Comparative Study of architecture and landscape technologies in Charbagh Street in Safavid Era and Champs/Elysess Axiss

Iran has an arid climate which characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool winters. Therefore, sunlight and its heating effects were important factors of Iranian architecture and gardens structural design. Textures and shapes were selected by architects to harness the light and supply a shadow in the summer.

Water is very important in this climate, both in the architectural design and longevity of gardens. In addition to water, the plants in Iran had been particularly significant. In ancient civilization of Iran, plants have had special position. Supernatural powers that had been in trees such as life-giving, young giving, productivity and Immortality made them sacred for Ancient Iranian people. However, attending to supernatural power of plants was the importance reason that people regarded to plants and made some symbols such as “Life Tree” has income. In Zoroastrian religion books, more values have said about Supernatural cost of plants. Plants have a special value in Zoroastrian Fire Temples, religious ceremony and routine life. Therefore, garden and gardening were sacred for Iranian. The term Zoroastrianism is, in general usage, essentially synonymous with Mazdaism, have discovered dependent on Achaemenids Empire (559–330 BC) and there were in Pasargad. In the Islam tradition the garden as Paradise is, perhaps, even stronger, since the Quran (the central religious text of Islam) describes Heaven as a garden. Islam was spread to the Persians, and reciprocally the Muslims adopted the Persian style of garden. Therefore garden has been invaluable to Iranians. Persian Garden includes some types which one them is Garden City.

Isfahan as the Capital of Safavid Dynasty has designed as a big garden according garden city model. Therefore, some solutions have used in urban design regarding Isfahan's arid climate. Safavid government followed the realization of cities ideal that rooted in Islamic beliefs and opinions. The investigations in historical perspective of Safavid cities indicates the importance of cities as the place for presence of symbols and signs. The Symbols which has remind as the ideological concepts, power of dominating government and also getting identity to the city.

During the history of Safavid urban design, there were some direct and wide streets (Charbagh) which were the main factors of development and improvement of cities among urban functional and symbolic elements. In historical background of Isfahan garden city is pointed to construction of street (Charbagh) which has attracted the European tourists attention and it will investigate in this article.

Initial section of this article is allocated to explain about historical background of Isfahan city in Safavid era and also Charbagh Street. Then this paper with emphasis on some historical documents and analytical studies, compares the Isfahan Charbagh Street with its similar sample in France (Champs-Elysées Street). The conclusion of this article indicates the similarity of Isfahan Charbagh Street and Champs-Elysées Street in some skeletal specifications and the way of formation. French Boulevards were constructed after Isfahan Charbagh in terms of time and they were formed after publishing itineraries and pictures of tourists from this place in Europe .