User:Tarikislam64/sandbox

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While most islamic gardens are typically thought to represent paradise, only a few in fact were intentionally made to represent paradise, which were usually gardens that encompassed a mausoleum or tomb. The Qur'an mention's paradise as containing four rivers with each one containing honey, wine, water, or milk, which leads to a common misinterpreted association of the chahār bāgh's design of four axial water channels solely with paradise.

For the few gardens that were intended to represent paradise, there were common themes of life and death present, such as flowers that would bloom and die, representing a human's life. The color green was also a very prominent tool in this religious symbolism, as green is the color of Islam, and a majority of the foliage, asides from flowers, expressed this religious color.

Things to add:

Add section about historic gardens such as: Holland

Iwan in courtyard of Mashhad al-Husayn, Location: Aleppo, Syria 1195

Alhambra, Dome of the Two Sisters. Location: Granada, Spain, 1380 (add more to current section relative to what we learned in class and research)

Madinat al-Zahra, Cordoba, Spain 936-76

Similar structure and formatting to the section already in the article about existing Islamic gardens

Add to section of Existing gardens: Tarik

Garden at al-Azhar (was restored early 14th century and again in 2011) (add more to current section relative to what we learned in class and research)

Add illustrations of the gardens that we include and add information to

Check the credibility of sources:

http://www.cliffordawright.com/caw/food/entries/display.php/topic_id/29/id/53/

https://web.archive.org/web/20061206002657/http://www.pps.org/info/gps/60places?referrer=gps_home

Relevant Sources: Ruggles, D. Fairchild. Gardens, Landscapes, and Vision in the Palaces of Islamic Spain. Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000. Ruggles, D. Fairchild. ‘Gardens’. Encyclopedia of Islam, THREE. Ed. Kate Fleet et al. Brill Reference Online. Web. 7 Nov. 2018. Edited by Margaret S. Graves. Islamic Art, Architecture, and Material Culture. Oxford: Archaeopress, 2012. Edited by Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom. Rivers of Paradise: water in Islamic art and culture. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009.

How I think it should be:

Gardens introduction

common architectural designs

sensory devices

dematerialization

the use of water

paradise

convey affluence

surviving gardens

The Islamic capital of Mecca relied on access to fresh water for its existence because it created an oasis in its surrounding desert environment.

An Islamic gardenis an estate of land with a general theme of water and shade, due to Islam's encompass of a hot and arid climate. Unlike English gardens, which are often designed for walking, Islamic gardens are intended for rest, reflection, and contemplation. The most identifiable architectural designs of Islamic gardens follows the Chahār Bāgh design but it was not the most common, as many gardens no longer exist, which encompassed a variety of forms and purposes. A major focus of the Islamic gardens was to provide a sensory experience, which was accomplished through the use of water and sensory plants which also led to the effect of dematerialization. The Qur'an has many references to gardens, and states that gardens are used as an earthly analogue for the life in paradise which is promised to believers:


 * Allah has promised to the believing men and the believing women gardens, beneath which rivers flow, to abide in them, and goodly dwellings in gardens of perpetual abode; and best of all is Allah's goodly pleasure; that is the grand achievement(Qur'an 9.72)

Along with the popular paradisiacal interpretation of gardens, there are several other associations with Islamic gardens including wealth, power, territory, pleasure, hunting, leisure, love, and time and space which also provides more symbolism in the manner of serene thoughts and reflection and are associated with a scholarly sense.

While many Islamic gardens are no longer existing, there are still many surviving formal Islamic gardens in a wide zone extending from Spain and Morocco in the west to India in the east.