مجله کاشان شناسی
سال هفتم شماره 2 (پیاپی 13، پاییز و زمستان 1393)

Among the most important ancient monuments of Kashan is the traditional imposing market or the so-called Old Bazaar which has linearly spread across Kashan historical fabric. Encompassing various historical buildings such as inns, Timchehs, mosques, schools, baths, reservoirs, shrines, etc., this Bazaar is one of the most prosperous and magnificent markets in Iran. Amin od-Dowleh Timcheh as one of the main components of this market is among the most beautiful Timchehs. It owes its unique beauty to the artistic creativity and skills of Kashan past architects and artists who made this structure be a unique heritage for the Islamic art and architecture. This study aims to describe, introduce, and evaluate the physical-functional utility of Amin od-Dowleh Timcheh. This descriptive-analytic study used data obtained from fields, libraries, and interviews with experts and key informants of related organizations. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed in order to explore the strategies which help enhance the utility of this structure. Findings demonstrated that physical changes in this Timcheh would help improve the utility of this fabulous structure. Such changes would include the removal of unnecessary elements and places like teahouses, and paying serious attention to the beauty and quality of Timcheh facilities.

Documenting architectural heritage means collecting and classifying documents related to architectural masterpieces; this will be useful in educating the architects and also in helping documentation institutions such as Cultural Heritage Organization or the municipality. Fulfilling this task in documentation institutions requires financial and human resources as well as adequate facilities. This cannot usually be carried out because of potential limitations or, in some cases, is carried out poorly with low speed and inferior quality. Moreover, in most faculties of architecture, it is necessary to study architectural sample works which requires providing documentation of such buildings by students and with professors’ help. It seems that capacities in teaching architecture can be enhanced in order to meet the needs of the aforementioned institutions and help such studies be carried out more effectively. This paper aimed to study the “documenting architectural heritage of Iran” using “educational and research capacities of faculties of architecture”.
The adopted research method reflected upon “what, why, and how questions on documentation” and used researchers’ ideas or related institutions to explain a conceptual framework. Then, architectural courses (BA and MA levels) as well as the capacities for each course were analyzed and finally the relationship between these two was discovered; and therefore strategies to achieve this goal were mapped out. Finally, as an example for the application of this proposal, the potential capacities of documenting architectural heritage in Kashan were analyzed in both scales, introducing “the campaign of documentation of Iran architectural heritage by faculties of architecture” as a national strategy.

Dynamic industrialization will reduce rural migration and regional disparities and will create jobs which all lead to enhancement of local resources and agricultural prosperity. In this regard, handmade carpet industry, as the most important industry among rural handicraft industries in central areas of Iran, has been the focus of this study. Carpet weaving industry is considered a “home – village” profession. Based on limited studies available, it can be said that a vast majority of those involved in handmade carpet weaving industry live in rural areas and regard this profession as a supplement to their agricultural work. This study was carried out in Abu Zeid Abad, a district of Aran and Bidgol. The population in this survey consisted of 1791 rural families and the sample size included 200 participants. The participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire. Findings revealed that handmade carpet weaving industry had a positive effect in the economic development of rural households. However, people of the region do not accept handmade carpet weaving industry as a steady job whereas it is a lucrative job especially for housewives compared with other professions in the area. Handmade carpet weaving industry has increased the households’ income and has improved rural living standards, resulting in a development of rural areas. It has also prevented rural-urban migration.

Kashan, the old city of culture and art, has introduced well-known men-of-letters to its land. It undoubtedly plays a significant role in the emergence and deployment of theater and dramatic literature in Iran. Great dramatists have emerged from this city since the advent of theater in Iran by Mirza Ali Akbar Khan Mozzayen Al-dowleh Kashani and Seyyed Ali Khan Nasr. Among the educated personalities who rose up in Kashan and added some drama to the treasures of dramatic literature in Iran are a father and his son from the Humayoon Farrokhs. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of information about these two dramatists in the history of Persian dramatic literature. This paper studies the life and dramatic works and career of these son and father and adopts a historical and documentary approach to investigate the dark corners of their lives and their impacts on the Persian drama.

Ghiyāth al-Dīn Jamshīd Kashani is the last mathematician in the period of glorious Islamic civilization has a strong influence on mathematics education, computational mathematics and especially mathematical architecture. In this article, the method of Kashani in computing Sin 1°, the calculation of p, the extraction of nth root and its comparison with Stevin’s method, problems related to inheritance under Islamic law and theorem of amicable numbers in Kashani’s works are investigated. The most emphasis of this paper is the important role of Kashani in mathematics education and computational mathematics such that we believe that he is the first scientist of the history of science that considered into account the problems of mathematical architecture.

Sufi works seem to mirror Iranians’ greatness of thought and mystical taste perfectly and are considered to be a unique spiritual heritage. Such works have come to us mainly in form of books or pieces of writing in verse or prose and are not similar in content due to their differences of time, era, writer, disciples, etc. Sifi works, therefore, have practiced different theoretical principles and practical traditions of Sufism. This paper aims to introduce the ideas and mystical views of Mirza Mohammad Bin Sultan Mohammad Ardebili— under a pseudonym of Mohaqeq Ardebili Bidgoli— who was an 11th century Shi’ite mystic and scholar. He was a disciple of Qazi Assad Qohpa-ee and seemed to have been a member of Noorbakhshiye sect. His works attest his superiority of his religious figure over his other traits. However, he did not avoid mentioning the principles and practices of Sufism during strict religious disputes. His Sufism includes reciting refreshing quatrains, and the poet has occasionally used philosophical terms to prove his ideas but he has had no philosophical methods.

Ehsanollah Sanei is among the well-known contemporary poets and orators of Kashan. He has been composing poetry for more than five decades. His poetry reflects religious, political, and social ideas, thoughts, and beliefs. He has been able to address social and cultural issues of his time and has expressed his nice and pleasant feelings and lofty aspirations in a poetic form. He is a Shi’ite poet full of devotion to the noble family of the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Adopting poems from great poets like Saadi, Hafiz, Sepehri, etc., Ehsanollah has framed new ideas and concepts and developed extraordinary mental ability to have his readers mesmerized. This paper tries to introduce this poet and some of his stylistic and intellectual capabilities. Using slang words and sometimes Kashani expressions along with taking advantage of new words and beautiful colorful phrases are among conspicuous features of his poetry.