A comparative study of the decorative motifs of the domes the Rock mosques of Jerusalem and Sheikh Lotfollah of Isfahan

The Dome of the Rock was built in Palestine in the first century AH and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is one of the most important Islamic buildings belonging to the years 1602-1619 AD in Isfahan. These buildings have beautiful and unique decorations under their domes that can be identified similarities between them. Purposes are to identify the decorative motifs under the domes of these buildings and to comparison those with each other and questions are: 1- What decorative motifs have been used under the domes of the Dome of the Rock and Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan? 2- What are the differences and similarities between the decorative motifs under the domes of the two mosques? Also, library and documentary data and research samples, which include the two domes of the Dome of the Rock and Sheikh Lotfollah mosques in Isfahan, have been studied by descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach. Results show that under the domes of these two buildings, many decorative motifs including geometric, plant, inscription and animal motifs have been used and it brings the principle of unity to the viewer's mind. In these decorations, the peacock symbol is used naturally and metaphorically, which is related to the beauty and power of the God in creating the universe. One of the most important similarities of the decorative motifs under the two domes is the principle of monotheism, which is expressed by reproducible geometric and similar shapes and patterns. Another important similarity is in the use of the peacock symbol in these decorations, which can be seen in the central point of both the domes and the type of geometric shapes. Also the outside of the dome of the rock is without decorations and the outer part of the dome of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque has Arabesque and Khatai decorative motifs. In the inner part of the domes, the most central Shamsa in the dome of the Rock is the sixteen Shamsa, while in the central part of the dome of Sheikh Lotfallah, the eight Shamsa can be seen. Also, the type of duplicationof the peacock feathers under the two domes is similar to each other and expanded based on fractal geometry. Of course, inside the peacock feathers circles of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, it is decorated with a combination of Arabesque and Khatai motifs While in the peacock feathers circles, the dome of the rock, can be seen Arabesque motifs and margins decorated with Khatai motifs, which are drawn a little coarse and with a different form and are more influenced by Byzantine art. Below the spherical part of the dome of the Rock, a Quranic inscription can be seen and below the spherical part of the dome of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, there is no Quranic inscription. The Dome of the Rock decorations has the warm colors such as gold, red and cold colors of blue and jade green and the decorations of the dome of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque has pease, dark blue, blue and Turquoise colors which are cold colors.