A Study of Identification of the Concepts of Isfahan's Architecture in the Itineraries of the Safavid Era and their Transfer Circumstances to the Europe: a case study of the itineraries of Delavalleh, Tavarnieh, Chardin and Sanson

Iran, a country which has always been the center of attention due to its special geopolitical status and natural and historical attractions, has attracted a great number of visitors and tourists in the course of history all over the globe. In the Safavid period, as the history shown, a numerous European visitors and tourists who have been visit Isfahan, have written many itineraries in different areas. Some of them presented worthy descriptions about Isfahan's historical buildings and their architectural circumstances that reminded us of tailored viewpoints in addition to the comparison between Isfahan’s architectural buildings and European ones; paying attention to them can help identifying the transmitted concepts and thoughts in this age. The reason of the visitors’ attraction towards these kinds of architectural styles in the Safavid period, the way of describing and exploring the buildings and their architectural elements and key concepts in itineraries that provided the way to study the artistic stylistics of later periods, are the questions for which this study is supposed to answer. The research results revealed that views and perspectives of European tourists toward Isfahan's art and architecture and their attention to identifying Iranian concepts and architectural thoughts in Safavid period itineraries, have provided the circumstance of these concepts by means of publishing itineraries in Europe; also, the pictures that some of the tourists have taken from Isfahan's historical works and the influence that these pictures have exerted on art and west architecture, have provided the penetration areas as well as transfer of ideas of Iran's architectural style in Europe. The present study, through application of the descriptive-analytical approach, examined the identification and conveying ideas of Isfahan’s architecture of the Safavid era from the viewpoint of itineraries.