TEHRAN — A selection of eight old trees, which stand in various villages in Qazvin province, have been added to Iran’s national natural heritage list.

The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has listed eight walnut, mulberry, juniper and plane trees on the prestigious list, Mehr reported on Friday.

For millennia, Iranian gardens have combined the magic of nature with the aesthetic qualities of art and architecture to create a symbolic representation of paradise on Earth. UNESCO describes the Persian garden as an idea that combines natural elements with man-made components to materialize the concept of Eden or paradise on earth.

In 2011, a selection of nine Iranian gardens, which bear significant architectural, traditional and cultural elements, were collectively inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the title of “The Persian Garden”.

The true concept of the Persian garden, deeply rooted in time, blends natural elements with man-made components to embody the idea of ​​creating a paradise on Earth through artistic, philosophical, figurative and religious notions.

According to UNESCO, the flawless design of the Persian Garden, as well as its ability to respond to extreme climatic conditions, is the result of an inspired and intelligent application of different fields of knowledge, namely technology, management and l water engineering, architecture, botany, and agriculture.

Qazvin was once the capital of the mighty Persian Empire, under the Safavids, from 1548-98. It’s a major tourist destination with a beautifully restored caravanserai turned arts quarter, a few quirky museums, and a handful of decent dining options. For most travelers, Qazvin is also primarily the starting point for excursions to the famous Assassins’ castles and hikes in the sensational Alamut Valley.

Also known as the Castle of the Assassins, the 12th century Alamut Castle is nestled on top of a peak. It was once a haven for followers of Hasan-e Sabbah (1070-1124) who was a spiritual leader of an Islamic sect. In the early 1930s, Italian-British explorer and writer Freya Stark described her exploration of the place in her book “The Valleys of the Assassins”.

AFM