Recognition of the Concept of the Interaction between Safavid Square and Royal Gardens Investigating the Mutual Relationship between Public Space and Centralized Power

Formation of the Safavid Empire can be regarded as a milestone in the relationship between power and space production in Iranian cities. Since, for the first time, we can see the appearance of public spaces in Iranian cities where the main elements of the city were located in their neighborhood and provided a center with political, religious and economic power respectively. At this time, square played a significant role as a gateway to the royal garden; The present research aims at investigating the recognition of the interaction between Square and Royal Gardens (Safavid Royal Court) or rather, recognition of the role of the public space of square in relation to the discourse of centralized power. To find this relationship, it is necessary to analyze and interpret the first rate resources and documents written simultaneously with the formulation of such buildings. Hence, this study is a qualitative and historical research that, using analytical-descriptive method, attempts to finds the symbolic function of urban elements in the course of social and political changes of that era. The analytical approach used in this essay for the interpretation of the role of squares is influenced by the arguments of Foucault and Bourdieu as well as Henri Lefebvre›s social ideas. Using this approach, we came to know that according to Safavid royal courts, square has conceptually differed from what has been the place of public gathering and people interaction, and has been instead a center for the display of central power and the use of economic and religious powers to strengthen the Safavid dynasty.