 |
| Statue of Venus |
As we have
studied thus far, gardens have played an integral role in many different
cultures throughout time. In the three cultures we have studied so far: Roman, Medieval
and Muslim, gardens play an important role in their respective religions. The
Romans considered themselves quite religious and they had a rather unique
relationship with their gods. They had a mutual relationship, which revolved around giving
and taking instead of the more one-sided relationships seen with monotheistic
religions. In the Roman gardens there were lots of statues of gods and
goddesses. Venus, Flores, and Pomona were all very popular and often found in
gardens. There also was a very close tie to religion and daily life for the Romans.
During the Medieval times, the religious aspects of gardens were very important. The medieval churches became very wealthy, and monasteries gained popularity. Within the monastery there often times was a cloister. This cloister was part of the religious experience, and a place to read the bible, meditate or discuss religion. Additionally, during medieval times, many gardens tried to represent elements of the Garden of Eden from the Bible. Many gardens would have features such as a fountain and an evergreen tree, representing the water source and tree from the biblical text. There was also plant symbolism that related to the Virgin Mary. The Madonna lily was a white lily that represented purity and virginity, and the red rose represented the blood of the martyrs and the crown of thorns.
 |
| Monastery with cloister in middle |
 |
| Cloister Garden |
Art and beauty are deeply ingrained in Islamic culture and three important characteristics include: arts integrated into life, the idea of beauty without arrogance, and inner richness verses humble appearance. The idea of an Islamic garden often represents an earthly paradise. There is a blueprint that is used time and time again, which represents the after-life described in the Qur’an. However, this blueprint is highly adaptable and can be used for massive gardens for royalty or small-scale gardens for average citizens. Charhar Bagh is the name of this layout where the garden is separated into four sections (quadripartite) by a water source that represents the four rivers of life (milk, wine, honey, and water).
Sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment