Background and Objectives
Water has long been recognized as one of the fundamental elements in the formation of Islamic landscape architecture, playing a significant role in the spatial organization, aesthetic qualities, and symbolic concepts of gardens and royal complexes. Among the various manifestations of water architecture, pavilions constructed within or surrounded by water represent a distinctive architectural pattern that flourished in both Iran and the Indian subcontinent during the Safavid and Mughal periods. Despite numerous studies on Persian gardens and Mughal landscape architecture, the architectural characteristics, historical origins, and underlying factors contributing to the emergence and development of water pavilions have not been comprehensively examined through a comparative perspective. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze the architectural features of water pavilions, identify their historical origins, and investigate the environmental, cultural, political, and artistic factors that contributed to their formation and development in Iran and the Indian subcontinent.

Materials and Methods
This research is a fundamental study conducted using a historical–analytical approach and a descriptive comparative research method. The required data were collected through documentary and library-based research, including historical texts, travelogues, architectural treatises, archaeological evidence, visual documents, and previous scholarly studies. Subsequently, selected case studies from Iran and the Indian subcontinent were comparatively analyzed in terms of spatial organization, architectural composition, water management systems, environmental context, functional characteristics, and symbolic meanings in order to identify similarities, differences, and patterns of architectural evolution.

Results and Conclusion
The findings indicate that water pavilions constitute a distinct architectural typology within Islamic landscape architecture, resulting from the interaction between architecture, water, and natural landscape. Comparative analysis demonstrates that while Mughal water pavilions were significantly influenced by the principles of Persian garden design and architectural traditions, they simultaneously incorporated indigenous environmental conditions, local construction techniques, and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. Furthermore, water functioned not only as an environmental and climatic element but also as an essential component in spatial organization, ceremonial activities, visual composition, political representation, and symbolic expression. Consequently, the emergence and development of water pavilions should be understood as the outcome of a dynamic interaction between Persian architectural traditions, local environmental conditions, and the socio-cultural context of the Indian subcontinent, leading to the formation of a unique yet interconnected architectural tradition.