on days of mourning (martyrdom days), and because the site is sometimes used by the broadcasting organisation, it may be temporarily closed to the public — call ahead to confirm access.
Address: Fars Province, north-east Shiraz, east side of Hafez Street (Darvaze-ye-Quran), above Hafezieh Square.
Phone: 07132275875
Jahan-Nama is one of Iran’s oldest and most venerable gardens. It carries centuries of history in its trees and paths. Cypress and orange trees multiply the garden’s beauty — walking beneath them and among colourful flowerbeds is an unforgettable experience.
A visit to Shiraz often becomes a memory for life, and Jahan-Nama adds a unique, fragrant chapter to that journey. Imagine the kings and princes who once walked these avenues — today you can retrace their steps and breathe the same cool, pleasant air. Pack your bags and put Jahan-Nama at the top of your Shiraz list. Safe travels.
Tip | |
|---|---|
Visit in Ordibehesht (April–May) for orange blossom and peak floral displays. | Best time to visit / orange blossom paragraphs. |
Garden hours (first six months): 08:30–20:00 — check seasonal changes before you go. | Opening hours paragraph. |
Entry fees: 3,000 toman (Iranian visitors) / 15,000 toman (foreign visitors). | Entrance fee paragraph. |
Call ahead — the garden may be closed on mourning days or unavailable due to broadcasting use. | Notes on closures and IRIB ownership. |
Use bus lines (Vali-Asr → Rokenabad or Kolbeh → Rokenabad) or a taxi to reach Hafezieh, then walk to the garden. | Transit instructions paragraph. |
