AStudyoftheDecorationsofPairedColumnsofQajarCastle-Palaces inChaharmahalandBakhtiariProvince

Castle-palaces of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province are quite noteworthy in terms of their architecture and decorations. Most of them have remained from the Qajar period, and their architecture has been influenced by the Qajar visual culture. Generally speaking, castle-palaces had no defensive functions and were constructed on plains. In Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, the architectural design and visual culture of these structures mainly reflect the tribal and familial power of Bakhtiari rulers and Khans. Paired columns, which have been examined comparatively based on a descriptive-analytic method in this paper, are among the most significant visual and architectural elements of these buildings. Based on the findings of this study, the decorative patterns of these twin columns have been influenced by the visual culture of the Qajar period, on the one hand, and the climatic features and specific local characteristics of the visual culture of Bakhtiari people, on the other hand. It is noteworthy that most of such artistic works can be observed in the architecture of the castle-palaces constructed on stone materials, which demonstrates the effect of regional and mountainous conditions of the location on their architecture. Moreover, the addition of particular decorations and visual signs and symbols on stone materials have immensely magnified the glory, magnificence, and power of these castle-palaces.