Study on the Description of Architect in the Haft Peykar of Nizâmî

Due to the lack of Persian resources to understand architecture and the architect in the history of Iran, it is necessary to turn to literature. In the meantime, NizâmîGanjavi’s poems from the early twelfth century are an important and significant source. The purpose of this study is to recognize the description of the architect in the Haft Peykar of Nizâmî, which is one of the most important Persian literary works. In this research, the names and emblems of architects, moral characteristics, and attributes representing their skills and abilities have been studied. To do this, in a qualitative strategy using content analysis, the desired verses are identified and first, the attributes of each architect are extracted. Then, by combining common attributes in a category, a large group is formed that represents the common characteristics. The research findings revealed the names of three architects named “Sinmár”, “Shida” and “Russian Princess”. The frequency of all of them in the narration shows that each is somehow related. Sinmár is a skillful roman master and is best known for his engineering and astronomy. Shida, a trainee of Simnár, has been most prominent in the arts and crafts. The temperament and moral character of the Russian Princess, Banoo-ye-Hesari is described more in the Haft Peykar. Finally, it can be said that the architect’s description in Nizâmî thought shows a kind of comprehensiveness that is skilled in both geometric and land measuring and construction techniques, as well as in astronomy. Besides, the architect has been subtle and delicate in artistic matters. Every architect has benefited from these attributes according to the position and role in the Haft Peykar narration.