Gardens of Eden

During the Abbasid period Baghdad was legendary for the beauty and richness of its sequestered pleasure gardens, with their soothing streams, pools, and fountains. There also were the picturesque pleasure spots outside the city where people used to picnic. Their orchards brimmed with all kinds of fruit trees and aromatic flowers and herbs, and the fertile vegetable gardens made it possible for the creative cooks to conjure up the fabulous dishes for which the medieval Baghdadi cuisine was renowned. In contemporary literature, Baghdad was often compared to the celestial gardens of Paradise (Jannat Adan). A nostalgic poet once said: