Mirror Work of Imam Reza (A.S.) Holy Shrine’s Dāral-Sīyādah Portico

The mirror work is an Iranian art and it is subset of architectural decoration. The history of this art in Iran dates back to Safavid era, and afterward it turned to one of the most popular arts in Qajar period. As a result, Mashhad became one of the mirror work sites very soon due to the Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.). In the Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) numerous places and porticos are decorated with beautiful and various mirrors. Dāral-Sīyādah is one of the porticoes that have been mirrored as well as using fresco and tile work. In this descriptive-analytical article, the author seeks to answer the questions that when the mirror works of Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.), and in particular, the Dāral-Sīyādah portico was done? Who and with what roles have been involved in Dāral-Sīyādah mirror works? What styles and patterns have been used in Dāral-Sīyādah mirror works? The findings indicate that the use of mirror works in the Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) goes back to the late Safavid and early Qajar periods and one of the earliest documents related to the mirror works of Dāral-Sīyādah belongs to the late thirteenth century AH. Along with the artists, officials have been involved in performing the mirror works of Imam Reza's (A.S.)shrine and have used plaster works, sandblasting (Jīvitarāshī), colored glass, Qur'anic inscriptions, traditions, God's and Imams' names, paintings , Candlestick, vase, flower and leaf designs, and geometric patterns, especially strap work, for decorating the Dāral-Sīyādah mirrors.