Journal of Researches in Islamic Architecture

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Immovable inscriptions are considered as one of the most important works and among the historical documents in cultural assets of our dear country, which were installed on selected parts of historical buildings and outstanding monuments and were always noticeable. The role of inscriptions as the basic and effective tools is important in terms of manifesting and implication of educational and educative also the identity, construction date, founder, names of masters and artists of the building, especially its architect, and other information that may change based on the importance and situation of the building. The inscriptions show an integration of other arts, the most important of which is calligraphy and we can find its importance in the verses descended to our prophet (Muhammad, peace be upon him) -the first in Alagh Chapter the first chapter descended to prophet- that reminds the human that from whom has he learned writing and the second in Ghalam Chapter, swear to pen and what it writes. In this study, we intend to have a research about immovable inscription documents of Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex using descriptive- analytical method documented by field studies and have a review on importance and characteristics of script and calligraphy in bringing inscription art to its highest peak and decipher the contents hidden in them. Here, Tabriz Historic Bazaar with the area of more than 27 hectares and more than 160 architectural elements is the greatest national registered work and the largest brick conjunct roofed historical complex of the world (registered in World Heritage List of UNESCO as “Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex” in 2010). Tabriz Bazaar as a complete urban block (with different commercial, religious, cultural, educational, health, sport and residential complexes) is a unique sample of urban development elements of Islamic era. As most of famous historians and tourists have described it and told. Marco Polo reports on variation of goods and commodities made in Tabriz in the second half of Hijri century (1271) and mentions the great hidden wealth in Tabriz Bazaar and continues the residents of Tabriz made their living through trading and providing of different commodities. Beside the historical documents we witness the stone, plaster and tile inscriptive documents in different parts of Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex that prove the identity and authenticity and existence of the complex with their different contents. These inscriptive documents have an important role in saving of information and communication of thoughts, ideas and human civilization from previous generations to the present generation. So, the described importance of deciphering of inscription documents’ contents as immovable documents in Tabriz Historic Bazaar resulted in making a research on them in order to analyze their contents and concepts beside documentation of their shapes. On the whole, the thing that expresses the contents and concepts of an inscriptive document is detected through an intermediate art called “script”, which is in fact an art or tool to register and write the mentalities and thoughts using the signs that are familiar to eyes. In fact, from the moment that human attempted to draw what he thinks, he took steps to the world of script and writing, from the paintings on the walls of caves up to Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic lines and its evolution during the history until invention of script and calligraphy and transferring it on inscription documents. The scripts used on Iranian inscription documents are divided into two categories: script in pre-Islamic era and script after accepting Islam by Iranians. The inscript documents studies here are relevant to the second type of script (script after accepting Islam). This study deals with deciphering of the shape and contents of inscript documents and their concepts and a description of the building, place of installation of inscript documents and deciphering of their contents are hinted in this study and the results obtained from analysis are mentioned. The present research is a field study and deciphering of forms are conducted using “Charmebardari” -a technique for primary sampling of designs and scripts of inscriptive documents and architectural decorations- at the end using computer software. At the end the results obtained from interpreted concepts of inscriptive documents’ deciphering contained very important and valuable information about the society at the time of creating that inscription document which can be categorized in two groups: the first group encompasses the spiritual concepts and the second group encompasses the applied concepts and each group is divided into subgroups and components (diagram1). Drawing the analytical diagram of the mentioned concepts we can clearly understand the existence of precise principles and order, which are intelligently applied in management of cities during Islamic era and have shown the society a transcendental way with wisely integration (in spiritual and applied concepts) of world and other worldly issues in order for accomplishment of those objectives taking advantages of the primary and basic principles of Islam. Here, the religious architecture, as a whole, and inscriptive documents, as a part of it, have been able to be a manifestation of God in the space of Islamic architecture with their dual application both in their own nature and with words contained in them.

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In Islamic architecture, especially in mosque, the main consideration is to the prayer spirit. For this reason, Quran inscriptions cover the most parts of the decorations of architecture. Altars are always one of the elements with full of motifs decoration because of dignity and its position. The decorations are including Quranic verses and themes. Mosque decorations inscriptions are a main source to investigation the views and religious thoughts. Identifying the Quranic Inscriptions of stucco Ilkhanid alters and understanding their contents are the aims of this paper. Totally, decorative inscriptions of Altars are divided to four groups date, signature (name of the architect and artist. Etc.), supplements and endowments, religious phrases (names of God, the Quran verses, Hadith, name of the prophet and Imams). The present study focuses on the themes of Quranic verses and the contents of them that used in Ilkhanid stucco altars. Altar Stucco decorations consist mainly of arabesque motifs, geometric and inscriptions. One of the visual characteristics of Ilkhanid stucco altars is “decorative inscriptions” that widely have been performed in different styles and forms at the altars, so far the inscriptions become the basic elements of altar decorations in the Ilkhanid Altars, the Oljayto altar and the Jame-bastam altar are perfect examples that their design have been formed on inscription style. Perhaps the importance of calligraphy in the seventh and eighth centuries AH, or a plurality of skillful calligraphers- such as Yaghout Mosta`sami- caused further manifestation of calligraphy and extension of Quranic inscriptions in decoration of buildings. Earlier Kufic script has been used in decorating architecture at fourth century, Moreover Kufi script, other inscription styles such as “Sols”, “Reqa`e” and “Solse-mos`als`al” as well as ‘B`anaiee’ and ‘M`agheli’ in content of religious phrases become popular in stucco decoration at Ilkhanid era.

 In this study, some investigations were done with using descriptive-analytical method, to achieve content of Quranic verses and their relations to the place application. The results of twenty-one altars indicate that one to four suras of Quran used in an altar, for example the Jame-Save mosque and the Jame-Bastam Mosque contain four different suras, meanwhile, just the Oljayto altar have no “Quranic” inscriptions! Ilkhanid altars consist of twenty-one different verse from suras that the first verses of “Mo`menoun”, 1 to 4 verses of “D`ahr”, 1 to 4 verses of “Fat`h”, 255 vers of “Baghare”, 18 to 19 verses of “Tobeh”, and sura “Fateha” completely, were the most used. Content of the altar inscriptions are grouped in few categories “Tohidi verses”, “prays”, “characteristic of the believers”, “describe the characteristics of mosque authors”, “Muslim victory over enemies”. Sometimes the inscriptions are used beside each other and referring to essence of Allah, worshiping, and Allah praying. The contents of some verses are the oneness of God and the worship of God, as well as the other verses reveal “characterization of believers” that specify the qualities of ways and the path of believers. Praying is also one of the first characteristics of the Muslims in Tohidi verses and also is specified rules of the pray conduct, in order to guide believers on a direction and builds up a unity of Muslims with the aim of achieving victory and pride.

In addition to the above, some features are stated to those build the mosques because the mosque is the sacred in Islam and everyone does not deserve to enter in this way. Generally, verses of the “Tohidi”, “prays”, and “authors of mosques” had the most usage. Hence, the content of altar Quranic inscriptions is related to the application place and their dignity in the mosque, to lead up the prayer spirit and richness up the people.

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One of the most attractive and most diverse decorations of the Safavid period architecture is Nastaliq inscriptions that have been implemented in different ways in buildings with different applications. The scrolls contain valuable information such as a description of the building, patrons and artists who identify and introduce them to clear the hidden aspects of architecture and calligraphy history.
In addition, the aesthetic aspects of this work are also being investigated. From this perspective, one of the things that cannot be oblivious to it, the variety of practices those impacts on the quality of calligraphy in the inscriptions. The aim of this study is to identify common practices and introducing lesser-known practices in the implementation of Nastaliq inscriptions in the architectural decoration belonging Safavid dynasty.
This fundamental research is the descriptive study was conducted; the sampling method used is Post Stratification. Accordingly, the 204 available inscriptions have been studied. More than sixty percent of the documentary has been gathered by field researches. The results indicate that the first Nastaliq inscriptions were in 9th mid-century A.H. carving used in the series of gravestones in Herat.
Results show that in the Safavid period, this way has continued. In this period, the techniques divided to 6 main ways which containing 17 separable distinct subsets. The abundance percentage of the most common methods in inscriptions shows that: Stoney (51%) and Tile working (24.9%) are the most two usage ways. After those, the ornaments made of plaster, wood, metal and painting in terms of the number of samples are the other techniques. According to the classification of different methods, there are 6 unique techniques in research samples: Koshte-bori and Tokhme-gozari (two branches of Stucco Decorations) at Pinia House in Naein and Nim-Avard School at Isfahan, Laye-Chini (Gilded Decoration on Plaster) at Aliqapou Palac in Isfahan, Hakkaki (Wood Engraving) at Jame mosque in Natanz, Moshabbak-felez (Metallic Reticular) at Darbe-Imam in Isfahan and Qalamzani Barjaste (Metallic Relief Scrimshaw) at Chaharbagh School in Isfahan.   
Also, when applying such methods was used in architectural decoration are investigated based on dated samples. On the basis of dated inscriptions can be proposed as follows: the first technique is Stone Carving at 922-923 A.H. in Maydan mosque in Kashan and tomb of Imamzade Abolfotooh in Vanshan. Mosaic Tile is the next method which used probably in 918 and certainly in 951 A.H. After these two styles, respectively: Woodcut (963 A.H), Stucco (979 A.H), Metallic Scrimshaw (1011 A.H), Wood Engraving (1012 A.H), Stone Engraving (1020 A.H), and Stone Mosaic (1031 A.H), Haft-Rang Tile (1034 A.H), Painting (1073 A.H), Metallic Reticular (mid-11th century A.H), Rooye-koobi (1091 A.H), Tokhme-gozari and Laye-Chini (early 12th century A.H) and finally Metallic Relief Scrimshaw (1120 A.H).
This study shows that the variety of technical method used in Nastaliq Inscription was limited on first half of Safavid era and the culmination of a variety of methods has been in the 11th century A.H.

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Arts in their Dialogues borrow some words from each other and give them a new meaning in their art form. One of the best examples of this Dialogue is the link of Decorative elements in architecture and Iranian painting .Iranian painting ( Miniature ) is conversation scene of arts such as painting, poetry, calligraphy and architecture which has run its evolutionary path in different schools of Islamic period, especially from the Ilkhani to early Safavid era. Iranian painting based on subjective and non-visible world and, therefore, its architectural and decorative elements are based on certain spiritual and conceptual principles. Inscription is one of the decorative arts in Islamic architecture which the use of it in addition to the actual architectural buildings is visible in some painted spaces of the Iranian painting. Inscriptions as conceptual and decorative elements in Islamic Architecture are important tools for the representation of religious ideas and policies. In this paper, On the one hand, the importance and different functions of inscription in Islamic architecture are analyzed and On the other hand, characteristics and artistic value of the paintings of Harat School, as well as the inscriptions on the architectural space of a number of Behzad’s works are examined. Also it will be shown that appearance of painted inscriptions in the space of Iranian paintings has what impact on the understanding of the subject and Specific spirituality of the miniatures. Muslim artist inspired by his belief and religious principles has tried to create a calm and spiritual atmosphere in his paintings by use of Inscription decorations. He has designed physical space of the painted buildings by engrave the geometric designs, motifs and arabesques, and Islamic epigraph. The decorations in addition to having formal aesthetic and value represent the cultural and religious mysteries are hidden in themselves and give a special lightness and transparency to the painted background in the space of the painting. These inscriptions in terms of content and their impact are matched with the samples used in contemporary buildings in Iran and Harat, in Timurid period. A comparative study of the contents of the inscriptions is a new way in understanding of religious art and the impact of the religion to the epigraphy at different periods of the history of Islamic-Iranian art. Methods used in this research are analytical, interpretive, and historical and the approach to data has been done through library studying. The results of the research show that using of religious inscription in addition to enhancing the beauty and the visual value of Miniatures, are influencing to transfer of the concepts of the painted story, and show a kind of spiritual realism in the works of artists from the Timurid period, especially Behzad. These inscriptions, in shape and their structure, reflects spiritual realities and meanings that the Knowledge of them had been possible to a person during the present in that space by passing the formal universe to the divine world. These meanings reflected from the divine world, and manifest the concepts such as the presence of God, resurrection, release from Nether world and ascension into the celestial world, twinkle of divine light, transcendental unity, meditation and inner purification. These concepts are very close to prayer and ritual activities. Comparison of these elements with inscription decorations of their contemporary buildings also emphasis to the adaptation, and Structural and Conceptual link of them. These inscriptions, historically, and from the kind of font and text, and in their written contents, are match with inscriptions of buildings such as Goharshad mosque in Mashhad, Harat Mosque, Mosque of Yazd and Shiraz mosque belonging to Timurid period. A painter such as Behzad, in choosing the theme of his Nonreligious inscriptions, on one hand, is affected by the apparent form of the inscriptions and their expression in architecture monuments and, on the other hand, according to his artistic tastes and purposes used them. So that, he has been introducing the founder of visual work as a founder of architectural work or building in the number of his miniatures the outcome of the research shows that architectural inscriptions can be used as original decorations in order to create the Islamic atmosphere and image in today's miniature.

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Introduction: Inscriptions are considered as one of the most significant form of decorations that have been used mostly in the mihrabs and involve Quranic verses, prophet’s sayings, religious expressions as well as the date and the name of their creators. The stuccoed mihrabs of the Seljuk and Ilkhanid periods were no exception in which the inscriptions have many visual features including using a letter/ word or a decorative form at 45° angles of the inscriptions all around the mihrabs. The aim of this research, therefore, is to identify different kinds of these letters/ words or decorative forms in the inscriptions carved around the mihrabs created during the 12th and 14th centuries and compare them with each other. Thus, the following question has been put to be answered: what are different kinds of decorative forms used in the inscriptions of the stuccoed mihrabs created during the Seljuk and Ilkhanid periods and what are their similarities and differences in terms of their functions?
Methodology: This research is carried out using a historical-comparative method. Regarding the innovative theme of the article, first the attempt has been made to identify how decorative form in the inscription of the mihrab is used. Then, the researcher has tried to find this decorative form in the stuccoed mihrabs of the 12th and 14th centuries. Then, the letters/ words or the decorative forms of these mihrabs are compared and their significant features are described.
  The data was collected mostly from the selected samples through field researches, i.e. photography and linear designs of the images and the provided pictures are drawn using Photoshop and Matrix. The library resources are also used to introduce the historical records and describe the stuccoed mihrabs.
Conclusion:The results, obtained from studying 22 stuccoed mihrabs assigned to Seljuk and Ilkhanid periods, show that, in each period, it was common to use a word similar to لا »  «or decorative forms at 45° angles of the inscriptions around the mihrabs and they can be seen in different forms: using a single letter of the inscription (separately) that are diagonal (symmetrical) at angles; using a form like the word لا that is sometimes simple and sometimes elaborate and with detailed decorations. According to studies and the samples obtained from the above decorative form, the لا-like decorative forms can be classified into different groups that involve various types in terms of: 1) vaiation in node-like forms of the letters ل and ا and 2) the relation between the decorative form and the margin box, decoration or inscription. The node-shaped variation is such that the letters ل and ا are tied together in the middle and this tied part can be classified as triangle, square or rectangle and circle. The complexity of knitting these two letters is different and in some samples, it is so elaborate. The way these letters/ words or the decorative form are used in angles can also be considered because sometimes it is related to the margins and walls of the frame and is located such a way that its relation with the upper or lower lines of the border frame is definite and sometimes it is independently located at 45° without having to be attached to the margin box. According to the distinction of this decoration form, which varies from the sixth century to the 12th century, we can point out that at the angles of the stuccoed mihrabs of Ilkhanid period, more elaborate and detailed لا-like decorative forms were used compared with the Seljuk period and also, during the Ilkhanid period, this form has been changed to a pine fruit/ tear with various decorations this decorative form has been widely used in the inscription of the stuccoed mihrab.
 

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Quranic inscriptions are the inseparable elements of mosque ornaments, promoting the Islamic culture and reflecting the socio-political conditions of the given era. Due to its importance and vastness together with several structural periods and the volume of decorations, Jameh Mosque of Isfahan is one of the structures containing most of the historical religious inscriptions related to Iranian Islamic architecture. These inscriptions date back to Saljughi, Ilkhanid, Mozafari, Teymouri, Safavid, Ghajar and most recent eras and are embedded on the entrances, court-yard facades, verandas, minarets, bedchambers, domes, sanctuaries, stone troughs, candlestick, tribunes, etc. of the mosque. Most of these inscriptions are exposed through the entrances, internal facades of verandas in (southern, western, east and northern Omar Iwan), the main yard facade, minarets, sanctuaries and domes. These inscriptions may be assessed according to criteria of technique, construction date, content, position, benefactors, restoration manner, their contribution to the architectural space, etc. There exist few studies where the content analysis of these inscriptions embedded in these structures are addressed and assessed; consequently, attempt is made in this article to recognize, analyze and compare the content of Quranic inscriptions on entrances (mosque emblem) and sanctuaries (symbol of Qiblah) of Jameh Mosque of Isfahan. To extract the content of the inscribed verses and assess the thematic correlations as to their political and social terms together with the assigned locations in these structures, this article follows a descriptive-analytical method where documented sources are applied and insitu observations are made. The findings here reveal that the entrances and sanctuaries of Jameh Mosque of Isfahan contain many inscriptions with various contents. The content of these inscriptions consists of: digits (date of construction), personal names (benefactors, rulers, art masters and calligraphers) and hadiths (holy names and Quranic verses). Among 10 entrances and 17 sanctuaries of this mosque, 7 entrances and 8 sanctuaries contain Quranic inscribed Surah: Al-Baqara with three repetitions, Al-Fatiha, twice, Nesa, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Insan, Tobah, Anbia, Ahzab, Jen, Maedeh, Jamah, Al-Emran, Kahf, Noor and Sad Surah with one repetitions. Most of these Quranic inscriptions in this mosque are embedded in Safavid era followed by Ghajar, Al Mozafar, Ilkhanid and Saljoughi eras: Safavid with 9 Surah and 15 Verses is ranked the first, while Saljoughi with one Verse and one Surah is ranked the last. Since the beginning of Iran becoming an Islamic nation, during time, the city of Isfahan has been exposed to severe religious quarrels until Safavid era when Shiism religion sector gained official announcement in Iran. Back then, the city of Isfahan was the major center of Sunni sector.  It seems that the selection of verses for inscriptions was influenced by the socio-political conditions of the given era. This fact indicates that during political and social turmoil and unrests between religion sectors the selected Quranic verses are indicative of the specific events, while during relatively political and social proportional calm, the content of the selected verses reflect unity of God, faith and belief in resurrection, prophecy and conveyance of the Prophet and verses about the importance of the mosque. The content of the verses in sanctuaries indicates the events related to the Muslim community like changing Ghiblah, conveyance of the Prophet and leadership. In Saljoughi era, the disputes between Saljoughi dynasty and scholars in Isfahan lead to setting Jameh mosque to arson and it seems that inscribing the 114^th verse of Al-Baqarah Surah reveals this phenomenon. In Ilkhanid era, considering the religious disputes, it can be deduced that the benefactors of Aljayto sanctuary by inscribing Quranic and hadith texts with a content specific to Shiism had no other objective than promoting Shiism in Isfahan. The existing military conflicts in Al Mozafar era were influential on the sanctuary inscriptions of Mozafari School and stimulating believers to commit Jihad. By establishment of relative calm in Safavid and Ghajar eras and the orientations towards Shiism thereof, the benefactors selected verses indicating the praise of the prophet of Islam, the status of Amir Al Muminin (the leader of the faithful in Shiism) and manner of meeting God.

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Existing approaches to inscriptions tend often to regard various literary aspects, some considerations on the text content, historical importance, and tendency to the past events illustrated in the inscriptions, and this has led to the typology and classification of inscriptions in terms of endowment, decree, memorial, and construction themes, and in another way, the recognition of stuffs and materials.
In the meantime, it has been underestimated the artistic aspects of the inscriptions in terms of high-value calligraphy. An important part of this failing goes back to the lack of fundamentals and methods for the critique of inscriptions based on calligraphic considerations and its principles and rules. Although such principles and rules are regarded as an important source and criterion for understanding beauty, recognizing and analyzing calligraphy works, however this measure has been applied in non-engraving forms, piecewriting ,chalipa, scribing manuscripts, book binding, but neglected in the practice of inscription.
The purpose of this study is to provide theoretical and analytical bases and fundamentals on how to benefit from the principles and rules of calligraphy in inscription from the perspective of calligraphic art. The study is conducted in an analytical and descriptive method based on library studies and field data on inscriptions. Answering to the main question and issue of the research, i.e. how to analyze the inscriptions in terms of the principles and rules of calligraphy, an referring to the treatises and related researches on calligraphy, the findings of the study indicate that It is possible to use the principles and rules contained in the calligraphy treatises, with special considerations on inscription and architectural requirements with some necessary modifications and bearing in mind the degree of adaptation of some of them in the inscription.
The principles of proportion (alignment), composition (coordination), and seat are of more value. And the principles of Safa (succulence) and Shaan (pleasant) and the rule of the theoretical and practical writing are at the next importance. The way of recognition of the style and method as an essential component in the analysis of inscription, given the quality and quantity of inscriptions, is also important. It is obvious that the proposed principles, along with other methods and typologies of inscription studies, can lead to a more systematic understanding of the values of inscriptions, and provide a more fresh perspective for assessment and analysis of  aesthetic aspects of the inscriptions.

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The holy shrine of Razavi is among the most magnificent monuments with a treasure trove of calligraphy. Including these works, inscriptions and motifs of the stone floor of the entrance to the two domes of Hatam Khani and the Tohidkhaneh, which is visually effective in terms of quality. The purpose of this research is to identify and adapt the structure of the visual structure and the theme of inscriptions and Carved decorations in the plinth stones of the two porches. So, what is the visual and visual structure of the inscriptions on the walls of the hutmakhani and the Tohidkhaneh? And what is the content? Research methodology is descriptive-analytical and comparative and data collection, library and field photography. The findings show that the inscriptions are based on Qur'anic concepts and prayers with the Sols line, literary pieces on the line of Nastaliq, and with the themes of friendship and charity with Ahl al-Bayt and the status of God's forgiveness. The inscriptions are the Sols, Nastaliq and Naskh edition, which have a dynamic front by their circular shape and form. The use of these lines in the Sols and Nastaliq letter inscriptions relates to the calligraphy basics, which is coordinated with the visual capabilities of these two types of lines for easy visualization and readings. The inscriptions of the two porches were observed as scrolls, belts and textures, and the visual structure of the inscriptions was in geometric, ellipsoidal, circular, and square shapes, often with horizontal and vertical combinations, repeated with a visually repeating, intermittent, and Repeated with symmetry, intermittent and contradictory.arabesque and  Khatai designs, as well as triangular next to the inscriptions, have been used to decorate and emphasize the text

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