The Architecture of the Gate in the Defense Fortifications of the Towers and Ramparts of Iran’s City

Problem statement: 

Gates were created in cities for protective, military, and security reasons, and until the end of the Qajar period, they were an essential element of communication in the fences, towers, and ramparts of cities. Paying attention to the creation of privacy between the inside and outside of the city required a structural and architectural structure around the city. Over time, the gate appeared as a part of the city rampart in an architectural body along with its other components and elements according to the existing needs and conditions; these instances in every period were the factors that openly and secretly influenced the architectural body of the gates. These influences are shown in the form of features and different forms according to goals, specifications, usage, etc. For this purpose, the research questions are designed as follows, what are the influencing factors in the formation of Iranian gates? How have these factors affected the architectural features and components of Iran’s gates?

The purpose of the research is to identify these influencing factors and their manifestation in the form of the architectural features and components of urban gates of Iran.

This research is a type of theoretical and qualitative research that uses a descriptive-analytical method. The required data for research were obtained through library sources, documents, and field visits.

The results of the research show that culture, society, politics, economy, function, use, and body were mutually influenced by the architectural features of the gates. The mutual and close relation of the factors on the architecture of the gate has caused the body of the architecture to be a combination of several features. Considering that there are limitations in identifying factors affecting the formation and architectural features of gates, all the factors found in the formation and body of architecture of urban gates of Iran have been shown in continuance and combination with each other.