Gajar Tiles: A Modern Innovation of Applied Arts in Iranian Architecture

While doing a research about the architectural works, at the level of some buildings, existence of a series of Gajar tiles in new styles was noteworthy among which Allam-ol-Saltaneh palace was of great importance. This palace was built in 1318 in an Iranian- foreign style. Its outstanding characteristic is not only in its architectural design but in its use of seven-color embossed tiles, each considered to be a beautiful and unique portrait heralding the emergence of a new style.The glazed tiles though having an old history in Iran, each having an artistic style, is a modern phenomenon in applied arts in architecture due to the portraits themes and national identity.The designs on the tiles including the old subjects particularly depict the portraits of the Iranian mythological and historical kings in pre-Sasanian period according to the contexts of Shahnameh next to which is written its name. The portraits of these tiles include the religious and architectural themes specially the picture of foreign buildings of Gajar period along with the pictures of other persons and pre-Islamic kings.In 1986, the author found the similarity between the portraits of these tiles and Tekiye Moavenolmolk's in Kermanshah.The similarity between the portraits of these two buildings and those of contemporary tiles in Bushehr, Shiraz, Ghazvin, etc. is an important issue.Following up other researches and comparing similar samples presented more information about the designs, portraitists and their skill and care as well as the same origin of these portraits.