Eram Garden in spring

What it is

Eram Garden in Shiraz is one of the Persian gardens listed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It follows the old plan: a walled rectangle divided by straight water channels, with a pavilion looking down the main axis over a pool. Tall cypress trees line the paths, and the beds hold roses and seasonal flowers. The painted pavilion dates from the Qajar period. Today the garden is run as a botanical garden by Shiraz University. In April the bitter orange trees of the city flower, and their scent fills the streets. Shirazis treat the season as a festival of its own.

Before you go

• April for orange blossom, late April and May for roses.
• Late afternoon gives the best light on the pavilion.
• See also the tomb garden of the poet Hafez, where locals gather at dusk.

The flowers you will see

RoseWoody perennial plants with showy, often fragrant flowers in many coloursBitter orangeThe citrus tree behind Seville orange marmalade and Neroli oilDamask roseA fragrant pink rose grown for oil, water, and sweets in West and South Asia

Read more

Eram GardenA historic Persian garden and pavilion in Shiraz, Iran

More in Iran

🇮🇷 Kashan · May to JunRose water season in Qamsar and KashanEach May the villages around Kashan distil damask roses into rose water, and visitors come to watch.