Abbas Abad, historical complex in the heart of Mazandaran nature

The Abbas Abad complex is one of the historical monuments of Mazandaran, which is located 9 kilometers from Behshahr and among the dense forests and the slopes of the Alborz mountains. It is one of the most important and largest historical gardens in Iran.

Abbas Abad includes three very important historical gardens: Hammam, Tower, Mill, Shahi Kush and precise water supply and water distribution system, water structures and Abbas Abad Dam, Gul Bagh, Hammam, Palace, Water Mill, Fountain building, the mansion located between the dam lake and two The brick tower has some historical infrastructures that have been created and this complex has 420 hectares of land and more than 1000 hectares of land which has been registered globally.

Abbas Abad Lake was built by the order of Shah Abbas I Safavid in the years 1020 and 1021 AH in the place that used to be called “Khargoran” and is currently the most important non-desert garden in Iran.
Abbas Abad World Garden has 2 pressure-relief towers, the second tower with a height of 14 meters, its doors were closed and restored years ago due to damage and the possibility of falling, and the first tower of Abbas Abad Garden was restored and restored in 2016.

This beautiful and unique complex was built by the order of Shah Abbas I with the use of a royal resort and retreat. With the passage of time and the fall of the Safavid dynasty, this garden was forgotten and buried in the heart of dense forests until, with the efforts of archaeologists, a part of the site and its artifacts were pulled out of the soil with continuous excavations over the years, and the values ​​were low. An Iranian garden was revealed. Since 2008, the organization, restoration, protection and study of this collection continues.

Abbas Abad Gardens is one of the 9 Iranian gardens registered in the UNESCO World Heritage List, which was registered in 2013 as number 1372. A garden left over from the Safavid era of Shah Abbas, which is different from all Iranian gardens in terms of structure and even usage.

The unique natural and architectural features of this garden and the location of a significant number of infrastructures in one complex caused UNESCO experts to confirm this garden in 2011 along with eight other Iranian gardens as a collection of Iranian gardens in the World Heritage List, and Abbas Abad was the first world registered work. Mazandaran.

Abbas Abad lake dam in the heart of Mazandaran history

The lake dam with a capacity of 600,000 cubic meters is a reservoir type and the wall of the dam is made of Saroj, which was included in the category of historical and cultural monuments of Iran by the cultural heritage organization of that time with number 745.

Cheshme Mandan, a historical building in the heart of Abbas Abad lake

Abbasabad Behshahr natural lake with more than 10 hectares of land has a mansion in its center. A brick building in the form of four arches when its upper surface was a building bed with wood materials and a clay roof.

The said building goes under the water during the dam’s water intake, and only its upper surface is like an island out of the water. It is based on 8 pillars around and one pillar in the center of the building. What is important is the absence of brick stairs in the building and around this building. This issue has led to the assumption that the above building was first built to strengthen the dam, and then they gave it recreational use due to the dam’s drainage.

Through repeated field investigations about the method of transferring water to the lake, it was known that at that time, the water of two important springs “Khori Cheshme” and “Sarcheshme” was transferred from the upstream based on the difference in the slope level and also by the use of the tank which was protected by a brick wall. Upper was leading.

For recreational use of the mansion inside the pool, access to it is possible through a wooden pier-like bridge created in the north direction of the said building. However, the building of the mansion, in addition to its recreational use, has also had a scientific and technical use in dam construction.

Abbas Abad, tourist site of Mazandaran

The head of the Abbas Abad Behshahr World Heritage Site, pointing out that this complex is one of the three most visited sites in Mazandaran in different seasons of the year, said: Last Nowruz, this historical complex was one of the designated places for Nowruzgah and programs were carried out there. became.

Mostafa Sharifi added: Native and local programs in different formats were implemented in Nowruzgahs with the aim of introducing the traditional properties of Mazandaran province to travelers and tourists.

Among these programs, he announced the holding of authentic Mazandaran festivals such as Marmeh, performing native and local music and reciting the Shahnameh, and continued: Puppet walking with Mazandaran costumes and Lucho wrestling, a native sport of the province, are among the other programs of Nowruzgah.

The supervisor of the Abbas Abad Behshahr World Heritage Site regarding the number of travelers and tourists in this complex said: Considering that the General Department of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of Mazandaran is in charge of restoration and preservation and Behshahr Municipality is considered to be the beneficiary The number of travelers and tourists is not available to the cultural heritage complex.

He added: But this historical complex has always been one of the three main tourist sites in Mazandaran during different eras, and many travelers and tourists always go to this area.

According to Sharifi, due to the size of this historical complex and the need for restoration, its restoration workshops are active most of the time, and currently the access stairs to these gardens of this complex are being restored.