Phenomenal Recognition of Mystical Thoughts in Architecture of Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad

In the area of mysticism, sacred architecture is a way of journey in which the artistic architecture is directed toward the Almighty through divine inspiration. To make divine values everlasting and instinctive, the artist enjoys art and by means of which he or she expresses the meaning of mysticism and divine philosophy. By means of religious learnings and mingling it with polished Islamic thoughts he or she tries to make the sacred divine identity of creator and the spiritual relationship with the creatures visible in the configuration of the building. The leading role of mysticism in the mosque, the highest status of servitude, is more visible than any other places. In fact, the mystical architect by means of materialistic embodiment of spiritual and mystical themes manifests them before the eyes of an individual and prepares the person's soul to join the creator. This paper endeavors to investigate the presence of mysticism in the configuration of Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad through content analysis method based on library research and field studies, trying to figure out to what extent the mystical thoughts are effective in shaping the mosque's building, architecture, decorations, and motifs, and how they have been emerged. The study of architecture and decorations in Goharshad Mosque reveals that the convergence of Sufism with Shiite beliefs that are specifically manifested in that era are visible in every part of the mosque whereby they have made it special so that there is a room created for mystical discovery and intuition, leading the creatures toward the final destination. The journey from polytheism toward monotheism is the major most sign of mystical thought completely visible in the building.