TEHRAN - A centuries-old tree known as “Rahmat,” also referred to as “Shirin and Farhad,” which stands tall near the famed Taq-e Bostan in western Iran, has reached its 604th year of life, a local official announced on Saturday.

In an interview with ISNA, Mohammad Mehdi Feiz Aghaei, who presides over Taq-e Bostan’s national base, named the Rahmat tree as the oldest tree located in the historical site, adding: “Fortunately, there are documents, photographs, and historical narratives concerning the long-lived creature.”

He added: “Four years ago, we held a ceremony to celebrate this old tree’s 600th anniversary, and now it has entered its 604th anniversary.”

Stating that Rahmat tree is the most famous and beloved tree among the people of Kermanshah, he mentioned: “Some people of Kermanshah call this tree Shirin and Farhad and believe that this tree was planted as a memorial to Shirin.”

He added: “However, most people of Kermanshah call this tree the Rahmat tree, and there are two narratives regarding this naming: One is that in the popular literature of this city, the plane tree is a symbol of mercy and fertility, because it is green most of the time throughout the year and even in the autumn when its leaves fall, its trunk remains green. For this reason, the people of Kermanshah consider the Rahmat tree a symbol of fertility and mercy for themselves.”

Feiz Aghaei noted: In another narration, it is said that in ancient times, a person named Rahmat set up a small shoe shop or coffee house in a large hole inside the trunk of this tree and made a living through this, which is why people call this tree the Rahmat tree.

Stating that the Rahmat tree was registered in Iran's National Heritage List in 2010, he added that this tree is the only nationally registered natural monument within the Taq Bostan area.

Referring to the large hole inside the trunk of this tree, the director of the Taq Bostan National Park stated: “In the past years, a restoration phase has been carried out on this tree, and in the past months, we have requested experts from registration of the country's natural heritage list to travel to Kermanshah and provide us with their expert opinions on restoring this tree.” 

He continued: “To protect this old tree, we implement conservation plans every year, such as stabilizing the tissue inside the tree, pruning excess parts, continuous fertilization, removing excess elements at the bottom of the tree, etc.” 

Stating that in addition to the Rahmat tree, there are many other old and thick trees inside the Taq Bostan area, Feyz Aghaei said: “Most of the trees are from the 1940s, which were planted by the mayor at the time inside the Taq Bostan area, and have become large and thick trees due to the suitable soil and good weather conditions of Taq Bostan site.” 

KD