Principles of a “Cross-Cultural Landscape” Between Iran and Oman

The expansion of communication in today’s world has led to growing relations between different cultures in various fields. The outcome is the emergence of concepts such as the global village, globalization, and culture generation. The challenge faced by the world today is the method with which cultures with different values and structures relate to each other. Architecture, as one of the elements most influenced by culture, is by the same token influenced by expanding communications and requires an adequate response to achieve the rudiments of cultural interaction. Many researchers in the field of architecture and landscape architecture have studied the effects of culture on architecture and presented certain principles on the subject. Presently, the influx of cultural connections worldwide raises the following question: What principles does the environment which is formed under the influence of two or more different cultures follow? To this end, previous research on the influence of culture was first investigated and the discourse continued with the analysis of the cultural characteristics of the two countries of Iran and Oman. The research methodology also includes the comparative analysis of existing theories in the formation of a cross-cultural landscape, culture-influenced architecture, and the adaptation of concepts and theories to the realities on the ground. As a result, by presenting the common identifiers of landscapes influenced by the culture of both countries, it has been stated that the architectural landscape of Iran and Oman have a very close identity and it is possible for the two countries to form a cross-cultural framework. Finally, to achieve the aims of the research, recommendations have included exploiting common cultural values, using mechanisms that have been influenced by compatible cultures to shape the architectural landscape, using architectural and landscape shaping mechanisms influenced by the aligned culture, referring to the common symbols and models of both cultures by relying on religious structures and beliefs and avoiding emphasis on anti-value structures.