Meaning in Iranian Architecture

This article is derived from the Ph.D. thesis of the author which is about the role of spirituality in the Iranian homeand architecture (here the word home has a double meaning both as an architectural concept and a spiritual one).Proceeding to the topic Meaning and Spirituality both in the broader context of philosophy and wisdom and thenarrower one of art and architecture is preceded by defining some basic concepts like appearance and inwardprinciples and then introducing four cognitive levels according to their epistemological importance (chart one). Tounderstand spirituality, the levels of human awareness and cognition must be explained thoroughly; since theyare human’s intellectual activities at hand. For the very reason that the four cognitive levels are man’s intellectualachievements (intellect either in the form of logos or reason), logos and reasons are explained afterwards andthe relations between these two are shown from several different perspectives (to which the second chart isdedicated). In the first part of this essay and as a theoretical base for discourse, the four cognitive levels andtypes of knowledge, function as a means for the explanation of meaning and spirituality and in the third chart therelation between meaning and spirituality in wisdom and philosophy and on the other hand with logos and reasonis presented.In the second part the professional field of art and architecture is investigated and the spiritual art is defined.Spiritual art is substantially an inward based on reflection and contemplation thus Persian art and subsequentlyPersian architecture is dependent on these activities. Therefore, those intrinsic matters like states of sharia, creedand truth which run through spirituality and spiritual art transmit into Persian art and the architecture, navigating themystic from the world of appearances to that of numinous. This centripetal movement holds man’s being towardsgod. This attitude (being towards god) is proposed to be the sign for presentness of “Aan” (a spiritual momentumor better saying a very special spiritual state). An “aan” which belongs to the mystical world, achieved in revelationsand intuitions of the artist would be then expressed in his art. Moreover, this is a hint showing that the heart ofspiritual art at the same time is simultaneously present and absent. So briefly speaking, a spiritual artist is he whohas an “Aan” in his works. This “Aan” is immediately grasped by the inner eye or intuition of the beholder for it isemanated by the same exact source, to say, heart and soul.At the end of this essay and as a summery, it is concluded that in Persian wisdom, meaning and spirituality areequal and for that exact reason are equal in Persian art and architecture too. That’s why a compulsion to obtain acertain degree of spirituality, for client, architect and beholder is evident as a precondition for achieving harmonywith Persian architecture. Finally, it should be mentioned that an analytical expressive methodology, with qualitybased methods are used in this research.... Keywords: Intellect, Reason, Meaning and Spirituality, Spiritual Art, Iranian Architecture