The layout of the garden is an adaptation of another Islamic garden layout known as the Persian gardens.
This garden built on flat land on a square plan with four radiating arms from a central location as the water source.
It needed to be modified to suit the hilly terrain and availability of a well, which could be diverted from a higher elevation to the planned gardens.
Modifications involved the main channel running through the garden axially from top to the lowest point.
This central channel, known as the Shah Nahar, is the main axis of the garden.
It runs through three terraces.
This layout left out the radial arms and the shape became rectangular, instead of a square plan of the Chahar Bagh.

The garden, as finally laid out, covers an area of 12.4 hectares (31 acres) built with a size of 587 metres (1,926 ft) length on the main axis channel and with a total width of 251 metres (823 ft).
The garden has three terraces fitted with fountains and with chinar (sycamore) tree-lined vistas.
The Shahnahar is the main feeder channel to all the terraces.
Each one of the three terraces has a specific role.

The garden was linked to the open Dal Lake water through a canal of about 1 mile (1.6 km) length and 12 yards (11 m) in width that ran through swampy quagmire.
Willow groves and rice terraces fringed the lake edge.
Broad green paths bordered the lake with rows of chinar trees.
The garden was laid in trellised walkways lined by avenues of aspen trees planted at 2 feet (0.61 m) interval.
The layout of the garden is an adaptation of another Islamic garden layout known as the Persian gardens. This garden built on flat land on a square plan with four radiating arms from a central location as the water source. It needed to be modified to suit the hilly terrain and availability of a well, which could be diverted from a higher elevation to the planned gardens. Modifications involved the main channel running through the garden axially from top to the lowest point. This central channel, known as the Shah Nahar, is the main axis of the garden. It runs through three terraces. This layout left out the radial arms and the shape became rectangular, instead of a square plan of the Chahar Bagh.
The garden, as finally laid out, covers an area of 12.4 hectares (31 acres) built with a size of 587 metres (1,926 ft) length on the main axis channel and with a total width of 251 metres (823 ft). The garden has three terraces fitted with fountains and with chinar (sycamore) tree-lined vistas. The Shahnahar is the main feeder channel to all the terraces. Each one of the three terraces has a specific role.
The garden was linked to the open Dal Lake water through a canal of about 1 mile (1.6 km) length and 12 yards (11 m) in width that ran through swampy quagmire. Willow groves and rice terraces fringed the lake edge. Broad green paths bordered the lake with rows of chinar trees. The garden was laid in trellised walkways lined by avenues of aspen trees planted at 2 feet (0.61 m) interval.
Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar