23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Shahhzadeh Garden

It seems like there is no way left for me to find the lost paradise that everyone imagines and talks about in their dreams, alone. As I walk under the scorching desert sun, my eyes burn from the heat and I want to cry, I raise my head and imagine that I am seeing a mirage again. But I did not know that the Mahan Desert has shown me its kind face and opened the door to one of the paradises on earth, the Prince of Mahan Garden. A garden that, in addition to its God-given nature, is just one of the magnificent and luxurious miracles of Iranians.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 02.2020
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Mahan, Iran
Camera: SM-A510F
Copyright: © Elahe Ashrafi