TEHRAN – An online photo exhibit of the Persian gardens is underway in Madrid, Spain, an official with the tourism ministry has said. The week-long exhibit, which was inaugurated on Saturday, is featuring some 30 photos of the unique Persian gardens across Iran, CHTN quoted Mohsen Tavasoli as saying on Sunday. The exhibition has been organized by the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) in collaboration with Iran’s Cultural Office in Madrid, the official added. In 2011, a selection of nine Iranian gardens, which bear important architectural, traditional, and cultural elements, were collectively inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list under the title of “The Persian Garden.”The genuine concept of the Persian Garden that is deeply rooted in time interweaves natural elements with manmade components to embody an idea of creating a paradise on Earth by the means of artistic, philosophical, figurative, and religious notions.According to UNESCO, the flawless design of the Persian Garden, along with its ability to respond to extreme climatic conditions, is the result of an inspired and intelligent application of different fields of knowledge, i.e.

technology, water management and engineering, architecture, botany, and agriculture.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 manmade components to materialize the concept of Eden or Paradise on Earth.ABU/AFM