▁some ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁Pers ian ▁gard ens ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁from ▁the ▁era ▁of ▁the ▁M ug hal ▁Empire ▁in ▁India . ▁ ▁Con cept ▁and ▁et ym ology ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁A cha emen id ▁Empire , ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁an ▁earth ly ▁parad ise ▁spread ▁through ▁Pers ian ▁literature ▁and ▁example ▁to ▁other ▁cult ures , ▁both ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁gard ens ▁of ▁the ▁Sele uc id ▁Empire ▁and ▁the ▁P to lem ies ▁in ▁Alexand ria . ▁The ▁Av est an ▁word ▁pair ida ē za -, ▁Old ▁Pers ian ▁* par ida ida -, ▁Med ian ▁* par ida iza - ▁( w alled - around , ▁i . e ., ▁a ▁w alled ▁garden ), ▁was ▁borrow ed ▁into ▁A kk ad ian , ▁and ▁then ▁into ▁Greek ▁, ▁then ▁rendered ▁into ▁the ▁Latin ▁parad ī s us , ▁and ▁from ▁there ▁entered ▁into ▁European ▁languages , ▁e . g ., ▁French ▁parad is , ▁German ▁Parad ies , ▁and ▁English ▁parad ise . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁word ▁express es , ▁such ▁gard ens ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁en closed . ▁The ▁garden ' s ▁purpose ▁was , ▁and ▁is , ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁place ▁for ▁protected ▁relax ation ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁man ners : ▁spiritual , ▁and ▁le is ure ly ▁( such ▁as ▁meet ings ▁with ▁friends ), ▁essentially ▁a ▁parad ise ▁on ▁earth . ▁The ▁Common ▁Iran ian ▁word ▁for ▁" en closed ▁space " ▁was ▁* par i