In Roman, Mediæval and Muslim cultures how did /does the garden play a role in their respective religions?

Despite the obvious and extensive contrasts between Roman, Mediæval and Muslim cultures, their use of and purpose for gardens is similar in that it connects each of them to divinity and spirituality in different ways. Within each culture, the structure, design, and content of the gardens work together to create a feeling of peace or promote worship within their respective religions.

Within Roman culture, the gardens (for the upper classes) were used both to stimulate intellectual thought, and to admire beauty. Often, times spent in the garden would spark enlightening and philosophical conversation. Naturally, these concepts also brought up the topic of religion. The Romans considered themselves very religious, and used gardens as a way to admire the gods, and maintain a good relationship with them through worship. They would do this by using statues and fountains depicting the gods as a center piece for the garden space.

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People of the Mediæval times used gardens in a religious context as well, although in a very different manner. I suppose the monasteries of the Mediæval times would consider Roman gardens to be garish and over the top, because their gardens were utilitarian, rather than for leisure. The monks were self-sufficient, and therefore their gardens were sensibly designed, planted with everything they needed in the small community, including fruits, vegetables and spices.

However, another type of Mediæval garden was more extravagant, because it was supposed to be symbolic of paradise. These gardens used imagery from the story of Eden. Plant symbolism and statues were both used to depict Eve in the garden as pure, while her surroundings were lush and green, signifying a place of paradise.

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The gardens of Islam relied heavily on physical structure of the garden to depict religious themes. The use of water was very prevalent in Islamic gardens in creating the quadripartite structure, used first by the Romans, to divide the garden into four sections, symbolic of the four rivers in the Garden of Eden. The Qur’an, being at the center of Islamic religion, was used as a backbone in creating beautiful gardens, based on the prophet Muhammad’s saying “God is beautiful and he loves beauty” and also references to the “Gardens of paradise.” Muslims sought the concept earthly paradise in their garden settings, and hoped that they could recreate heaven on earth through the use of lush plants, beautiful flowers, and flowing water.