Structural and Conceptual Typology of the Inscriptions of Four Porticos of the Atiq Courtyard of Razavi's Holy Shrine

Engraving (inscription) is an art that has been customary in recording of events since the last periods and history dates back to stone inscriptions and clay tablets. In Islamic arts, engraving on inscription plays a fundamental role in conveying the spirituality, because this art originates from the origin of truth or Holy Quran and Muslim artists have always tried to use manuscripts and engraving on inscription for evoking presence of God everywhere. This matter is especially important in religious places and very evident in the holy shrine of Razavi, which has a great spiritual position. There are valuable inscriptions in the ancient courtyard of the holy shrine of Razavi, which belong to different historical periods. The purpose of present study was to investigate the theme and content of inscriptions in each historical period and the relationship between their subject and their position in the building in addition to study the differences and similarities in structure of inscriptions. The methodology of present study was a descriptive method using library studies and field observations. The obtained results showed that inscriptions have been used to stylize the space and manifestation of God's presence and Spiritual reflection of the words of prophets and prayers in addition to decoration of the building which cause a spiritual connection between man and God. Also, a special location has been determined for each inscription in the building based on its theme, which has been transferred from Timurid period to subsequent periods; but changed due to the cultural and social conditions of each era.