Journal of Researches in Islamic Architecture

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A work of art is the souvenir of the artist's journey through the immaterial world of realities and intuition. The language of this art is a language of secrets. This enables the artist to establish a link between the innermost and outermost essence of existence. Decorative motifs are the intersection of art and mystical thought. Many Islamic concepts are mixed with geometry and because of this structural similarity in patterns of evolution, play an important role. In decorative architecture, every motif has a value beyond its formal value derived from culture as it represents the beliefs and ambitions of the people continued from generation to generation. On the one hand, architectural ornaments focus the viewer’s mind on the formal beauty of motifs and the function of spaces, the walls of which hold the motifs, and, on the other hand, the ornaments drew the viewer’ eyes to the realm of cultural and religious secrets hidden in the meanings of the motifs. One is able to understand the minds and thoughts of architects and thus the culture, worldviews, and ambitions of the people by understanding the symbolic meanings of the motifs and tracing their origins in decorative architecture. In Islamic art, geometric motifs are so important that it is necessary to find the key to discover the connections and patterns in such motifs.
In Islamic philosophy and mysticism, light is considered as manifestation of divine harmony with a pivotal position. For this reasons, the Iranian Muslim scholars have paid special attention to light. Suhrawardi was a leading Muslim philosopher and scholar during the 12th century and the founder of illuminationism, also known as Shaykh al-Ishraq (Master of Illumination). In illuminationism as a discussing-tasting philosophy, light plays a central role. Illuminationism was a great revolution in Persian-Islamic philosophy as compared to the conventional philosophies, which were merely discussing, existence-based in nature. His idea that light operates at all levels and hierarchies of reality, which developed from his Philosophy of Illumination, and a major teaching of the School of Ibn Arabi, i.e. the Five Divine Presences referring to the five domains in which the God exercises its influence in a global fashion, both established a subtle mystical-discursive worldview in the Muslim world that has significantly influenced the arts and become a source and reference for many artistic and mystical illuminations with its solid mystical and aesthetic foundations.
Light has been used as a symbol in various forms in Persian-Islamic arts, and Muslim artists have widely utilized the symbol, especially in the period when illuminationist thoughts began to spread in Persian culture during the Timurid and Safavid periods. The Timurid Empire (1370-1507) was an Islamic empire. Shahrukh, the son and successor of Timur (Reign, 1405–1447), trusted sharia, tariqa, and Sufi scholars, and he was highly devoted to Sufism in particular. Many historians have mentioned this in the historical books focusing on the Timurid and Safavid periods. There has always existed a close relationship between mystics, Sufis, and artists.
The Persian-Islamic architecture, especially ornamented architecture, carries high spiritual and mystical values as a means of expression for epistemological meaning and definitions. Philosophical and mystical concepts such as light and the world of immaterial lights were widely and highly regarded by Shaykh al-Ishraq  and other Islamic scholars. The present study thus aimed to present a proper explanation of the phenomenon of light in the Philosophy of Illumination from the perspective of Suhrawardi as the founder of the ontology of this phenomenon. The explanation is provided to analyze what has manifested based on such views in the decorative elements of Persian architecture as geometric motifs on tile work of the Timurid period with an aesthetic and symbolistic approach to indicate that the existing motifs in the tile work is a sign of the philosophical and mystical concepts, in particular those of Shaykh al-Ishraq . Such an approach is also adopted to prove that the motifs are manifestations of the world of immaterial lights that Suhrawardi proved with rational and theoretical explanations according to that he then described other phenomena. The present study is based on the assumption that the origins and bases of the Timurid motifs lie in its geometry with circular and radial patterns, which have its roots in mysticism. Reviewing geometry designs of the Timurid period shows abundant use of a particular type of grid device which is based on a network of radial coordinate, lead to the emergence of specific geometric shapes including motifs of Shamse and stars. This study seeks to answer the basic questions which are why the Timorese system designers considered the radial system preferred and use it as a completely new resource for the various forms used. Can preference and use these designs be appropriate with mystical thoughts common among artists of this period, and that the radial motifs can be analyzed by votes Suhrawardi.
In this research, the research method is descriptive-historical and analyzing qualitative information and data collection is based on documents method.
The results of this research show that the selection and applying of geometric shapes with radial infrastructure in decorating and patterns of the Timurid are not random and such other components of the Islamic era of art is particularly important in principles. Designing and selecting of these designs can be explained by the concepts of light which is the core of philosophy of illumination and of the most important concepts in Islamic mysticism, as the expression of truth and light and divine manifestations attributed. Symbolic addressing of light and its central position in the pillar and foundation of these motifs can be seen very well. It creates diverse compositions, published and nurturer which begins with unity, moves by manifestation and again returns to unity and that the light attributes and its always presence is in these motifs. Skillful combination of geometric designs with arabesque designs also deserves attention and Corresponds with the interpretation of Suhrawardi from the Noor verse. The motifs and patterns found in Persian architectural works of art were generally built on strong intellectual foundations. Such elements have been the result of an architectural evolution over time and have not emerged out of nothing all at once. Although the history of the motifs with radial patterns began long before the Timurid period, such features were certainly common in architectural works and buildings dating from that period when the mystical views of Shaykh al-Ishraq prevailed in Iran.

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The Chalabi Oghlu Shrine with a mystical-spiritual space is one of the structures which is based on the fundamental thinking of the mysticism. And these concepts have influenced the formation of the architecture of this collection. Archetypes are universal facts that derive from human unconscious mind and are integrated in to human conscious mind as a global collaborative information in the form of imagery.The concept of an archetype appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychological theory, and literary analysis. To break the gap between the apparent and the hidden part of their minds, and to understand the archetypes, humans need the sources, such as symbols, myths, dreams, and memories. Archetypes start appearing when they find content, because they are  empty and have no meaning without content and on themselves alone. Architecture is a medium for the expression of human collective unconscious, universal myths, dreams and memories which act as a symbol in architectural spaces. One of the key archetypes that has been introduced in Jung's analytic psychology is the archetype of "process of individuality" that deals with spiritual questions about the meaning of life and the goal of creation. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question of : whether by achieving semantic concepts of these archetypes, can one understand the archetype concepts and how they are objectified in the mystical space of this tomb collection. Based on the purpose of this study, which is the recognition of archetypes semantic concepts, using historical interpretation method, the techniques used in sign perception have been used. The word solouk(a way of conduct in mystical journey) means going, but it is a special kind of going, which has different meanings for different groups. There is a controversy among the mystics about the precedence and steps of solouk(mystical journey).The number of these steps starts from three stages and continues to hundreds of steps. Despite all the controversies, they all agree that the mystic must attain the knowledge of God. With this knowledge he reaches perfection, and this knowledge is obtained by walking through the stages of solouk and desirable achievement. Despite the coherence of  mystical views on the stages of solouk (mystical journey), the basis of discussion and comparison in this research is the opinions of the mystics before the seventh century. In many number of sources, mystical journey has been studied and compared with the archetype of individuality process.
Explaining the archetypes semantic concepts, in the gnostic space of the Chalabi Oghlu tomb' collection:
1. Archetype "Birth, Death, Reincarnation"
The tendency towards the beginning of new life and rebirth has always been of human interest and is one of the most important common concepts created in the collective consciousness of humankind. Jung has also referred to many archetypes in his works, but in the ”Four Archetypes: Mother, Rebirth, Spirit, Trickster” book he gives an example of an archetype that, in most of his other works, has been one of the most controversial archetypes. And that is the archetype of rebirth. In the Chalabi Oghlu Shrine, this archetype has been used in a hierarchical manner and  with physical combination of spaces in addition to the mystical hierarchy, it has been viewed as a symbol of the spiritual path and the desirable end. The path which has started from the entrance and the corridors and the zaviye khademan(cornerstones of the servants) and taliban jannat(cornerstone of heaven volunteers) and with the social activities, which gradually disappears from this state and takes on a personal nature. And After the transition from the spaces of solitary chambers, and samaakhaane(mystical dance chamber), provision is made for entering the tomb. As previously mentioned, this archetype includes within itself innumerable archetypes, such as the individuality process, which is embodied in accordance with mystical conduct in the architectural structure of the Chalabi Oghlu shrine. 
2. "process of individuality" archetype
As mentioned earlier, the stages of the process of individuality are stated coinciding with the steps of mystical passage which requires knowing the relationship between these stages with the steps taken in the Chalabi Oghlu Shrine and how they are manifested in the architecture of complex. 
A. First step: "recall" or "hunt of the self by the inner friend" and confronting Persona (Mask) 
In the Chalabi Oghlu Tomb collection: The Poors stage and  The Taliban Jannat(heaven volunteers)
B. Second Stage: Meeting the Shadow
In the Chalabi Oghlu shrine: Central courtyard, Porch, and solitary chambers
C. Third Stage: Meeting Anima and Animus
In the Chalabi Oghlu shrine: Sufa (Avon), Altar, House of Jamah (Jam House, and Sama House)
D. Fourth Stage: Meeting the "Self" and "Unity with the self"
In Chalabi Oghlu shrine: Tomb
The physical structure of this tomb complex conforms to the eight levels of mysticism, and the four stages of the "individuality process" archetype. And it is a medium for expressing these truths, which can be manifested in different ways.