A Comparative Study of Religious Themes in Inscriptions of Plasterwork Mihrabs during the Seljuq and Ilkhani Periods

Over the history, social, political and religious changes have been best manifested in the art and architecture of that period. Religious inscriptions in different periods reflect the prevailing beliefs and ideas of the society at that period and contain valuable information on the religious, social and cultural conditions of their time. Among the various elements of Islamic architecture, the mihrab as a symbol of the Qibla has always been of interest to artists and adorned with various ornaments, including inscriptions. Most of the studies on the Ilkhani plaster altar have been from the inner and peripheral point of view and the aesthetics of the decorative elements and their classification and the outer point of view has less been addressed due to the phenomenological and rooting causes of these themes on the mihrabs. Accordingly, the present research has been addressed on the comparative analyzing the inscriptions of the plasterwork mihrab of the Seljuq and Ilkhani periods from a content approach (religious themes). The research method was comparative-analytical and data collection tool was field survey and library documents. The results of the research show that the themes of the mihrab inscriptions of the two periods, despite their common platforms in general concepts such as ontology (monotheism and justice) and anthropology (their prayers and zakat and their alterations) have also very differentces. These themes are similar to the Sunni themes in many cases (names of Rashid caliphs and Sunni hadiths) in the Seljuq mihrabs and the mystical-shiite themes in the Ilkhani altars that are directly and indirectly appeared in the inscriptions are in harmony with the religious trends that govern their society. In fact, the new worldview of each period has somehow manifasted and appeared in the mihrabs inscriptions.