Islamic Civilization - Gardens of Islam

Early Islamic Passion for Gardens and Gardening and its Source

In the words of garden historians, the inhabitants of the early Islamic world were, to a degree that is difficult to comprehend today, ‘enchanted by greenery’.[1] In ‘a civilisation, which thought of itself as a garden, gardening was naturally an esteemed art,’ notes Armesto.[2]

‘In a mountain of lush greenery,’ [says Marcais,] ‘Nature finds its home. Here, no place for vegetal mosaics laid on the ground as in Europe, but pieces of orchards where fruit trees and ornamental plants cohabit in a sort of green disorder where ease and abundance prevail. Trees of almonds, pomegranates, peaches, cherries, oranges, lemons, entangle their branches in the middle where rises the darker obelisk of a cypress tree. Nearly always, there can be heard the sound of wings because here birds find sanctuary. They are never disturbed; they can eat the fruit, or drink the water; they are part of the decor.’[3]

Scott describes how the Muslims:

‘Introduced on a diminished scale the hanging gardens of Babylon. In floral ornamentation they had no superiors. They contrived labyrinths, artificial grottoes, concealed fountains. They traced texts and inscriptions by means of gorgeous blossoms on a ground of living emerald. The intricate designs of tapestry were imitated by an infinite variety of flowering plants, whose tints blended in perfect harmony, like the colours of the material they were intended to represent. They acquired such dexterity in the culture of roses that, at all seasons of the year, they bloomed in profusion in every garden.’[4]

From the far eastern parts, on the frontiers with China , to its western shores on the Atlantic, the land of Islam was united in greenery. ‘Long indeed would be the list of early Islamic cities which could boast huge expanses of gardens,’ Watson holds.[5] Every city had its countless gardens, and on the outskirts were great orchards full of orange and lemon trees, apples, pomegranates, and cherries.[6] In the 10^th century, Bukhara consisted of a walled city measuring a league in every direction, and was surrounded by towns, palaces and gardens, which were in turn encompassed by a wall that must have been 100 miles in circumference.[7] The land around Bukhara was turned into a veritable garden growing not merely a rich variety of fruits and vegetables, but many flowers.[8] In private gardens, around splashing fountains, roses, water lilies, violets, myrtle, iris, sweet marjoram, lemon and orange trees were grown, some in great quantities as saleable crops, particularly for the manufacture of perfumes.[9] Thirty thousand bottles of the essence of red roses were sent each year to the caliph of Baghdad .[10] About 150 miles upstream of Bukhara, lay the city of Samarkand , for many miles around the city the fertile lands extended, watered by innumerable canals.[11] In Turkey, Ettinghausen says:

‘Devotion, if not mania’ for pretty flowers, was prevalent everywhere, and in their multitude; fondness for tulips in 16^th century Turkey, in particular, having a profound influence on Europe.’[12]

Further to the West, Al-Fustat, Old Cairo , with its multi-storey dwellings, had thousands of private gardens, some of great splendour.[13] Cairo also had several garden palaces and many courtyards, and this devotion is in the courtyard tradition in several older private houses that remain to this day.[14] Basra , in Iraq , is described by the early geographers as a veritable Venice, with mile after mile of canals criss-crossing the gardens and orchards;[15] Nisbin, also in Iraq was said to have 40,000 gardens of fruit trees, and Damascus 110,000.[16] One Garden in the city of Samarra of the 9^th century consisted of 432 acres, 172 of which being gardens with pavilions, halls and basins.[17] In Baghdad , the gardens of the palaces reached down to the Tigris, and from its farther bank the old town looked down from the west with its domes and its palaces.[18] When in the early 10^th century two Byzantine ambassadors arrived in Baghdad, they could not conceal their fascination at what they saw:

‘The New Kiosq is a palace in the midst of two gardens. In the centre was an artificial pond of tin (or lead), round which flows a stream in a conduit, also of tin, that is more lustrous than polished silver…. All around this tank extended a garden with lawns with palm trees… four hundred of them… The entire height of those trees, from top to bottom was carved in teakwood, encircled with gilt copper rings. And all these palms bore full grown dates, which in almost all seasons were ever ripe and did not decay. Round the sides of the garden also were melons… and other kind of fruit.’[19]

Equally stunned by the eastern greenery were the incoming crusaders (1095-1291). Dreesbach notes that the passages from the French literature of the crusading period, which describe the Orient, show that the things which impressed themselves on the minds of historian, chronicler and poet were the richness of gardens and orchards and the fertility of the fields.[20] Thus, William of Tyre’s History goes:

‘The plain of Antioch are full of many rich fields for the raising of wheat and abounding in springs and rivulets.’[21]

And on the neighbourhood of Damascus :

‘There are great number of trees bearing fruits of all kinds and growing up to the very walls of the city and where everybody has a garden of his own.’[22]

Crossing into North Africa , where Islamic gardens appeared in the 9^th century, [23] one learns of a multitude of gardens, surrounding and inside cities such as Tunis , Algiers , Tlemcen, and Marrakech , places which today are not conspicuous for their greenery.[24] Large gardens of the wealthy had flowers selected for their fragrance, as well as fruit and other trees and vegetables, and water for irrigation was often drawn from a well or from a river by water wheel.[25] These gardens were used for pleasure, and occasionally contained a lake, but there were also smaller enclosed gardens or patios, set out formally, in the Islamic courtyard tradition.[26] In Tlemcen, Leo the African marvelled at the cherries without rivals anywhere else. He saw water wells and fountains gushing with fresh, cool waters, and all around vines growing grapes of all colours and extremely delicate flavours, and cherries so plentiful, and figs so delicious he had never seen the like anywhere else he had been, as well as peaches, walnuts, almonds, melons, and many other fruit.[27] Many luxurious country houses surrounded Algiers, and were renowned for their gardens.[28] A visitor once counted 20,000 gardens, and all around the city grew all sorts of fruit trees; great varieties of flowers, and all sorts of plants; abundant fountains, and in these gardens, among the lush greenery, families used to come and find enjoyment and solace.[29] In Tunisia , where once there thrived urbanity and greenery there is today parched desert land; the region between Gafsa and Feriana, today a desert, had in Islamic times about 200 villages.[30] Tunis, according to an early 16^th century Turkish observer, had fifty thousand houses, each ‘resembling a sultan’s palace’, and orchards and gardens fringe the city.[31] In each of these gardens, were villas and kiosks, pools and fountains, and the scent of jasmine overpowering the air. There were water wheels, too, and such an abundance of fruit people hardly paid any attention to them.[32]

In Spain, writers speak endlessly of the gardens and lieux de plaisance of Seville , Cordova and Valencia ; the suburb of Valencia having so many orchards and flower gardens that the city looked like a maiden in the midst of flowers, the scent of which perfumed the air;[33] the city was called by one writer ‘‘the scent bottle of al-Andalus.’[34] Market gardens, olive groves, and fruit orchards made some areas of Spain-notably around Cordova, Granada, and Valencia-"garden spots of the world."[35] In the 10^th century, all the country around Cordoba was one great garden, and according to al-Maqqari, 50,000 villas were set like stars in the firmament in the countryside all around the city.[36] Inside and around the city there were palaces of recreation in the midst of beautiful ornamental gardens.[37] Murcia, according to Al-Maqqari was ‘filled with scented flowers, singing birds, and water wheels with rumorous sound.’[38] According to the same author, the banks of the Guadalquevir were decorated with fine buildings and beautiful pleasure gardens.[39] The Island of Majorca, won by the Muslims in the 8^th century, became under their husbandry ‘a paradise of fruits and flowers, dominated by the date palm that later gave its name to the capital.’[40] The gardens of Almeria extended for a radius of twenty miles north, east, and west from the harbour.[41] The famed pleasure garden of the Nasrid period in Grenada was Jannat al-Arif (Sp. Generalife) (The Garden Of The inspector Of The Very High Garden), known for its luxuriant trees and the healthiness of its air.[42]

Like every science, and like every single aspect of Islamic civilisation, behind the passion and devotion to gardens and gardening, natural beauty and greenery, was the faith, Islam, and its central element, the Qur’an. Thus, we read in the Qur’an:

‘Surely the God fearing shall be among gardens and fountains.’ (Qur’an 51/15).

‘And those on the right hand; what of those on the right hand?

Among thornless lote trees

And clustered plantains,

And spreading shade,

And water gushing,

And fruit in plenty

Neither out of reach nor yet forbidden,

And raised couches.’ (Qur’an 56/27-34)

And equally:

‘But for him who feareth the standing before his Lord there are two gardens.