Narenjestan-e Qavam Garden

Narenjestan-e Qavam Garden (Qavam al-Saltaneh's Orangery) is a magnificent historic mansion in the city of Shiraz, in Fars Province. Built by the Qavam family during the Qajar era, Narenjestan-e Qavam is one of Shiraz's most important cultural and historical buildings, attracting tourists and anyone interested in architecture and history. The garden is known as Narenjestan (the "Orange Grove") because of the bitter orange trees in its courtyard, and it is located in the Balakaft neighborhood, at the eastern end of Lotfali Khan Zand Street.

The whole complex covers 3,500 square meters, and its buildings, which stand on the northern and southern sides, have a combined floor area of 940 square meters. Other structures in the complex include the Gachineh Bathhouse, the Qavam Hosseinieh, the Qavam Maktab-khaneh (traditional school, also known as the House of the Iraqis), the Qavam Andaruni (private family quarters, the residence of Zinat al-Moluk), the Qavam Divan-khaneh (the Narenjestan itself) and Qavam's private bathhouse. In the past the complex also had stables, a chain house (Zanjir-khaneh) and a small bazaar, which were lost when Lotfali Khan Zand Street was built. The courtyard of Narenjestan-e Qavam is a lush, charming space with bitter orange trees, a large pool, fountains and numerous flowerbeds. Located in the center of the garden, it offers visitors a calm and pleasant place to rest and stroll. The Divan-khaneh of Narenjestan-e Qavam is a magnificent building on the northern side of the garden, built during the Qajar period by Ali Mohammad Khan Qavam. The iwan of the garden is a splendid iwan on the southern side, also built in the Qajar period by Ali Mohammad Khan Qavam. Standing in front of the garden's large pool, with 12 stone columns and beautiful muqarnas work, it is regarded as one of the most beautiful parts of the garden.

Besides its beauty and magnificent architecture, Narenjestan-e Qavam offers visitors a range of opportunities for recreation and entertainment. These include visiting the mansion, strolling through the garden, and taking part in educational and recreational activities. The best time to visit Narenjestan-e Qavam is spring. The garden's enchanting nature reaches its peak in spring, when the fragrance of the bitter orange blossoms (bahar-narenj) gives visitors an indescribable delight. In summer the garden also looks spectacular, although the high temperatures can be uncomfortable. In autumn, Qavam Garden offers a unique scene for photography to lovers of traditional spaces and Iranian architecture.