Semiotic Interpretation of the Classical Elements in the Spatial Quality of Persian Sacred Architecture (Case Study: Shrine of Shah Nematollah Vali)

Throughout cultural history, the architecture of shrines in Iran has been of most significant mythological values.  Due to the buried personchr('39')s spiritual status, it has been sufficiently taken into account in the creation of sacred space and the manifestation of mystical beliefs. In the present era, due to lack of recognition in strategic research, historical semantics has largely been neglected in the field of religious architecture. The philosophical stand of this research is interpretivism; the approach is qualitative, and the method is logical reasoning. Three empirical, analytical and metaphysical theories have been applied in the research strategy. In the process of formulating theoretical foundations, semiotic and conceptual reasoning have been carried out. In the empirical analysis phase, field data were gathered and physical and conceptual modeling has been implemented. At the stage of the metaphysical theorem, the basis of the arguments is phenomenological. The results of the discussion show that the spatial hierarchy in the building, the diversity of Classical Elements and the hierarchical exposure of the people from the entrance to the tomb, is significant based on the mythological view. In analysis of the building, embodiment of the Classic Elements have been interpreted based on the sensory perceptions of the spaces, conscious travel from outside to inside the building, as well as understanding of the four mystical journeys which are: hierarchical ascending from soil to water, to air and to fire. Finally, it has been argued that mythical representation of birth and death is understandable in the transition among the sequences of spaces.