TEHRAN – A team of researchers say they have identified what may be the remains of a large monumental garden complex on the outskirts of Tabriz in northwestern Iran, based on analysis of historic aerial imagery and satellite data.

The findings were published online on Jan. 30, 2026, by Cambridge University Press in a study conducted under the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa (EAMENA) project, a research initiative led by the universities of Oxford, Leicester and Durham with support from the Arcadia Fund.

According to the study, the site is located approximately 6 km southeast of historic Tabriz and appears to have been covered by urban expansion beginning in the early 1990s. Researchers hypothesize that the feature represents the remains of a monumental formal garden complex possibly dating to the Safavid or Qajar periods, roughly between the 16th and 20th centuries.

The Persian garden tradition, which includes nine sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage properties, has played a significant role in influencing garden design globally. Researchers say the newly identified site could represent one of the largest known Persian garden complexes in Iran and may expand understanding of elite garden architecture in the region.

The discovery was made through analysis of multiple forms of historic imagery, including Royal Air Force reconnaissance photographs taken in August 1941 during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran and U.S. KH-7 Gambit satellite imagery captured in 1967. These images were georeferenced and analyzed using geographic information systems before being added to the EAMENA project database.

The aerial images reveal an enclosed site divided into eastern and western sections by an embankment and a winding water channel. The eastern section appears to contain rectangular garden plots separated by low walls or banks, measuring roughly 50 to 55 meters by 65 to 75 meters. The site also features long, narrow terraces about 10 meters wide along parts of the outer area.

The western section differs in layout and is located on rising ground with several small tributary channels feeding into the main watercourse. Researchers said few structural features are visible in this part of the complex, although traces of terracing and internal divisions remain detectable.

Lower-resolution satellite data indicate that modern urban development spread across the site in the early 1990s, largely destroying surface remains. Later imagery shows the expansion of a road into a highway around 2010, followed by additional construction in surrounding open areas after 2014. However, the study notes that some parkland remains, raising the possibility that archaeological deposits may still exist below ground depending on construction methods and landscaping.

Researchers said the scale and layout of the site place it among the largest known Persian garden complexes and suggest it may have included a monumental building structure located on elevated ground overlooking the garden layout. The site lies about 800 meters from the El-Goli (Shah Goli) water garden, a historic landscaped complex dating to at least the early 18th century, and researchers said the two sites may have formed part of a larger elite landscape.

The study compares the layout of the newly identified site to other historic gardens in Iran, including Bagh-e Shomal and the Sahebabad Garden in Tabriz, the Fin Garden in Kashan, and the Hezar-Jarib garden complex in Isfahan, all of which feature enclosed layouts and formal subdivisions.

Tabriz has historically been known for its gardens and was described as the “Garden City” as early as the 14th century. While several historic gardens in the city have been documented, researchers said no previous records exist for the site identified in the study.

The authors noted that the use of historic aerial imagery enabled the identification of the complex despite modern redevelopment and said the findings provide new insights into the historic landscape of Tabriz and the evolution of Persian garden design.