Fin Garden of Kashan

Fin Garden of Kashan is one of the most important structures of its kind that has been built completely according to the architecture principals of Persian gardens. Located in the city of Kashan, it has been registered as one of the nine prominent Iranian Gardens by UNESCO in 2011.

The specialists are not unanimous when it comes to the date of the construction of Fin Garden. Some believe that it was built before the Islamic era during Sassanid dynasty. Others believe it was at the Ilkhanate that its construction began. Despite all the discrepancies, it can be certainly said that Fin Garden, as we see and know it today, belongs to Shah Abbas the Great from Safavid.

Fin Garden has witnessed some of the most important social and political incidences of Iran. Some of them are the celebrations and ceremonies of Safavid kings, on one hand, and the murders of rulers of Kashan, on the other. It is also said that Sheikh Safi passed away in Fin Garden, where his son was crowned immediately.

However, the incidents are not limited to those mentioned above. It was in Fin Garden that Amir Kabir, the renowned prime minister of Naser al-Din of Qajar was killed. There are two bathhouses in this garden. One of them, Royal Bath, was used by the members of the court, and the other, the smaller one, was used by the servants and common people.

Fin Garden covers an area that has the form of a square surrounded by high walls. The main north-south pathway starts at the Entrance Mansion, passes through the pavilion, and reaches the end of the garden. Also, based on the principals of Persian gardens, there is an east-west pathway that, today, links the bathhouse to Kashan Museum.

The Safavid Pavilion or the central mansion of the garden is a quadrilateral building and has been designed to provide a view of the garden on each side. During the rule of Karim khan of Zand, a new part was added to the southwest side of the complex that includes nooks and other buildings.

One of the engineering wonders of Fin Garden can be seen in the management of water flow. The water runs through the canals and fountains only by level difference, and with the use of no power source.