Scholarly interest in Persian gardens increased following the excavation by Scottish archaeologist, David Stronach at the site of Pasargadae in 1967. Research has further developed in the related field of Mughal or Islamic garden studies, initially by Western scholars such as Elizabeth Moynihan, Donald Wilber and Vita Sackville West and, later, by Iranians themselves. With a few exceptions, the studies undertaken by either Western or Iranian scholars tend to focus almost exclusively on the same concepts and themes such as the Qur’anic Paradise symbolism of chaharbagh or the history of gardens, in particular during the Safavid era (1501–1736). Little attention has been given to the pavilions and their various functions in Persian gardens. In this sense, the book written by Mohammad Gharipour, which is based on his Ph.D. thesis, is a turning point that envisages the pavilion not as an isolated structure, but as an integrated entity in Persian gardens. The main strength of the book is its detailed analyses of various unpublished manuscripts and illustrations, most of which were gathered from libraries and archives in the USA. As suggested by the title, the book makes an original contribution to knowledge of Persian pavilions and gardens by ‘reading’ them through various textual and visual sources. This distinguishes the book from the more traditional, descriptive historical accounts summarised in Wilber’s (1979) Persian Gardens and Garden Pavilions.

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