Investigating the Role of Shiite Signs in the Sense of Place of the Sacred Places of the Safavid Era; (Cases of Imam Mosque and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate, Department of Architecture, Borujerd Branch, Islamic Azad University, Borujerd, Iran.

2 PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Hamedan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Hamedan, Iran.

10.22034/ias.2022.312356.1783

Abstract

In the remaining mosques of the Safavid period in Isfahan city, the principles of architecture can be grasped, serving as the infrastructure for the decision-making of the designers of this period concerning the design of motifs and decorations. Some of these decorations are directly related to Shiite concepts hence its investigation can contribute to understanding the nature of architecture of this period. The method of this research is descriptive and analytical with a quantitative and qualitative approach. It is a combination of qualitative and quantitative; additionally, in the qualitative stage, two separate techniques are used for recognition and communication including Delphi and coding. In the quantitative part, it is inferential with statistical tests. The users of the space in these mosques are those who, due to the lack of accurate information, are calculated using Morgan's table, and the number of 384 people are chosen to select the largest number. The results of interviews with experts were analyzed with ATLASTI software; moreover, in the quantitative part, the causal contribution of each symptom was investigated with inferential statistical tests and using SPSS software. The findings of the research show that the largest factor contribution is related to the shaping of large and small spaces, which include the Mihrab, Hozkhaneh, Shabestan, courtyard and dome, with a value of (1.000) and the lowest factor contribution is related to architectural materials with a value of (0.523). The arrangement of the spaces in the mosques in the Safavid period, specifically the mosques of Sheikh Lotfollah and Imam, led to the formation of a tranquil and beautiful space and created a rich and astonishing amalgamation.

Research objectives:
1. Investigating and analyzing categories of Shiite symbols in Sheikh Lotfollah and Imam Mosque of Isfahan.
2. Exploring the role of Shiite signs on different spectrums of the sense of place in Sheikh Lotfollah and Imam Mosque of Isfahan.

Research questions:
1. What are the Shiite symbols of Sheikh Lotfollah and Imam Isfahan mosque?
2. Which Shiite symbols have more influence regarding spatial sense?

Keywords

References

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Islamic Art Studies
Volume 19, Issue 45 - Serial Number 45
February 2021
Pages 471-488

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