An Analysis of the Stones of the Islamic Era of Onar Meshkinshahr Cemetery (Northwest Iran)

The architectural structure of tombs and its related elements is a reflection of the ritual-worship beliefs of human societies.Attention to these cultural evidences can be in better understanding the religious-religious, social, ethnic situation of the designers of these works.The northwestern region of Iran has historically had a variety of tombs and tombstones due to the existence of different cultures and ethnicities. During the Islamic era, especially after the Islamic Middle Ages, tombstones in various shapes were created in this region, one of the most important of which is the raised stone.‎‏To date, researchers have not conducted comprehensive studies on these cultural artifacts and have proposed various hypotheses about the reason for the formation of this type of tombstone. Accordingly, in the present study, the authors try to answer the following questions logically in a descriptive-comparative and analytical manner based on field and library studies.‎‏1- The etymological roots of the tombstones of the Islamic era cemetery in Onar village go back to which areas? 2- What are the meanings of the appearance and decorative elements of the pomegranate stones? The results show that the rocks of the Islamic period in the village of Onar were influenced by human-shaped stone figures of Central Asia that entered the culture of northwestern Iran in the Middle Ages.‎‏Other research results indicate that; These works have undergone significant changes under the influence of the teachings of Islam on the denial of formality, and at the same time show evidence of the Shiite religion.