Fin Garden, Kashan

Fin Garden, an ancient building next to the Sulaymaniyah Fountain in Kashan, is one of the most important examples of Iranian gardens that is still alive and well. It is perhaps the most infamous garden in history. Whenever its name is mentioned, the story of the cowardly murder of Amir Kabir and his bloodbath comes to mind.

This garden is considered a superior example of Iranian garden architecture and one of the nine Iranian gardens registered by UNESCO. It attracts the most visitors and tourists to Isfahan province every year, along with Naqsh-e Jahan Square and Chehelsotun Palace.

Introduction:
Fin Garden is the place where Naser al-Din Shah murdered his prime minister Amir Kabir in 1852.

In addition to the murder of Amir Kabir, the official coronation ceremony of Shah Ismail Safavi was also held in this garden.

The garden covers an area of ​​23,000 square meters and includes a central courtyard enclosed by a wall, ramparts, and cylindrical towers.

This historical garden, which won the title of the most visited historical monument in Isfahan province in Nowruz 2018 and 2019, is one of the most visited tourist attractions in this province.
The Fin Garden of Kashan was registered as one of the national monuments of Iran on December 5, 1935 with registration number 238.
This monument was also registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
This garden was also called “Bagh Shah” in the past due to its large area.
It is now known as the Fin Garden and the reason for this is that it is located in the Fin region of Kashan.
The word Fin is derived from the word fine, which was the name of the hats that the people of this region wore.
Fin Garden is located on Amir Kabir Street, a street that is full of liquor stores. If you are going to visit the Fin Garden, be sure to include Kashan liquor shopping in your plan.
Fin Garden of Kashan
History:
The original building of Fin Garden dates back to before Islam and is associated with the Silk Road civilization, which has an inextricable link with the Sulaymaniyah spring flowing above the garden.
The history and antiquity of the current Fin Garden and its buildings date back to the Safavid period.
The current Fin Garden building is attributed to the period of Shah Abbas I.
The construction and development of the garden reached its peak during the reign of Shah Safi and Shah Abbas II.
The buildings at the entrance, the Safavid pavilion, and one of the baths are the products of this period.
From the late Safavid period to the Zand period, the garden was not given much attention.
During the Karim Khan Zand period, the garden was renovated and the Karim Khani private building was added to it.
During the reign of Fath Ali Shah Qajar, many parts were added to the garden.
In the Pahlavi period, the Kashan National Museum was built.

Garden Architecture:
In terms of architecture, the Fin Garden of Kashan has followed all the standard principles of garden construction.
The unique water supply system of this garden is one of its most important features, which shows the genius of ancient Iranian architects.
The water flowing in this complex, which is supplied from the Sulaymaniyah spring, has a constant volume throughout the year.
Another strange feature of the water supply system of the Fin Garden is the constant temperature of the water, which never goes above or below 25 degrees.
The cultural heritage of Iran considers the designer of the Fin Garden to be Ghiyath al-Din Jamshid Kashani; but academic sources introduce the designer of the garden as Sheikh Bahai.
One of the important elements used in the design of the Fin Garden was maintaining symmetry, which was of particular importance.
However, with the intervention of the kings ruling this city, the symmetry of the garden has gradually decreased.
Fin Garden of Kashan

Garden buildings:
1) Ponds and the water element in Fin Garden of Kashan
The main reason for using the water element in Fin Garden of Kashan was to create peace by looking at the water, to cool the air in the summer season, and to resonate the music of water, especially in non-residential areas.
There are two very beautiful ponds in this complex, called the Josh Pond and the Twelve Fountain Pond.
The Josh Pond has a floor covering that resembles the bergamot carpets and altars of Kashan.
There were gold-glazed tiles in this pond until the early Reza Shah period, which were stolen by looters.
There are 160 holes in the Josh Pond, each of which was a flower of a carpet.
The function of these holes is that the first hole acts as a fountain and the second hole sucks water.
Thus, there are about 80 fountain holes and 80 suction holes in these ponds, which help to ensure that the water enters and exits evenly so that there is no overflow.
The Twelve Fountains Pool was also built during the reign of Mohammad Shah Qajar, at the same time as the Boiling Pool and the Shah’s Residence.
2) Fin Bath
The most famous part of the Fin Garden of Kashan is the Fin Bath.
There are two baths in this garden, the Big Bath and the Small Bath.
The main reason for the fame of these baths is that Ambir Kabir, the Prime Minister of Nasser al-Din Shah, was assassinated in the Small Bath.
3) The Sar Dar Mansion
When entering the garden, we see a building that used to be a waiting place for visitors.
This beautiful brick building with two floors is called the Sar Dar Mansion.
4) Safavid Pavilion
The Safavid Pavilion was built in 986 AH.
This historical building is located in the center of the garden and in front of the garden gate.
The Safavid Pavilion was built by order of Shah Abbas and with the efforts of Agha Khizr Nahavandi, the ruler of Kashan at the time.
This building, which was seriously damaged in the earthquake of 1156, used to have 4 floors, and its two upper floors were in the form of a pergola, but during the reconstruction, only two floors were built.
Today, this building is 14 meters high.
The materials used in the Safavid pavilion include rubble stone in the foundation and raw brick in the walls.
5) Shahneshin Room
The Shahneshin Room was built around 1218 AH by order of Mohammad Shah Qajar in the Fin Garden.
Around this building, there are rooms for servants called the Earring Rooms.
Ceremonies were held through the side doors and the servants never entered this room through the main door.
6) Tea Room
After the Shahneshin and in