Comparative analysis of form transformation in mosques without naves during Safavid and contemporary Iran (Case study: Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and Al Ghadir Mosque in Tehran)

The transformation of form in architecture in a historical trajectory has been the result of countless factors that have led to the change of principles and indicators in some situations. The purpose of the present research is to investigate the factors and dimensions of the transformations that occurred in mosques without naves during the Safavid and contemporary periods of Iran through a comparative analysis of the form of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan and Al-Ghadir Mosque in Tehran. The hypotheses proposed to achieve this goal are that the mosque of Al-Ghadir in Tehran and the mosque of Sheikh Lotfollah in Isfahan are similar to each other in terms of formal structure, and the metamorphosis of the form occurred in the form of some physical and spatial indicators. The current research has investigated the metamorphosis factors that have played a role in the formation of these two works in the visible and hidden layers using descriptive and inductive analysis method. The results of the research indicate that the principles of transformation in the form of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque have taken place due to the index of spatial geometry through rotation and change of direction and translational movement by structural and physical elements, external walls and connecting internal spaces. that in the Al-Ghadir Mosque of Tehran, which was built in the contemporary period, the principles of transformation have taken place not only by changing the form, but also by ignoring and removing the prominent elements of the mosque, including the dome and the minaret. In addition, the rectangular shape of the space under the dome and the pyramid shape of the dome are also other factors of metamorphosis.