In addition to the prosperity of the country in various fields and the establishment of a national government after a long period, the Safavid period, for the first time on a large scale, Shiism became the official religion of the country. Current thoughts in this period, originating from Iranian-Shiite approaches, had unique characteristics. Due to the major role of mosques in this period in the political and social structure of the country, it is expected that the architecture of mosques is also influenced by the mentioned ideas. This research was formed with the aim of answering the question of what changes the approaches of the Safavid period have caused in the physical characteristics of the domes of Safavid mosques and what effects these changes have had on the human perception of the architectural space.
The purpose of the research has been achieved by comparing the physical characteristics of the dome of mosques of the Safavid period with mosques before this period. Since domed mosques have become popular since the Seljuk period, the statistical population of the research is ten Seljuk domes, ten Ilkhani domes, twelve Timurid domes and eleven Safavid domes, which are divided into two groups of mosques based on the dimensions of the opening. They are divided into big and small. These 43 mosques include a large number of the entire documented statistical population. Due to the historical nature of this research, the interpretative-historical method was used in combination with quantitative methods and the data were analyzed in a logical inference manner.
This research shows an important conceptual point of view about the architecture of mosques of the Safavid period in Iran based on the aforementioned characteristics.
Examining the physical characteristics of the domes of the great mosques under study showed that the opening and correspondingly the area of the domes of the mosques of the Safavid period have grown a lot compared to their previous periods. In the Safavid period, the average external diameter variables, the overall height of the mosque and the height of the dome increased compared to the previous periods, which indicates the construction of bigger and higher mosques than the previous periods. The physical characteristics of the dome of the Safavid mosques showed the greatest similarity to the physical characteristics of the Seljuk mosques. It was shown that Iranian golden proportions were the basis of the average external proportions of the Safavid dome, but the average internal proportions have changed towards a more human-centered spatial presentation. Despite the increase of all the physical components of the dome of the great Safavid mosques independently compared to the previous periods; The average interior proportions in Safavid mosques are much lower than the overall average and even the average of each period. Therefore, it can be said that the architecture of Safavid period mosques in the design of domes are considered from two important angles: the dimensions and size of the dome in order to create a visual impact from the outside and a pleasant sensory experience for people inside the space. In the architecture of Safavid mosques, attention to creating a balance between external grandeur and internal humanity has been the criterion of action in the design.
Although in the smaller mosques of the Safavid period, there was also a tendency to create large and lofty mosques like the mosques of the first group, but these mosques did not appear much different from their previous periods and are often located in the same physical area. Of course, it can be said that some of the investigated structures of Safavid mosques were closer to the Seljuk period. The only significant changes in the variables of the Safavid period compared to before are related to the internal height, the internal proportions of the dome and the external proportions of the dome in order to create more proportional spaces.
In the mosques of the Safavid period, the choice of geometric form, the outer height of the dome, the alignment of the dome with other architectural elements and complex artistic patterns, all to create a dramatic experience in order to create a sense of dramatic grandeur and power and attract the attention of foreign observers and religious and social influence. (Monumentality) However, this does not mean that inside the architecture of Safavid mosques human experience and human scale have been ignored as much as the external observer. (Human Scale) In the architecture of Safavid mosques, in response to the convergence between the needs of greatness with the needs of comfort and human experience, the two concepts of dramatic grandeur and humanity have been integrated in parallel and balanced. This balance and harmonious relationship between the interior and exterior of the mosque made mosques as religious places still influential for visitors and at the same time instilling people with a sense of comfort and positive interaction with the interior environment. In this way, while the space does not cause an unpleasant sensory perception in the audience, the architecture of the mosque acts as a foundation for the promotion of human dignity, and in this way, the architecture fulfills its social-religious responsibility.