Waterworks in medieval Iranian architecture, with an emphasis on palace-gardens and houses

Water is one of the important elements in the decoration of Iranian buildings and monuments. In fact, water has been employed in forms including the pool, fountains and streams with exquisite drawings manifested in buildings belonging to the early period of Islamic architecture. Investigations of the present study can demonstrate that certain styles used in water design during the period are of remarkable importance for further studies in areas of welfare, symbolism, and aesthetics. Due to the desert climate of the land, a number of such styles had been common in ancient Iran. And after the dominance of Islam, as a consequence of combining with religious requirements and the Qur’anic pattern for ‘Paradise’ this reached its peak and was replicated also in other Islamic lands. In addition to introducing these styles, the present study takes a comparative look at the roots, backgrounds and aesthetic aspects of these works.