Oak; A Heritage, a Culture

In human life history, tribes and nations have considered a sacred and mythical position for natural elements such as plants for some reasons, especially religious beliefs. Therefore, the sacred plants have found their way into people’s culture and art in a way that flowers, fruit, and symbolic trees have been present in the Iranian decorations and motifs for a long time ago and continue to be in the Islamic Art. In ancient Iran which was the habitat of so many plants, the oak as an ancient heritage has been so closely interwoven with the material and spiritual life of the inhabitants of Zagros, including the people of Kohgiluye and Boyer-Ahmad. It has become the symbol of their land. Therefore, the current study aims to analyze this motif, its concept, and the importance of the oak’s position from the past until now. The research method is descriptive-analytical, and the data has been gathered using bibliographic documents and field reports. The findings indicate that the use of the oak motif, beyond its decorative aspects, has had a symbolic and religious application and is interwoven with the culture of Zagros’ inhabitants so much that it has affected their culture, livelihood, customs, and oral literature. In other words, it is rooted in the mythical-ritual beliefs of this land. The symbols are related to sturdiness, uprightness, stability, and victory.