QAJAR PERSIA, FIRST HALF 19TH CENTURY

The palace of Hasht Bihisht (eight paradises) was built during the reign of Shah Sulayman, in 1699 and was concieved as a pleasure palace. An octagonal building is at the centre of the complex of rooms. Four porches with slender wooden pillars occupy the space between the rooms and the surrounding gardens. For an early 19th century drawing of the Hasht Bihisht by P. Coste see: Seherr-Thoss, S.P., et. al., Design and Color in Islamic Architecture, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Washington, 1968, p. 204, pl. 93.