The formal and structural study of Nastaliq inscriptions of Qajar mosques in Isfahan and comparison with similar examples of Safavid

Calligraphy, as a prominent art incorporated into Persian and Islamic architecture, supplys messages and brings beauty to the eyes of the beholder. The most important messages in architecture are directly expressed by inscriptions. Different types of inscriptions are shaped in the form of mosaic works, multiple painted patterns, tiles, bricks or plaster techniques.
Although in qajar period traditional methods were continued, but new ideas, design and methods can be witnessed in qajar dynasty artists work.
The principal characteristic of epigraphy in Persia after the advent of the Safavids is the emphasis on Persian poetry and pious Shiʿite texts with an iconographic potency and deliberate frequency unknown yet. Arabic remained the language of koranic and Hadith quotations while Persian became increasingly prominent through its use for historical and poetic inscriptions in both architecture and decorative arts. Cursive scripts, especially ṯolṯ and nastaʿlīq supplanted the earlier Kufic and its variants in all but the essentially decorative repeat patterns in secondary positions.
There are no systematically recorded or analyzed collections of inscriptions for this period, nor are there any comprehensive architectural surveys as there are for the Il-Khanid and Timurid periods. The essential source for Safavid inscriptions is Honarfar’s work on Isfahan, the city whose buildings provide the substance of Safavid monumental inscriptions in general. Apart from Isfahan, major Safavid, Zand and Qajar inscriptions survive in buildings in Ardabīl, Kermān, Qom, Mašhad, Shiraz, Yazd, and Tehran as well as in the Māzandarān region.
Undoubtedly, one of the attractions of Qajar calligraphy is decisive and significant presence of Nastaliq in this era’s inscriptions. In fact, the masters of Nastaliq in this period are belonged to the last generation of calligraphers which highlighted Nastaliq. Great calligraphers such as Mohammad Bagher Semsuri, Fathollah Jalali, Abdorrahim Afsar, and the others who were the followers of Mir-emad and Mohammad Saleh Isfahani.
The main aim of this research is identify of fundamental and structural changes in the form of Nastaliq inscriptions of Qajar mosques. Mosques: Seyyed, Roknolmolk, Rahim Khan, Kermani and Safa; are five mosques that decorated by Nastaliq inscriptions. According to this, in this investigation, a number of Nastaliq inscriptions in Qajar mosques in Isfahan introduced and studied as the main purpose. Therefore, about 20 inscriptions selected and have been studied.
Based on the cases study, some conclusions were reached. Variety of colors, decorate the background frame and innovation in the form of frames, including innovations of Qajar samples compared with samples of the Safavid dynasty.
Another point of considerable differences in the Qajar and Safavid inscriptions are the common techniques. For example, in the studied samples, there are no stucco inscriptions. Instead of that, Haft-Rang inscriptions are dominant. This method used in tile decoration since Timurid dynasty and raised in Safavid and Qajar dynasty. The first usage of Haft-Rang in inscriptions was at early 11th century A.H (17th A.D).In addition, a number of artists and craftsmen of Qajar in the inscriptions mentioned in the text is addressed.