Pathology of light and artificial lighting in the environmental graphics of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan

Lighting as one of the basic parameters in architectural design and one of the factors creating a sense of space and strengthening the identity of the place, has a strong presence in Iranian and Islamic architecture; And since managing the presence of natural light as well as artificial lighting in terms of visual, semantic, functional aspects, etc. is also important in the field of environmental graphic design. The present research considers the optimal use of lighting and lighting facilities in the environmental graphics of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan as an outstanding example and with a pathological perspective. Two questions can be asked in this regard; First, what are the damages caused by improper lighting in the environmental graphics of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, and second, which methods are effective in designing the principles of lighting. In this regard, the effects of light spectrum, light quality and intensity and duration of radiation of artificial light sources on the historical texture and the damage caused by it have been studied. Furthermore, providing practical solutions appropriate to conventional artificial light sources for lighting the historical context in order to minimize these damages using the latest scientific achievements is another objective of this study. The research method in this research is descriptive-analytical which has been conducted in a qualitative manner with the aim of investigating the pathology of light and lighting in Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan. Data collection was performed using field method (observation) and documentary method (library studies and upstream documents). In the present investigation, a profound view on the use of light in historical context has shown that artificial light can affect the expression and creation of historical context as much as sunlight, and on the other hand, inadequate lighting in historical context can have detrimental effects on environmental graphics. Unfortunately, the damage caused by light, such as fading, fading and discoloration, and the deformation of works of art and history are irreversible. Therefore, it is necessary to protect valuable works against these damages.