Babur Garden: A Mughal Oasis in Kabul

Bagh-e Babur, or Babur's Garden, is a significant historical site in Kabul, Afghanistan, offering a tranquil retreat and a glimpse into the region's rich cultural heritage [11]. Established by Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, in the early 16th century, the garden served as his final resting place and became a symbolic location for the Mughal empire [6, 11, 17]. Located on the southwestern slopes of the Sher Darwaza Mountain, the 11-hectare garden is a terraced landscape that has evolved through various periods, reflecting Timurid, Mughal, and more recent influences [11, 13]. Babur, who captured Kabul in 1504, had a deep appreciation for gardens and personally designed several in his capital [11]. Bagh-e Babur was his favorite, and he expressed his desire to be buried there [11]. Although he initially died in Agra in 1530, his remains were moved to Kabul and interred in the garden around 1540 [11]. The garden's layout originally featured a central water channel, characteristic of Timurid char baghs, with running water, flowers, and fruit trees [11, 13]. This design influenced later Mughal funerary gardens [11]. Over the centuries, Babur's Garden underwent several transformations. His successors, including Jahangir and Shah Jahan, contributed to its development [3, 11]. Jahangir ordered the construction of walls around the gardens in Kabul, a prayer platform in front of Babur's grave, and an inscribed headstone [3, 11, 12]. Shah Jahan erected a marble screen around Babur's tomb and built a mosque on the terrace below in 1647 [2, 11]. The mosque, crafted from white marble, features intricate carvings and a fine inlaid marble inscription [11]. The garden's design includes fifteen terraces descending westward towards the Kabul River [3, 11, 13]. Each terrace forms a small garden with pomegranates, roses, and flowering shrubs planted among stone paving around a water pool [11]. Babur's memoirs provide valuable insights into the types of trees he planted, including apricots, apples, cherries, and peaches [11]. Bagh-e Babur fell into disrepair during the decline of the Mughal Empire and suffered damage in the 1842 earthquake [13]. Amir Abdur Rahman Khan invested in the garden in the late nineteenth century and refashioned it in a European manner [2, 13]. A garden pavilion was built over the central axis, which was remodeled with seven parterres and fountains [13]. Bagh-e Babur became a public park during the reign of Muhammad Nadir Shah (1929-1933) [4, 13]. After the fall of the Taliban regime, the garden underwent a process of restoration beginning in 2002 with the support of international organizations, such as the Aga Khan Trust for Culture [6, 15, 17].