نشریه فرهنگ معماری و شهرسازی اسلامی
پیاپی 1 (پاییز و زمستان 1394)

Islamic art and architecture are precious treasures resulted from corporate efforts and experiences of Muslim artists throughout history. This chain has been detached due to cultural development in the contemporary era. Exploring in theoretical and philosophical foundations of Islamic art and architecture is one way to revive cultural identity and eliminate its attributed untruth. It is an imperative that has not been considered the priority yet in spite of an over three decades of Islamic revolution which have frequently led to superficial, commonplace and arbitrary impressions of Islamic art and architecture. The intellectual flows of contemporary traditionalists (Guenon, Schuon, Burkhart, Nasr) in the past four decades has been the mainstream of our colleges and art and architecture centers -without any profound review and discussion- which have directly affected other theories of this field as a result of excessive efforts in interpretation of Islam and Iranian art and architecture. The contemporary traditionalists in seeking religious and traditional principles of art and architecture by authenticating the architectural history of before Renaissance in different lands, interpret architectural shapes and forms physically regardless of social and historic conditions of architectural formation and and introduce principles of religion and sacred art and architecture with a romantic approach and spontaneous elimination of rational logic. They have benefited from shapes and symbols, verbal similarities and arbitrary interpretation of architecture and external appearance of various religions and rites in this process of making art and architecture sacred and have entered Christian art and Hindu art interpretations in the theoretical basis of Islamic architecture. Scrutinizing the opinions of the founders of this intellectual flow known and introduced as contemporary traditionalists reveals the mismatch between historic production and development of Islamic-Iranian architecture and their presented principles of Islamic architecture. This paper tried to summarize and outline the main points of this group of scholars about Islamic art and architecture in order to offer a logical criticism and scrutinization of these theories.

The ideology of us Muslims is called “monotheistic”. But unfortunately we know little about its meaning and nature. A heavenly word, in which its superior and great position we do not comprehend, neither do we pay any attention to the originality in the relationship of its inclosing truth to the divine inclosing essence of our existence. And it is only being played as a customary wordplay by our yet to be mature and comprehensive tongues. We speak of “Islamic architecture” quit frequently without knowing its difference or similarity to “the flowing monotheistic architecture within the universe in whole and part”. By the way, do we even have such a concept as “monotheistic architecture” and “worldly monotheistic architecture”?! The researchful answer of this paper to the question is “yes”. And we do, the “worldly monotheistic architecture” is the beloved and desirable “Islamic architecture” itself. And that “Islamic architecture” means “entering the realm of the unique and rather the absolute existence”; it is to be known that this “absolute existence” means “Allah” (the god of peace and obedience). The secret and golden key to opening the doors and the successful and desirable miracles of mind off all those who make miracles through contemplation, is “being able to realize the mortality of one’s and all’s reality in the absolute and detent jurisdiction of the everlasting, immortal and preserver of the universe both in wholeness and in part.What we are trying to say in this extremely brief discussion is: as it can be understood from the vast, unique and universal concept of true monotheism; In monotheistic architecture everything (such as art, architecture and even cities) are various emanation of his perfection and beauty, and borrows of his unique light; and the relationship between our individual existentialism, our thought, creation, and things created and maintained by us with him, his name and characteristics all and all, is the only “relation of indigence and absolute richness”. The relationship between “absolute nonexistence and absolute existence”, and “the relation of alternative nonexistence and essence being” (while, essence being means the absolute existence). An (essentially poor but in fact clear and lucid) mirror like relationship, to manifest a temporal image and assigned to limits of that absolute richness, beauty and integrity.We want to say: In order to be godlike and act godly in creating the effects in the extent of this science founded universe, we ought to actually be “scientists and science centric”. One should be “aware” to be “just”, and should be “just” to be able to be a “creator”. And to be a “creator” one should only and only “manify” the “alternative nonexistence” of the object of creation, ‘that is’, “the very truly need and of course completely precise”; To “precisely clarify” each of it’s partial-needs, an awareness of all it’s different aspects and the factors related to it and its form and measurements are imperative, or have a mirror like and of course clear and lucid heart, to present to Allah’s shining light, and of course (both the aforementioned are one in essence): one should only and only reflect light (and reflect “His” light), and want only “Him”, and know and want everything from “Him” and with “Him”, in relation to “Him”, and as an emanation of “Him”. Consequently one can: consider the concept of “placing everything in its appropriate and rightful place” (in other words “just”) and the concept of “reason” and “creating” or creation as one, all three concepts are “three different expressions of Allah’s unique light”.Of course we should keep in mind that, “never can the “alternative nonexistence” or “paradoxical nonexistence” of an object or a special architectural piece be seen in one place with the “true existence” of that object (or piece), and be considered as “an integrated truth” and an “intermingled coexistence”; in fact they should be known as a “face to face and ofcourse inseparable (and accompanied) coexistence”; The correct, appropriate and suitable answer to this question is an accompaniment of a mirror and the face of the beloved.

Some of the experts in the two fields of cultural domain and Iranian society, believe in “historical experience accumulation”, which is the outcome of historical cohesive idea; on the other hand, some experts believe that compared to historical experience accumulation, we are facing “historical rupture” and the repetition of past experiences; our “temporary society” concept, comes from this school of thought which is a consequence of studying and observing Iranian culture, character and attributes through the course of history. According to temporary society concept, society has faced essential changes during two brief periods and as a result its history has changed into short period strings, attached to each other. Unfinished searches to find architectural space and a safe haven and some other, different city has filled Iranian history with fear and hope. Iranians have always had ideals for themselves in the course of civil evolution and were in pursuit of making spaces and housings with bright futures, but the real crisis started at the time when news came in from other parts of the world expressing that there had been occurrences on the other side of the planet that had resulted in a better city and life for people, and specially in contemporary era, the society started dreaming and fantasizingabout those ideals. In Pahlavi era, this fact combined with the appeal of urbanization and emigration, directed the society toward civilization crisis and failure of dreams.What Pahlavi government did to reform the society economically and socially, had some direct effects on structure and skeleton of urban and rural architecture; but its deepest and most noticeable effect was the change it initiated in Iranians perspective toward the dream they had about their past. Iranian addressee’s dreaming had trapped him in the conflict between his internal and external life, and his desired being unfulfilled in the surrounding world, caused a passive rupture to emerge which has caused the internal crisis in contemporary Iranian people.In a situation like this, “architecture”, which, after “language”(or as a demonstrative language) is considered to be the most important symbol of culture and “vessel of life”; has been the subject to change and crisis due to cultural crisis. A kind of excitement, uncertaintyand multiplicity is clear when looking at creations of architects and the class and position of architecture has been given to construction and installation. There are as many views, criterions, tastes and demands for construction as there are people in the society and this makes “being different” to be the most cardinal aspect of the contemporary architecture. The realm of architecture and the scenery of contemporary Iranian cities, especially those like Tehran, are filled with fascinating developing designs which are different from the past and different with eachother. The dominance of contemporary thought school combined with attributes of idealism and development, is a fixed issue, taking a new form every day and while seeming to end, it will reborn in a new form.In the new constructive perspective, architecture is regarded as a form of “commodity” and not a “place to live”, city as a “commodity warehouse” and not “civil ground”; as a result, Iranian architecture is becoming more of a “simple architecture”.Although, rays of hope have always been visible in a temporarily manner in Iranian architecture, character and behavior of Iranian people, extreme mental uncertainty and unpredictability of the future, have never allowed them a long term perception of life, or a long term dream for architecture and city (as the structural place of residing); but they have given an unreliable identity to the optimum quality of contemporary architecture. In a short term perspective, architecture does not mature enough and does not take a solid form, and is ready to produce a newer form.The main source of the present disordered condition of Iranian architecture is the dominant confusion on mental state and dreams of Iranian society and lack of cultural awareness and also the ruptures and cultural degradation (cultural confusion) in the Iranian society. A society in which being “short term” is its most obvious feature and the speed, volume and process of transformations in it, have had a deepening and intensifying effect on its changes and on enduring and unfinished dreaming of society; in a way that when we consider the contemporary era, we see a clear recessionary effect.

For each created object, including city -especially those which are attributed by Islamic properties- there are a number of characteristics to be considered, some major features which differentiate the Islamic city from the rest are as follows: Pattern, basics, pillars, attributes and principles.Every phenomenon in the world-specially man made ones- is created based on a pattern. For a city, it is of outmost importance to have a pattern. Aside from the importance of availability of pattern, each subject is established based on a structure and rule just like a building which is made on a foundation.Additionally, every subject and phenomenon has a number of pillars that are vital to its creation and survival; without which that phenomenon will collapse. Principles are also very important factors which play a very critical role, especially in adapting people’s outlook and culture with their city.And finally, the fifth important issue is the attributes that are essential for manifestation of a phenomenon which in fact are its consisting principles and … indeed, city and in particularly Islamic city follows the same rule.Moreover, the Holy Quran which contains all the essential subjects required by people based on in its saying and the Innocents, is a reference from which one can extract pattern, basics, pillars, attributes and principles of Islamic city. The present article attempts to explain these topics and introduce and clarify “the original Islamic city” which is the living place of perfect man, in a conceptual and exemplified approach; which will be presented considering the faith level of its creators and dwellers and and in accordance to available facilities and condition and time of the sample and the appropriate version of that era and that realm.

At least two general systems of education can be identified in Iranian-Islamic architecture. One is the traditional teaching method of architecture which has centuries of precedent within which the transition of concepts was conducted through person to person and master-apprentice training; second, is the academic studying method in recent period, which is based on European schools’ pattern of education such as Paris School of Fine Arts. Architectural training has been a source of culture in our ancestor’s tradition and from an idealistic point of view it has been accompanied with morality and magnanimity; a factor which is mostly neglected in academic systems and as a result, the challenging permutation of original and authentic architecture has severely degraded to this imitative and superficial architecture. Teaching architecture is a very important factor in this permutation process. How a pattern for promotion of morality in training architecture can be provided?To answer the mentioned question, this article aims to provide a model and idea to compile? Islamic moral and spiritual principles in teaching architecture and urban planning through introduction of the dominant moral and spiritual attributes in the advanced field of architecture derived from some written resources, such as magnanimity letters of buildings and architecture epistles,. These principles are based on the refinement and clarification, teacher student mutual respect, and the necessity of teaching professional attitude in architecture and other related fields. Its goal is not only to reveal some secrets of the field but also to light a path for all the students in fields of architecture and urban development.

Eclecticism, the subject of this paper, manifests when elements from different structural, spatial and decorative forms and styles, carrying features representing specific and distinct cultures combine in a single work, chiefly in architecture. The term ‘eclecticism’, however, in the mindset and literature of societies with ancient artistic heritage, is imbued with negative denotations. This is because “artistic styles” in such societies are often associated with “identity” and “originality”, both of whom designate a long progress in the passage of time, while eclecticism appears to lack such “valuable” process.In the process of deliberating eclecticism a few questions seem fundamentally relevant: How can then we define “identity” and “style” in the art and architecture of younger societies? Is modern religious architecture “without identity” if it does not follow the traditional trend? To what degree can architects incorporate imported alien elements in designing of local religious buildings? And finally, can eclectic architecture reach the status of a proper “architectural style”?   Eclecticism gained rapid momentum in the field of Malaysian mosque architecture during the past two decades. Significant eclectic mosques that have transformed the scene and skylines of major Malaysian cities have often been heavily financed by the government – an indication of conscious choice of direction. The subject is yet to be studied and deserves a systematic research. This paper aims to present an analytical study of the concept of ‘eclecticism’ and ‘identity’ in the context of Malaysian contemporary mosque architecture.