Royal Gardens in Republican Iran: a case study of the Golestan Palace Garden, Tehran

Golestan Palace Garden, a surviving remnant of Qajar-era royal gardens, has undergone significant transformations under successive regimes, losing its symbolic and social dimensions despite conservation efforts. Research reveals that museum-like restoration approaches, focusing solely on material preservation, fail to revive the garden's intangible heritage, which is crucial for its cultural relevance. The study highlights how political shifts—from Reza Shah Pahlavi’s regime to the Islamic Republic—reshaped the garden's meaning and function, rendering its traditional symbolism ineffective. Even after being designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, the garden remains incomplete, underscoring the need for a more holistic approach that integrates social and symbolic elements into conservation strategies.

Mahdizadeh, S., Walker, S., Karimian, Z., & Rajendran, L. P. (2022). Royal Gardens in Republican Iran: a case study of the Golestan Palace Garden, Tehran. Landscape History, 43(2), 119–137. https://doi.org/10.1080/01433768.2022.2143752