Qazvin Boulevard, located in Iran’s northern city of Qazvin, was constructed by the Safavid king Shah Tahmasb. Some compare it in similarity with Chahar-Baq Boulevard in Isfahan and some others even consider it as the first boulevard in Iran’s urban spaces. A significant point about this boulevard is its spatial structure and function. In other words, there is currently an urgent need to study what constitutes the spaces and functions of this city structure – today called Sepah Boulevard. Also important is the materials used in construction of this boulevard as well as the size and composition of those materials.
These are all questions that the present article tries to answer by referring to historical records. The article also tries to present an overview of the spatial structure of boulevards during the Safavid era. In conclusion, various facts are presented to explain what has made Qazvin Boulevard a key public place inside the city. Also, it is explained how different elements of Persian architecture like garden paths have been put together in this structure whose construction is a great deal based on a recreational approach.
The current research further shows how Qazvin Boulevard paved the way for the construction of similar structures in other cities of Iran, specifically during the reign of Safavid king Shah Abbas, in what was later known as Khiyaban.
This research mainly aims to highlight the basic elements and the components that shape this structure. A comparison is also made with similar spaces in Persian gardens which are believed to date back to at least 2000 years ago.
Khiyaban, as the present research shows, was an urban and a public space during the Safavid ear for leisure activities. Its physical elements such as the positioning of two lines of trees on both sides and also the plan of this space shows that Khiyabans were constructed for special purposes at the heart of the city of Qazvin during the Safavid era. One apparent purpose was to display the glory of the king and this was done by leading the Khiyaban to the palace of the king.
In conclusion, the present article compares the physical and conceptual pattern of Qazvin Khiyaban with the similar spaces in Persian garden and in the Iranian cities before and after the Safavid era. It eventually becomes clear that the Qazvin Khiyaban has effectively laid the foundations for such spaces in Iranian cities. This is particularly the case when considering that the Khiayaban has used the physical and conceptual patterns in Persian gardens.
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