Islamic Art Studies

Islamic Art Studies

Exploring the Visualization Capabilities of Khwandamir's Gharayeb al-Asrar Based on the Characteristics of the Illustrations in Aja'ib al-Makhluqat and Gharayeb al-Mawjudat

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Sotoodeh Emamiyeganeh 1
Ahmad Hasaniranjbarhormozabadi 2
ali Asghar Halabi 3
1 PhD student in Persian language and literature, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian Language and Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian Language and Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Persian Language and Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/ias.2023.395500.2196
Abstract
This study examines the potential for visualizing the fantastical and imaginative elements of Khwandamir's Gharayeb al-Asrar based on the characteristics of the illustrations in Aja'ib al-Makhluqat and Gharayeb al-Mawjudat. It involves an intertextual dialogue between the design of spaces, places, strange creatures, humans, and other dramatic and visual elements in these two works. In analyzing the visual and performative capacities of past Persian texts, adaptation theory is often employed, where a cohesive narrative is recreated in another medium with minor or extensive changes, or with fidelity to the original text. However, as the concept of text expands to include various literary and visual texts, the influence of different texts on each other becomes more diverse, and texts engage in intertextual interactions.
The Aja'ibnameh texts, including ancient Persian works, involve authors narrating the wonders of different global climates based on oral and written accounts, travelers' tales, and other narratives, where the boundaries between imagination and reality are constantly blurred.
Research Objectives:

To explore the visual capacities of the illustrations in Aja'ib al-Makhluqat and Gharayeb al-Mawjudat for visualizing Gharayeb al-Asrar.
To examine the intertextual dialogue between the strange creatures and spaces in the two works and their visual adaptation.

Research Questions:

What visual capacities in the illustrations of Aja'ib al-Makhluqat can be utilized for visualizing Gharayeb al-Asrar?
How can an adaptation of the visual illustrations from Aja'ib al-Makhluqat be used to create visuals for Gharayeb al-Asrar?

 
Keywords
Adaptation
Aja'ib al-Makhluqat
Gharayeb al-Asrar
Intertextuality
Visual Capabilities
Subjects
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