Pre-Islamic architecture Iranian architecture must be properly examined from the depths of the history of this ancient land.
Iranian architecture dates back to six centuries BC, when we describe the characteristics of each period of architecture in different periods of history.
1- The architecture of the prehistoric period up to the time of the rule of the Medes
2- Architecture from the time of the rule of the Medes until the end of the Sassanid rule
In relation to the architecture of Iran, it should be said, the changes that have been given in relation to the art of the Iranians in architecture and the manner of construction of that period. In a nutshell, stone carving, plastering, painting, brickwork, mirror work, tiling, mosaic work and other decorative works can be mentioned.
Of course, we have to make exceptions for structures of some kind that were used for special purposes. This variety has arisen from the special needs of the people in different times. Iranian artists should prove to the world that they have high potential and are highly respected, because of their unique historical works. It seems that it is difficult to classify Iranian architecture from very distant times to the present. But the following arrangements can provide you with a wide range of perspectives:
Cottages prehistoric cities and towns first, fortifications and castles of the military, temples and temples, tombs and shrines of the great places of great historical, dams, bridges, markets, baths, roads, mosques massive towers, Minarets, religious buildings and places from the Islamic era, as well as buildings and monuments of widespread existence in Iran.
Another important factor that has had an impact on Iranian architecture has been the important climatic conditions on the Iranian plateau. For example, the style of architecture in the north of Iran’s country and foothills differs from the style of architecture in the south and desert of Iran. Now, coinciding with the inexhaustible and astonishing information that is not possible in any other country, we have a look at Iranian architecture.
It is almost impossible to talk about ancient architecture without examples. One of the oldest buildings discovered on the plateau of Iran is related to the painted building of “Crow Hill” in Qazvin in history; Which relates to the seventh and early sixth centuries BC. How much and by what means the building was decorated before that date must be given much consideration. This is why it is used for gatherings and communities. In this building, the fireplace was used to heat our building in the cold seasons of the year. There is also a place to make kebabs. Also in this building, there were two places to store tools and equipment, plus a small room that was used as a sitting area. The walls are decorated with a painting of mountain goat. Most likely, they used this place to perform their religious rites.
Sialak Hill near Kashan is also one of these historical places, which dates back to the sixth and fifth centuries BC.
The first time people went to Sialak, they did not know how to build a house. And they lived under huts made of oak leaves. But they soon learned how to make raw clay with mud and use it in house building. In the fourth century BC, the people of Sialak began to comprehensively build new buildings, which is well known. These buildings were in one piece and mass, and all made of raw bricks. These early bricks, which were oval in shape, were laid in the sun and dried. And after that they were used. The architecture of this period decorated all the buildings with red color and all the doors of these buildings were short and narrow and the height of the doors was not more than 90-80 cm.
Hassan Hill near Damghan, Ilbilis Hill 72 km from Kerman, and Hasanlu Hill in West Azerbaijan are some of the structures excavated by archeological excavations. During the excavations of Hasanlu hill, three huge buildings were discovered, all of which were made with the same design. These buildings date back to 1000-800 BC. All of them had entrance gates, paved courtyards, rooms and warehouses. In Hasanlu hill architecture, the buildings are made of wood. Square and in the form of a tower with wooden bases that were used as bases and columns without cutting vertically. One of the rooms was discovered paved with raw clay. Interestingly, another room, which was used as a kitchen, had special places with a fireplace around them.
One of the most important architectures of Iran, which is related to the 13th century BC; The temple of Choghaznabil (1250 BC) is located next to the Karkheh River in the province of Khuzestan in southern Iran. This temple was built by “Hontash Huban”, the king of Ilam, on the ruins of the ancient city “Dor-Antesh”. This temple symbolizes the peak and glory of architecture in that period. This building is rectangular in the form of a five-story building, each floor being smaller than the previous floor and showing a conical appearance. The main temple was built on the last floor. The materials used in the construction of this temple have been more than glazed flat bricks with very strong mortar. The skillfully constructed western dome of the Choghaznabil Temple is still in a surprisingly good condition after three thousand years of its history. The construction of crescent-shaped arches on the corridors and stairs inside the temple shows the extraordinary and astonishing success of architecture in ancient Iran.
What is very surprising and shocking about the architecture of Choghaznabil is that the artists of that period invented and built a new system that provided drinking water to our building. The purified water was used by worshipers and residents of the area.
History of World Architecture:
Western Architecture
The cave-dwelling environment has had no opportunity for thousands of years to create sophisticated and sophisticated art. Because the effort to preserve the essence has been the largest part of their physical and mental strength. Which have also left their mark. The first human artifacts belong to forty thousand years ago, which can be studied in different geological periods, including Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze and Bronze Ages. The combination of these activities has led to the emergence of various civilizations and the creation of cities and villages on the surface of this planet. The study of these periods requires a lot of writings and works that are beyond the power of this writing. But it is the best way to know the architecture of the West, which is like a twisted string of fibers whose color and strength do not remain constant, and each time the shape, appearance and strength of the string are changed accordingly.
The beginning of Western culture is known as Greek architecture, but before examining Western architecture in different periods, it is better to pay attention to the following two points:
1 – In the creation of architectural space: in the selection of foundations and tools and in determining how to raise the physical body and through the use of it, arguments and sometimes settlements are made whose main field, according to European builders and critics, is logic. The use of logic in formulating the form and meaning of buildings gives them credibility and, if successful, increases the credibility of logic and promotes it.
2 – In measuring and recognizing the architectural space: in selecting the criteria and criteria and methods that have been a turning point for recognizing the works of the past or at the same time with the life of critics; Arguments and inferences are used that can and do not go beyond the rules of logic.
Any comment on Western architecture must be based on a framework that seems “logical.” Turning to the logic of “Aristotelian”, turning to the logic of “Descartes”, turning to the logic of “Kant” and turning to the logic of “Hegel”, and finally turning to the materialist dialectical logic, which from the days of “Hegel”‘s life in the narrow space of nineteenth century Europe It resonated.
Greek Architecture
The history of Greek architecture includes many different periods that archaeologists classify as follows:
1- Geometric period and method
2 – Ancient times
3 – Classic era
4 – The era of Hellenism
Each of these courses covers a specific space and area.
The first period has an indefinite and extensive and indeed indefinable atmosphere, the center of gravity of which can be considered Asia Minor. And the second is more related to the realm of Alexander the Great and includes areas that are under the influence of Alexander. Its center is considered to be the northern part of present-day Yunnan. The third is, in fact, more of a credit and contract space because it was created more by military coercion. But in the Hellenistic period it was the spread of Yunnan culture and civilization that it was during this period that Greek culture and civilization reached distant lands.
Renaissance Architecture
The Renaissance artist is a magician who knows and practices material nature. In fact, in the Renaissance, the adaptation of architecture to man and nature, relied on or by mathematical knowledge and its interpretations, was re-introduced. And all the features that a living topic gradually had. To the extent that the proportions and dimensions of the architectural space became a function of a cosmic harmony. In fact, as Leonardo da Vinci writes in his treatise, “For painting to be worthy of creation and to be the source of art and science, it must become universal.” Later, in the nineteenth century, there was a great revolution in art and architecture. . But what can be said about the Italian and European Renaissance architecture can be found briefly in the following text:
“The large variety of medieval architectural experiences was a negative point from the point of view of Renaissance architects. It had to be replaced in a unique way in the creation of architecture. It had to focus on new architectural norms that were considered in this global era. During this period, geometry was used extensively as a means of smoothing out sub-volumetric combinations; and it helped the designer to Determining the sub-elements of architecture should not be difficult to move from a space full of experimental diversity to a space where order and order prevail in the creation of architecture, which was done by reasoning and rationalizing architecture, as well as the method of creation. And the implementation of special architectural units of the Middle Ages, in a new way, followed by the social and professional relations of the architects was very important.The Italian Renaissance architecture has a special expression and uses a new and very important tool for its concepts that “The most important thing is to give a real shape to the idea of space, which has a characteristic of perspective.”
Due to the above issues in Renaissance architecture, five types of architectural products emerged that can be briefly mentioned as follows:
– Buildings that are given more attention during the usual review. Such as churches, chapels and tombs. The rules and regulations of arranging and compiling the architectural space in this category of buildings occur everywhere in a way that is free from the existing traditions and not just following what the powerful architects have formed and used.
– It is said everywhere that the architectural space during the Italian Renaissance, by architects, became an entity in which, within, architecture was designed, visual or visual planning. Recently, this was in its executive form. Which was later added to the perspective that architects used in proportion to their theoretical ability.
– In this period, architects, both inside and outside the building, sought a formal unity. In the passage of time from the inner space to the outside of the building and in recognizing the spirit that has given identity and personality inside the building and in matching its form, spiritual and symbolic with the spirit of the building volume, it can be understood how the middle shell of the two , Has an essential role that can be considered as the starting point of the design of the architects of this period.
Baroque Architecture
From the early seventeenth to the mid-eighteenth century, new ideas and tastes transformed European architecture and art. Scholars have called this period Baroque. The Baroque relied on the Renaissance and the deliberate deviation of Mannerism to achieve its freedom and initiative. Baroque architecture was in many respects closer to the freedom found in classical Roman architecture.
In fact, Baroque can be considered a spatial freedom. Intellectual freedom from conventional laws, from flat geometry, from stillness, from symmetry and from the contradictions of interior and exterior. Even today, understanding Baroque architecture does not only mean these concepts but also means accepting courage, idea, Mobility and lack of tolerance for superficial rules and intensifying the effects of stage design is indifference and disorder. It is also about coordinating sculpture, painting, gardening, games, and drawing with water in order to create a sense of art. And that Baroque architecture can be considered in one of the architectures of space perception.
But what are the functional features of Barak architecture? Which is a topic that is briefly addressed in the following text.
“Although the first and most famous Baroque architects are known to have started their careers in their homeland, Baroque architecture is not considered an Italian phenomenon in Italy. Baroque architecture is a phenomenon that manifests or relies on features that form Believing in it does not require much more than what is conventional, any architect can add to what is offered in the daily activities of the architectural market without requiring the traditional product of architecture in The surface of cities and regions more populated than Europe is born, without a way for the architects in the next steps, Baroque neo-architecture moves away from its recent past, without having the power to pave a new path. The diversity, known as one of the main features of the Baroque, manifests itself at various levels, in the works of a period within a city, and in the lands of Europe, which have a new culture and traditions. But only a valuable effort to create and spread new ideas based on worldviews is based on To take; Who can not find it, to dominate all the architects in the western hemisphere for a short period.
From Renaissance to Baroque
The highest political ideas and the richest expansion of human activity can be found in the history of Florence. And in this sense, Florence deserves the name of the first state in the world … The amazing spirit of Florence, which was both artistically creative and critically accurate, constantly changed the social and political conditions of Florence, and as this change continued, He described and judged it.
The Early Renaissance was founded in Italy. He brought the world into a new world that in the new future would connect this world to the modern world. In fact, a new kind of awareness of history, which with the force of its originality led to the creation of new art. Renaissance means rebirth and new life. Created the people of medieval Europe who longed for the glory of ancient civilizations. In fact, wars, diseases, social unrest, etc. had narrowed the field for everyone who was looking for a new way to forget this era. Who sought it in the glory of the Greeks and Romans. And returning to that period was their only salvation. And with this introduction, Europe entered a new era that could both gain the power of the past and lead the way in the discovery of science on the basis of church and politics. The result can be called the discovery of the European continent, the discovery of perspective, the invention of printing, the beginning of the colonization of another continent, and so on.
But in the field of architecture, we could not get the correct and complete sources and theory to know what events and happenings in architecture in this period determine the path. The only thing that can be seen is that copying of Roman and Greek works of art and architecture abounded during this period. And the foundations of modern thought were laid. About the architecture of this period and its course until the beginning of modern architecture, Dr. Flamaki in his book The Formation of Architecture in the Experiences of Iran and the West, seeks the architectural features of Europe from Renaissance to Baroque in the following cases:
– Commands and rules used in the production of space
– Foresight in the architectural space
– Connections and disconnections between the outer and inner space
– Volometric plan trends in architectural space arrangement
– Volumetric connections and environmental relations of the building
Gothic
Gothic is the name chosen in the Renaissance for a period of medieval European art and architecture. Perhaps the reason for choosing this name can be justified by the fact that in the Gothic period it moved in contrast to the proud European period, ie Rome, and in this period, unlike Rome, which paid less attention to temples and religion, gave special value to churches and religion. Even some of these periods are called the Age of European Faith.
After the relative stability that Romanesque established in Europe, the simple practice of that period brought Romanesque art to a certain maturity. In fact, Gothic mixed with Romanesque art with sharp Islamic crescents and features of the art of the Northern Normans and Goths arose in the northeastern part of Paris, in the Ile de France, Champagne and Picardy.
Some of the building features that are common in the buildings of this period can be described in general as follows:
– How to shape building elements follows a new logic. Which simultaneously looks at static and shape coordinates. Static uses of building elements that realize the architectural space look at the type of building materials and the position of each type of building elements.
What in the production of a glorious, beautiful and passionate space; It plays a decisive role. Simultaneous movement performs three main tasks: First, the transfer of thrust forces along the path given by the shape of the movement to safe points. Second, it is possible to divide the arched surfaces of the dome cover into several pieces. And third, the freedom of the architects to determine the amount and formability to be given to arched and concave coatings.
– Tendency to symmetry in the architectural space, access to new technical-construction tools, windows with colored and illustrated glass that are made large and tall, and in addition to the aesthetic burden, to the needs and static outputs in the usual way They find.
But apart from the vision that considered symmetry as the spiritual beauty and perfection of creation, they allowed the issue of not using symmetry in indoor spaces. This same vision became radial asymmetry with the emergence of buildings or round maps. In fact, the main basis of the Gothic period spatial formulation is to see and simply want space with symmetry.
– In the buildings of the Gothic period, the building elements had two main roles: first, to build the building and to ensure the resistance of the physical body against internal and external forces; Second, ensuring coherence, coordination and coherence in both partial and general limits. In fact, each building displays its bad bone inside and out, while displaying shape connections throughout its volume.
Gothic buildings, which are mostly summarized in churches, are building units without any volumetric connection to the surrounding buildings or the urban fabric of their time. Despite their beauty, they have a volumetric and shape rupture with religious buildings. And in fact, they create a scene that is seen as an exceptional creature in the body of the city. In fact, non-religious buildings in the architectural space acted in a way that seemed far from grammatical land. The urban space was open to beauty and diversity created less skills in the architectural-urban units. This issue itself needs to be examined outside the Gothic style format, which is not included in this article.
In general, what can be understood from the architecture of this period in terms of structure and these buildings belong to any period; They show only a single value and beauty from which nothing can be reduced or added.
In these collections, while showing human thought and personality, it does not show a living trend in connection with the historical growth of this continent. But what exactly is the cause of Gothic crystallization? Has Gothic architecture risen in response to the goals and ideas of Eastern architecture that had a significant impact on European architecture during this period?
Romanesque Architecture
With the extinction of Western Roman rule by the Goths, Europe experienced a new experience in which there was no longer any news of the unity and power of a single news. And plunged Europe into crusades over the invasion of foreign lands, which resulted in the independence of nations. But instead they entered the dark ages of the Middle Ages.
In the early centuries of this period, European identity and architecture were completely destroyed. And it arose after the independence of countries and the acquisition of the lost identity of architecture in this period. It was called Romanesque in the nineteenth century. Which was a combination of ancient European, Roman, Byzantine and Oriental architecture. Its main center is known as Italy.
In contrast to the Romanesque structure, two properties are named, first the connection of all the elements of the building and then the spatial metric problem. But in the analysis of these two features, with a new look at the architecture of this period, its features can be categorized as follows:
– How to shape the transformed building elements and previous experiences of connecting vertical surfaces and arches and ceilings from columns and wall decorations and mosaics were completely abandoned. And the materials were mostly used without lining and decoration. In fact, they based the architecture on two principles: first, the luxury of the building through its size and height, and second, having the foundation of the building visible.
– Symmetry was one of the main principles. It was used both in the longitudinal axis and in the radial axis.
– Buildings of this period were built in any land that wanted a new movement. And they modeled the foundation of a particular space. It can be said that all its interior and exterior is a synthesis of Roman architecture. But the splendor and special psychological effect that was thought to be left in the minds of religious buildings; It is through the volume of beauty that it is established on earth. The surface of the horizon and the line of the horizon are built around the body and the building is compiled along its length, ie parallel to the surface and the line of the horizon; Understandable and exposed to cognition.
In fact, the savage and early civilization of the eighth to tenth centuries tore the loose robe of Byzantium. And male violence stripped the body of the building. Now the organized and unified church is working and moving in the direction of its unity, and if the human foot in the early Christian church is uniformly rhyming, and the Byzantine church is slippery; But in this period, it responds to completely exciting needs with a melodic stop. Perhaps all over Europe, human steps provide a great deal of psychological stress.
Byzantine Architecture
After David Calcin divided the vast territory of the Roman Empire into eastern and western parts between himself and his fellow generals, he practically laid the foundations for the collapse of the mighty Roman Empire. Constantine then rebuilt the ancient Byzantine city and named it Constantinople; Byzantine rule fell to the emperor Arcadius, who made Byzantium the capital of the same name.
Byzantium was located in an area that was the shortest route between west and east and was of great commercial importance, which made it very prosperous. And because of these economic, political, and cultural conditions, it was able to integrate Eastern and Western cultures. Which in fact created a civilization whose roots and roots lay in the West but had the color and smell of the East.
In the emergence of Byzantine art and its formation, at first glance, three main elements are evident that play a major role in this art. The first is administrative necessity, the second is Hellenistic influences, and the third is the contemporary influence of the Sassanid king. But before we take a comprehensive look at the Byzantine period and its relationship to the West and the East, it is not bad to take a look at the views of Leonardo Bene and Volvo, which were first introduced to this period.
The problem of the shape of several different arches sitting on a single pillar or base and the shape of an arch on a wall when the shape of the arch and the shape of the wall below it are unequal … is a matter that, as we know, goes back to one of the topics of architecture. Where the passage of the quadrangular cross to the spherical dome is discussed, these issues were not resolved until the flourishing of Byzantine art.
– The products of Byzantine architecture are mostly in the form of sculptures that, while following the combination of main and secondary places inside the building, achieve the most harmony and balance in the external form. But they do not follow or be conditioned by the physical environment of the city.
If we pay attention to the features and points mentioned above, we may pay attention to the fact that Byzantine architecture, due to its relationship with the East and the West, is the connection between architecture and spirituality and materialism. Equipped with knowledge of Western mathematics and geometry; And it is taken from the mysticism and thinking of the East. Which presents us with a complex way of analyzing this architecture.
But what is certain is that given the period of Eastern Roman rule, the buildings that were built from the beginning to the prosperity of this land, the effects and effects of which date back to the Ottoman Empire; It has a certain variety that can not be categorized in one form.
Byzantine architecture, unlike Roman architecture, did not follow a series of specific instructions and used different techniques and materials in construction. In the construction of buildings, more attention has been paid to the local area. However, the main buildings of this period that have architectural value can be considered as churches, monasteries, tombs, special buildings for martyrs, castles that had religious uses and houses of sultans. These buildings can be divided into three according to their design and shape. The categories are divided into:
Churches adapted to the experiences of Roman architecture. This collection has features such as:
Mastery of the executive details of the building is shown in a certain context. The connection of the surfaces that are used for horizontal covering, to the columns to the walls, is simple and the order, in spacing and determining the proportions of surfaces and volumes, is the main It is considered primary. Freeing the architect from a predetermined range of dimensions that determines the continuity of the building, both indoors and outdoors, in the choice of building materials and architectural forms, on a case-by-case basis; Realized and building volumes independent of adjacent buildings. And more because of the beauty of the order and proportions used on the outer and outer shell, the volume of the building is displayed.
– Churches that have a point in their longitudinal axis, raised to a height with a dome cover. The characteristics of this category can be mentioned as follows:
The connection of vertical building elements to the various elements that are dedicated to the installation of the roof, follows a basic method that looks like the sensitive parts of the building, taking into account the material of building materials and their surface decoration facilities, and how to transfer forces and especially It deals with the effect of horizontal components. To be able to respond to beauty and strength at the same time with the rhythm of dividing lines and vertical and horizontal surfaces to obtain a favorable and appropriate spatial system. And take advantage of the reserves and learnings of mathematics and geometry of architects.
Both the buildings that have been finalized after the construction of significant changes on their volume and side walls, and the other buildings whose external form has not been receptive, have targeted the eyes of passers-by and the eyes of the believers.
In fact, the tendency to beautify and try to create a solid building has been one of the goals of the architects and founders of such buildings that they have achieved without being called a style.
– Churches or religious buildings, all parts of which are under the influence of the disappearance of heaven and earth, which has the following characteristics:
In connecting the surfaces of the side walls inside the building, which are visible up to the highest point of the vertical axis with the cutter and connection of Hyder. In addition to the proportions of the materials and the rotation of the building elements, the new element is used in a generalized way that was previously known: the arrangement of mosaic and fresco coverings is widely used in the interior design of religious buildings. Taken.
The external shape of the building, which falls into this category, reaches such an evolution in the formulation of the dimensions and proportions of the stairs of surface and volumetric elements that it seems that the pursuit of a specific goal alone reflects the characteristics of the interior space on the volume of the building and the board. Its exterior, in buildings that show the desire to show the building to a human achievement that faces the sky and exalts itself in the direction of the earth, the sky.
Byzantine architecture can be considered in one sentence the architecture of human excellence from earth to sky, which relies on spirituality according to modern knowledge.
Roman Architecture
The Roman power that ruled and succeeded Italy after the Etruscans subjugated Italy’s militant tribes to a single Roman government, eventually uniting the nations of Western Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East under the Roman emperor.
According to the great Roman historian, “he created a revolution that will be remembered forever. And today the nations feel it.” In fact, if we see in our study today that the genius of the Greeks shone with more and more radiance in the fields of art, science, philosophy, history, and in the realm of reason and imagination in general, Roman genius in the field of secular activities of law and government You throw. And many others believe that Roman art was born of Greek art. Roman art was indeed the publisher of the Greek art heritage. And although some believe that Roman architecture was rooted in Etruscan architecture and style, it actually had Greek characteristics.
But what distinguishes Roman architecture from the architecture of other peoples, such as the Greeks, may be explained by the fact that the concentration of the military, financial, and administrative powers of ancient Rome was long associated with the concentration of scientific and cultural power. And as it is known, for some time, the most powerful personalities have attracted the knowledge and art of the time from far and near. And as far as the production of architectural space and its features are concerned, it has the following implications:
– Executive power based on material wealth with or without (bravery attributed to the Romans) precedes other efforts and grows and motivates production in other areas.
– What had previously arisen in the world or from the vibrant Mediterranean, and together with the achievements of the Etruscans, are the only spaces that could be exploited quickly by the newly established government. A passion that took advantage of social mobility and material possibilities and performance and emanated from these, gradually led to new productions in architecture, sculpture, painting, music, drama, dance and poetry that were original.
But what is important and the main subject of discussion is the Roman features that stand out from the various and numerous collections of Roman architecture. In other words, it can be classified as a large number of architectural types, the breadth of architectural volumes and flourishing in geometric forms and relying on the building system and building ossification with completely new and highly efficient techniques, which A brief description of each will be provided briefly.
– Numerous Types of Architecture
The rapid expansion of Roman domination led to the establishment of a common and pervasive order and luxurious form of architecture. And they magnified whatever they wanted, and they did not hesitate to build it. This spirit of the Romans was acceptable to the natives of the conquered lands if it was mixed with the local color and smell. The emergence of this building, with its intervention in the general situation of cities, gave new dynamism to cities. In a way that waterways, baths, stadiums, amphitheaters, etc. became very diverse; And took on different types.
This diversity was possible only in the main direction of use, the classification of buildings, and not in a set of features that are strongly influenced by local factors. Such issues led to a large number of types of buildings in the Roman era, which is one of the main features of their architecture. Which is associated with social and cultural mobility, economic and is a manifestation of the prosperity of a civilization.
– Volumetric Width of the Building
One of the Roman innovations in drawing or compiling the volumetric plan of urban architectural units is that they wanted the physical foundation of the building and consequently the external shape or free volume in accordance with the functional foundation of the building, and in fact forced the architects. To free themselves from the plastic and geometrically limited imagination and to prefer the freedom to draw a map to following an integrated and continuous cover. Certainly, considering the above issues, the architectural volumes of a single building should be combined with each other while having an order and gradualness that has originality and practical value; And the building is located organically on the surface of the earth. This requires that a building not be built and finished by architects who have a particular style and method. Rather, they should follow the usual technical and executive methods and also follow the government directly. And no longer, like the Greeks, seek to draw the viewer’s attention to a particular scene.
According to the above lines, in order to know a Roman building, one must pay attention to what is happening inside it and its internal factors must be examined in order to have a correct understanding of it.
Basic Building Techniques
The Romans used special methods and techniques to build their buildings. And considering that these techniques have a great impact on the shape of the building and have also been effective in the psychological field of architecture, which is not useless to mention. Especially since these aspects are characteristic of Roman architecture that can be classified as follows:
Opus co adratum, which is a quadrangular stone that is usually regular and sometimes fully cut, placed horizontally next to each other, in addition to simple functions in making arches and cradle covers. Is gone.
– Opus silica, which is a wall built of irregularly shaped stones of various sizes.
Opus commentary Keom is a combination of irregular and sometimes crushed stone carcasses that are glued together with mortar. And find a more or less uniform shape. Which was used in advanced cases to embed coatings.
Opus Latricium, which is a method of using raw clay and kiln-baked bricks in building structures.
We find the most or the latest Roman building invention in the construction of curved arches and arches. Which are proportions and sizes, simultaneously responding to technical, practical and aesthetic needs.
Achaemenid Art
In the Achaemenid period, we are faced with authentic works located in the Pasargard of Persepolis and Susa. And we will suffice only to examine the works obtained from Persepolis. The original name of Persepolis was Parseh and today it has been proven that this place had a sacred aspect for the Achaemenids. The surviving works from Persepolis mostly include reliefs.
These reliefs have been carved on the walls of the halls. The best and healthiest of these roles belong to Apadana Hall. What attracts attention in all of Persepolis is the complete observance of symmetry. If we pay attention to the number of columns in each hall, we will find an even number. If we pay good attention to the role on the walls, we will see symmetry in all of them.
There is a relief in Persepolis that is unique among other reliefs. This relief is the only role that narrates an event. While most other motifs do not have this aspect of narration. We call the roles that narrate events narrative. This role indicates the complaint of a person who has been oppressed and complains of his oppression in the eyes of Darius, called the oppressor Madi.
There is another relief in Biston that has the same property. These two reliefs are the only Achaemenid works that have narrative properties. The subject of this prominent role is the defeat of various tribes by Darius.
The Achaemenid kings used the skills and mastery of the artists of the countries under their command in a wide area of their land. And for this reason, the influence of other nations can be seen in the works of architecture and industry of Iran in the Achaemenid period. According to Darius, Babylonian, Lydian, material and Egyptian craftsmen served in the construction of his palace, and the materials of the buildings came from afar. The use of the experiences and traditions of the subordinate nations is not specific to the Achaemenid period, not in the form of imitation and obedience, but in a way of recreation and creative inspiration. Even the Medes used the Uratu experience a lot before that.
Achaemenid architecture was a continuation of a national art. The originality of this art was shown in the palace of “Kiaksar”, the king of the Medes in Hamedan. And Cyrus then built the palace of Pasargadae eighty kilometers from Persepolis. It is safe to say that Persepolis is one of the largest and most extensive buildings built before the advent of iron. And it had many wooden roofs and columns. The roof of the building is made of Lebanese cedar and oak, and is supported by fringed barns that adorn their ornate capitals.
Tiling in the Achaemenid Era
Glazed tiles are obtained from Susa and Persepolis, which are very delicate and beautiful. The works of Susa during the Achaemenid period were made with the same method of Mesopotamian tiling. And this is another reason for the influence of Mesopotamian art on the Achaemenids.
Metalworking in the Achaemenid Era
The golden works of the Achaemenid period are not so many. But what is obtained has a very delicate structure. The remarkable point in them is their similarity with the reliefs in Persepolis.
Inlaid work in the Achaemenid Era
Decorative work has also been common in this period. Which has shown the skill of the craftsmen of this period. Decoration is the placing of precious stones on metals, gold or other materials.
Civilization of India
• India is a civilization in which racial and religious diversity are in harmony with the geographical features of this diverse land.
• The first great civilization and culture of India, in the third millennium BC, was concentrated on the banks of the Indus River. Mohenjodaro and Harappa (in present-day Pakistan) were major areas for the spread of this culture.
• Mohenjo-daro, with a history of more than five thousand years, has an urban design in the form of a checkered grid and its construction has been 14 meters high on a man-made bed.
• Remains of architecture and urban planning of this city indicate the establishment of a large commercial center with large north-south streets twelve meters wide with multi-storey houses made of brick and wood and advanced sewage networks.
• Houses are built in compliance with two principles: security and comfort
• The houses have been built in such a way that the entrances open to the side passages and the light and air are provided from the privacy of life. The thickness of the walls indicates that the houses have two floors.
• The public bath of the city has a pool 12 meters long, 7 meters wide and 2 meters deep above the bed, the inner wall of which is made of brick, mortar and mortar.
• The city grain warehouse with a wooden roof and a hall with twenty columns are other important buildings of Mohanjodaro.
• The use of standard bricks (6×13 27 27 cm), advanced sewerage network, houses based on the same plan and size, and finally the establishment of social justice according to the condition of the city’s buildings, all indicate a developed city and an amazing civilization. .
Buddhism: The Buddha was a Nepali prince and aristocrat (6th century BC) who practiced austerity along with poverty.
Buddhist Philosophy: Transition from the material to the spiritual world, a view of the four corners of the world, the attainment of the highest human degrees, all of which are physically crystallized in Buddhist temples.
In his view, life has four stages: childhood (holy path), youth (life and work), middle age (isolation) and old age (poverty and austerity).
Stupa: A Buddhist temple made of stone and a circular plan in the form of a hemispherical dome above the tomb of a pious Buddhist. Its height from the ground is fifteen meters and its materials are all stone.
• This temple has four stone gates, each to one of the main geographical directions and to the south of a staircase that leads to the stupa plateau. And provides access to a narrow fenced corridor around the dome. At the top of the dome, a square enclosed space called Harmica is built, which symbolizes the paradise of the gods. Through Harmica, the world is connected to heaven.
Barhout Stupa is the oldest, Amrawati is the most beautiful and Sanchi is the most famous of these temples.
• In the statue of Buddha, it is seen that there is a point between the eyebrows and it is the third eye or the eye of wisdom and knowledge. In yoga, too, the center of a person’s mental and emotional forces is located on his forehead.
Chaytia: Another type of Buddhist temple that is rocky. Carly Temple was built in 50 AD and is one of the most beautiful cave buildings in India. To build the Carly Temple, they emptied the top of a hill and built a hall 38 meters long and 14 meters high. There is an altar at the end of the hall. And on both sides of the courtyard are huge columns with elephant men and women riding on top of the pillars. At the entrance to Carlya’s giants, giant elephants carry multi-story buildings on their shoulders.
• Hinduism: This religion reached its peak in the first century AD.
Shiva is one of the most complex embodied gods of Hinduism. Which has contrasting qualities and attributes. Shiva in Sanskrit means blessed.
Mandala: In Sanskrit it means full circle and is a Hindu belief. In fact, the mandala is a term used to describe any kind of plan with a tabular pattern that symbolizes the supernatural world. A shrinking world from a human point of view. The main focus is on the center. Because all the spiritual forces are concentrated there.
In Hindu cosmology, the surface of the earth is represented as a square. A checkerboard that reflects the celestial relations (architecture) for the construction of architecture and urban planning.
Jainism: Jain temples have a square plan such as Wimla, Tijpala, Adinata. The hierarchy of the architectural space of these temples is: A- Gate B- Porch C- Tower
• Artistic Symbols of India: Wheel of Existence: The Broken Cross of Man: Exaltation Earth: Square Sky: Circle
Architecture – High Tech
Richard Rogers and Renzopiano, two young Italian architects, pioneered a style in Europe known as High Tech.
They designed the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris as the first building of this style. The façade of the building consisted of a series of chimneys, aqueducts, utility pipes and columns, beams, braces, stairwells, and walkways. Rogers believes that “every building should represent its time.”
According to the architects of this style, the essence and characteristic of each era in the architecture of that period has taken a physical form. Theories and principles of modern and high-tech architecture are very close to each other in principle, and it can be said that single-child architecture is the backbone of modern architecture.
If modern architects showed the car in their designs; Architects – High Tech show the inside of the car and its components.
Other famous architects of this style include Norman Foster, Michael Hopkins, and Santiago Calatrava.
A passage on the history of architecture in Iran
The life of art in Iran is as old as history and architecture is one of the oldest arts. The prosperity and development of architecture in Iran since ancient times is a proof that this land has been one of the first centers of urban planning as well as dam construction and engineering. Examples are various buildings, ancient dams and numerous villages in different parts of the country.
The works that have emerged from the writings of archaeologists and orientalists shed light on the fact that art and architecture have been rooted in this region since 5,000 years ago.
A brief look at ancient Iranian architecture reveals that Iranian architecture is based on the three principles of strength, comfort, and expansion. Throughout its history, Iranian architecture has had the originality of design and simplicity combined with decoration. The whole area of Iran, especially the villages and its ancient and ancient works, is like a living but worn book of the history of architecture and art. Each page of this book opens the gates of several thousand years of history to the viewer in a short moment. There are few villages in Iran where the ancient passages of Venus or Qala-e-Gabri and Qala-e-Salsal (Salsal) with multiplicative or crescent-shaped arches are not visible. And its valley should not be a trace of famous tombs and shrines or castles that have a mythical and historical theme in them. For example, we can mention the castle of Merv and the castle of Isfahan or the palace of Kiyaksar, the king of the Medes in Hamedan, the palace of Pasargad and Persepolis or Parseh, the works of Susa, the porch of Madain or the Kasra arch in Ctesiphon.
Perhaps it is safe to say that for the first time it was the Iranians who made bricks and used them in architecture. A very old example of it is in the temple of Choghaznabil located in Susa. Which can perhaps be measured by the antiquity of human architecture. He also saw the signs of using the first bricks in Kashan Silk Hill, ancient minarets and dams and the remains of old buildings in Merv, the ruins of Hatreh Palace on the Tigris coast and the ruins of Kangavar temple, Khosrow Parviz monument in Qasr Shirin and Bostan arch in Kermanshah.
Iranian urban architects and artists have been among the most prominent experts of their time since ancient times. History does not remember the names of many selected architects. However, their precious works are the best identification in identifying their artistic features and thought. Among the famous architects of the ancient times, we should mention “Sena”, which reached the borders of genius, and also mention “Barazeh Hakim”, who lived in the time of Sassanid Ardashir and was a unique dam-builder, architect and urban planner. “Barazeh Hakim” broke the dam that Alexander had built over the city of Firuzabad in Persia and built a new Firuzabad that depicted the achievements and main lines of Iranian architecture.
Examples of the architectural services of such architects and engineers are found in the book “Farsnameh” by Ibn Balkhi and “Asar Ajam” by Forsat Shirazi and “Merat al-Baldan” and the Farsi letter by “Haj Mirza Hassan Fasaei” and other old books. The evolution of Iranian art, including architecture, is rooted in the historical events of our country, as well as the climatic nature of Iran.
The cultures of the conquerors and conquerors who set foot in Iran have a significant contribution to the architectural culture of this region. Customs, religious ceremonies, spirit and ethics, thoughts and beliefs of generations are clearly reflected in Iranian architecture. This reflection can be found not only in large buildings but also in small works.
Villages and fire temples that once existed throughout the region contain a treasure trove of ancient Iranian architectural culture. There are several examples of these “Mitra” temples that were common in Iran before Zoroaster. These include the Masisra Temple in northwestern Iran, which is carved into the mountain, as well as the Bey Fakhrika Rock in the south of Lake Urmia. Before entering the temple, the ancient worshipers dipped their hands in water and called it “Mehrab”, from which the word “altar” of the Islamic period may have originated.
Architecture at different times from the beginning of the Median Empire was of great splendor and flourished. At the end of this historical stage, the architecture of the Islamic period with equipment and tastes in the Sassanid style had such an effect that it is unique in the world. In general, the history of Iranian architecture can be divided into several periods:
1) 5000 BC, Iranians who migrated in winter and summer began to build advanced earthenware and stone tools and completed their houses by adding pieces of bone. And the furniture was painted red and black and baked in the fire, and thus the foundations of Iranian architecture were laid.
2) During 4000 BC, the inhabitants of Zagros built villages and gradually lived densely and architecture was created.
3) In 3000 BC, white stone, bitumen and other types of stones were used for construction.
4) In 2000 BC, the arrival of the Aryans on the plateau of Iran was the most important event that at that time the art of architecture reached its peak. The production of thin pottery spread to Alborz and its neighbors. Luxurious buildings were adorned with brick walls and paintings of human figures in the constellations of trees and other shapes. Urbanization developed and stone carvings reached a stage that gave Susa a remarkable beauty.
5) 1000 BC, due to lack of access to archaeological documents, is called the Black Age of historical background. From the few findings, wealthy shepherds and farmers lived on the slopes of the Alborz and had advanced architectural works.
Among the periods and changes that have occurred in the history and architecture of Iran, we will examine only a few periods in which more important changes or more progress have been made.
Parthian Period
The Parthians or Parthians came to power in Iran after the Seleucids around 250 BC.
They used to follow Greek art styles in the beginning. But after a while, they showed interest in the art of architecture, especially in the traditional and national architecture of Iran. During the Parthian period, architecture took its main basis from the customs and principles of the nomadic Parthian tribes in setting up camps.
The central rectangular courtyards with their quadrangular porches were taken to Mesopotamia as a manifestation of Parthian architecture. In this period of official Iranian architecture, building a dome became common.
In Parthian architecture, after the Parthian government flourished, much attention was paid to the façade of the building, and they tried to focus the works of art on the walls. The mural was developed and mixed with paintings and bedding, a beautiful example of which is found in the temple of Mount Khajeh in the middle of Lake Hamoon in Sistan. In their architecture, the Parthians used cradle arches, arches, and arches with rubble and decorative reliefs.
One of the features of architecture and art of this period is the transfer of some elements of architecture and art. Which has been transferred to the Byzantine and Sassanid periods. Perhaps the history of “arched” architecture, which is very famous in Iran; It started from the Parthian period and evolved in the Sassanid period. An example of it can be seen in the arched building located at the foot of Patagh mountain, next to the road from Kermanshah to Sarpol-e Zahab, which is a combination of a rocking arch.
Also, the Anahita Pass building in Kangavar, which is located on the road between Hamedan and Kermanshah and belongs to the Parthian period, is one of the masterpieces of Parthian architecture.
Sassanian Era
The Sassanids recognized the religion of Zoroaster and created an art that was equal in greatness to Roman and Byzantine art and sometimes superior to it. Even after the Arab conquests, what is referred to as Islamic art was influenced by Sassanid art.
The best way to arch square buildings is in Iranian architecture and even Western architecture belongs to the Sassanids. The art of the architects of that period was to cover large distances with hard materials, some of the principles of Sassanid architecture that paved the way for the development of “Gothic” architecture in Europe.
In the collection of architectural art of this period, there is a special unity and connection that is the basis of the architecture of the dome and porches, arches, rooms and rocking arches that are often located around one or more courtyards. The arts of bedding, mosaics and murals include the decorations of Sassanid buildings. In the diversity of Sassanid works, the influence of neighbors has been well revealed. Among the mosaic images obtained from Firoozabad Palace, it has been mosaic by the Roman method. In these mosaics, pictures of many musicians and other human beings are painted in the Iranian style. Other decorations of this period include Sassanid stone carvings. The carvings of this period are unique in their kind, such as the carved motifs of Taghbestan in Kermanshah and Naghsh-e Rostam.
In general, Sassanid architecture was based on traditional architecture and emerged for the arid regions of central and eastern Iran. This means that in Sassanid buildings, including palaces and fire temples, dome coverings and the construction of porches with multiplicative arches and four special arches for fire temples were common and the basis of architecture at that time. A number of Sassanid buildings whose remains are left. Such as Firoozabad palaces, Sarvestan palace in Fars and Madain porch in Ctesiphon, Karkheh porch in Khuzestan, as well as fire temples with the letters “Taphomil” between Tehran and Varamin, Niasar fire temple in Kashan, Azargashsab fire temple in Takht-e Soleiman, and Chahar Qapi in Qasr; They largely reveal the state of architecture in the Sassanid period.
There is such a correlation and closeness between the Parthian and Sassanid architectural style in the foundation of buildings that a group of experts still doubted the attribution of some of the works obtained to these two periods. For example, the attribution of Median Palace in Ctesiphon to one of these two periods has not yet been definitively commented.
Islamic Era
After the extinction of the last Sassanid king (Yazdgerd III), a new era in Iranian culture, art and especially architecture took place.
After Islam spread to Iran, the architecture of our nation adapted to the new religion. Instead of Sassanid fire temples, mosques and minarets were built to invite people to Islam and pray. Common decorations in ancient Iranian architecture with all their features from plaster and decoration with glazed tiles, etc. were transferred to Islamic architecture of Iran. The Islamic role of Iranian mosques is the same as the Sassanid ivy that can be found in Taghbestan.
From the beginning of Iran’s conversion to Islam, many Iranian traditions, including its architectural tradition, became popular among Islamic rulers along with the “Byzantine” influences. As many palaces of the Umayyad caliphs, including the palace of “Al-Hair” and “Mashateh” is inspired by the Iranian style more than anything. And its ornaments have followed Iran.
The architecture of each nation and each period reflects the way of thinking, worldview and traditions of that nation. The stronger the cultural foundations of a nation, the more stable the art and architecture of that nation and the less fluctuating it will be. The art of architecture is undoubtedly one of the most obvious manifestations of the civilization of any nation.
After the arrival of Islam in Iran and the passage of various historical periods, Iranian architecture gradually changed to a more modern form, among which we deal with the Safavid, Qajar and Pahlavi periods.
Safavid Era
Safavid era is one of the most glorious areas of historical architecture in Iran. And with its unique architects and engineers, it has made a significant contribution to the development of Iranian architecture. Elegance and precision in architecture has reached its peak. One of the architects and artists of the Safavid era should be named Sheikh Baha’i, whose immortal works of architecture in Isfahan are world famous. And there were hundreds of other unknown architects and engineers during this period. The names of some of them are preserved in the inscriptions of the buildings. Most of the works of this period are religious architectures that have continued in the Qajar period after that.
Iran’s greater connection with the West led Iranian architects to combine specific elements of Iranian architecture with Western enlightenment and special attention, and to create works that were artistically pleasing.
For example, the entrance hall of large houses in that period with stairs that start from the middle of this hall, and continue up from the foot to the two branches in opposite directions to each other, which is the influence of Russian architecture and became popular from the middle of Nasreddin Shah’s reign.
Foreign architecture was combined with Iranian decorative designs such as tiling, mirror work and plastering, which shows a corner of Qajar era architecture. The creation of basements with beautiful designs and multiplicative brick coverings, the installation of pool houses, the use of windbreaks to cool the spaces, and the construction of large halls with emperors and pavilions and earrings all became more and more pleasant.
The construction of the wind deflectors was simple at first and consisted of only a vent opening decorated with beautiful tiles, then it gradually went through the stages of perfection. As their evolved form, it has two floors and four vents from four directions and directs the flow of wind and air from these openings into the building.
In palace architecture, the construction of windbreaks decorated with tiles and gold domes in the mansion has been a pillar of original Iranian architecture.
Residential buildings of the Qajar period with a design including the central room of the porch (with two columns in front of it) and smaller rooms located around the central room in simple or detailed forms, all in the style of original Iranian architecture in the old period, which in this period with newer initiatives The heart is full of goodness and goodness. The painted tiles of the Qajar period are often insignificant and artistically poor, and are only incomplete imitations of the works of the last century. Although Nasser al-Din Shah sent some painters to study in the museums of Rome and Paris; And some of these painters made progress in their art, but the simple tile workers could not make good use of their work. However, according to Nasser al-Din Shah, the art of tiling was “modernized”.
In and around Tehran, several important examples of Qajar architecture can be seen: One is the tomb of Hazrat Abdolazim in the city of Rey, whose mausoleum and golden dome are remarkable.
The complex of this holy place has a porch and a high mirrored porch and several courtyards and a golden dome and two tiled minarets, a porch and a mosque.
Other notable buildings of the Qajar period “Imam Soltani Mosque” and Sepahsalar Mosque include a large front, porch and minarets of tiles, porch, courtyard, two-story rooms with beautiful stone columns and nave. Although most of the tiles in this mosque are made of seven-color tiles, but some examples of mosaic tiles can also be seen. The color of the tiles is mostly red, pink and white. While in the bright sun of Iran, old colors such as turquoise and crimson are more desirable. From the Qajar period, Timcheh and large markets with good coverings are available in Tehran and large cities, which are admirable both in terms of the art of brickwork and tiling and in terms of the width of the openings of the arches.
Another Qajar art is large paintings on the walls. Although the influence of European art is often seen in these paintings, it is remarkable overall. During the Qajar period, wall painting replaced miniatures. During this period, the Persian painting style was introduced to Iran by Iranians who had gone to Italy.
Pahlavi Period
Architecture did not have much variety during this period. With the arrival of new building materials such as iron, concrete, etc., as well as the arrival of foreign engineers in Iran, engineers who were not familiar with the glorious history of our country; And the return of Iranians who studied architecture abroad and were influenced by Western architecture brought about a change in Iranian architecture.
For all the beauty that this type of architecture has given to the appearance of Iranian cities, unfortunately, it has often been an aspect of imitating Western architectural methods rather than following the original art of Iranian architecture. However, in some cases, they have been forced to use Iranian-style decorations. Buildings such as Saadabad Palaces, Marble Palace in Tehran, Alborz High School, Palace of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the entrance to the National Garden and the Post Office are proof of this claim.
This architectural path still continues regardless of climatic factors and the architectural background of Iran.
* Sources and references are available in the editorial office of Artmag.
