Seven Gardens Residency is a family-owned residency in Kerman, Iran, established in Spring 2018. It was named after the Haft Bagh (Seven Gardens) Highway between Kerman and Mahan, where we hosted the first four residency groups.

The focus of our residency is Iranian handicraft, food and culture. During your stay at Seven Gardens you will meet local Iranian families, artists and artisans. Iranian people are famously hospitable, and you are sure to feel comfortable and welcome here. A big goal of this yearโ€™s residencies is to make connections between Iranian and international artists. Being an artist, and being Iranian living in Iran or elsewhere comes with a likelihood of feeling isolated at times. These past few years have been lonelier for many of us, with communities drifting apart after the pandemic and so many other painful events and conditions. Despite this, we have seen an exciting increase Iranian and SWANA (Southwest Asia and North Africa) small businesses, creative projects, and community events popping up around the world. Putting together our powers of resilience, creativity and hope as a group, we can join this movement by forming relationships and connections that last well past our time in Iran.

In 2025 we are eager to explore our little town of Mahan again through the eyes of artists and writers from around the world. We have new workshop and day trip options, and are excited to be back at it after years of waiting. Everything is included other than flights and other travel necessities (visa applications etc). The residency fees include all meals, local travel, workshops and more! Just bring a little shopping money if you want to buy anything from the bazaars or artisans we work with.