ural ▁elements ▁such ▁as ▁v ault ed ▁arch es ▁between ▁the ▁outer ▁and ▁interior ▁areas ▁to ▁open ▁up ▁the ▁divide ▁between ▁them . ▁ ▁Descri ptions ▁ ▁An ▁early ▁description ▁( from ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁fourth ▁century ▁B CE ) ▁of ▁a ▁Pers ian ▁garden ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁X en oph on ' s ▁O e conom icus ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁has ▁S ocr ates ▁relate ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁Spart an ▁general ▁L ys ander ' s ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁prince ▁C yrus ▁the ▁Young er , ▁who ▁shows ▁the ▁Greek ▁his ▁" par ad ise ▁at ▁S ard is ". ▁In ▁this ▁story ▁L ys ander ▁is ▁" ast on ished ▁at ▁the ▁beauty ▁of ▁the ▁trees ▁within , ▁all ▁plant ed ▁at ▁equal ▁intervals , ▁the ▁long ▁straight ▁rows ▁of ▁w aving ▁branches , ▁the ▁perfect ▁regular ity , ▁the ▁rect angular ▁ ▁symmetry ▁of ▁the ▁whole , ▁and ▁the ▁many ▁sweet ▁sc ents ▁which ▁hung ▁about ▁them ▁as ▁they ▁pac ed ▁the ▁park " ▁ ▁The ▁oldest ▁represent ational ▁descri ptions ▁and ▁illustr ations ▁of ▁Pers ian ▁gard ens ▁come ▁from ▁travel ers ▁who ▁reached ▁Iran ▁from ▁the ▁west . ▁These ▁accounts ▁include ▁I bn ▁Batt uta ▁in ▁the ▁four teenth ▁century , ▁R uy ▁González ▁de ▁C lav ijo ▁in ▁the ▁fif teenth ▁century ▁and ▁Engel bert ▁Ka emp fer ▁in ▁the ▁sevent e enth ▁century . ▁Batt uta ▁and ▁C lav ijo ▁made ▁only ▁passing ▁references ▁to ▁gard ens ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁describe