Alongside previously completed Chinese, Japanese and Balinese gardens, the oriental-Islamic Garden (‘Garden of Four Rivers’) at Marzahn’s recreational park makes an additional contribution to intercultural dialogue.

This garden stands for those of various countries, from North Africa to India, that are associated with Islam. With the description of paradise in the Koran, the garden became an important element of Islamic culture. The design was based on basic ancient Persian forms that were subject to regional modifications. Accordingly, the ‘Garden of Four Rivers’ was developed for the specific location in Marzahn based on general, representative principles that remain valid for various national cultures.

An Islamic garden is a place of harmony, a terrestrial paradise. Geometry and proportions are symbols of unity, order, the concentration of space around the source, or ‘life.’ These are just as important as architectural forms of expression (pavilions, towers, basic garden elements).

The ‘oriental-Islamic garden’ in Marzahn is a garden courtyard (Riyad): plantings are surrounded by a wall, arcades and vestibule, for the oasis, the hidden source or ‘paradise,’ is often not directly visible. The ‘Garden of Four Rivers’ is quadripartite in layout, with waterworks and a fountain basin standing at the centre inside a pavilion.