فصلنامه نگره
پیاپی 60 (زمستان 1400)

The repository of the codices preserved in Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami Mausoleum Complex in Torbat-e Jam County have yet neither been introduced nor studied. The objective of the present work is to describe and conduct a visual analysis of the ornamentations of five different Qurans selected from the aforementioned compilation from the Seljuk era to the Qajar era. The region of Jam, due to the spiritual presence of Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami, has constantly been considered of an enormously elevated status by the contemporaneous rulers in comparison to other states and counties of Khurasan. Buildings were constructed to commemorate and mark the resting place of Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami, and thus Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami Mausoleum Complex expanded through time to reach its present glory and magnificence. It was deemed as a necessity to conduct this research in order to introduce the valueless Quranic manuscripts and further elaborate on the masterpieces which were kept in the collection of Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami Mausoleum Complex, as well as to understand the course of the developments of the ornamental elements and to provide a visual aesthetic analysis of these Quranic manuscripts from the Seljuk to the Qajar era. Ergo, one may come to propose the following questions. Firstly, what are book design, ornamental elements, and scripts which had been utilized in these Qurans throughout the period of the 6th to 14th century AH? And, secondly, what are the points of similarity and difference between the arrays?The research method was per se descriptive and analytical. And, the methods of data collection included library research as well as documentary-based research, especially focusing upon representations of field study such as interview and photography. Statistical population of this research includes forty-one codices ranging from the Seljuk era to the Qajar era. The sampling in this case is of purposeful kind; and, from amongst the prime samples and instances of each era, one codex has been selected to be under scrutiny and study.The findings of the present work have shown that ornamentations and arrays of the foretold Qurans have been elucidated and demonstrated in the form of tabulation, heading of Surah, ornamental loop (Shamseh cornice (Sharafeh, gilding, interlinear gilding, symbol of the division of verse, symbol of ten verses (Ashar) and symbol of five verses (Khams). The scripts which had been used do also have an intriguing variety and diversity with regard to their position and status. Seljuk and Il-khanate Qurans have been without tabulation, and during the next eras, they had been tabulated with yellow, black and eventually azure colors. In the initial periods, the heading of Surah was tangled and its main color was gold; whilst in the next periods, the ornamentations became more organized and the main color turned into azure. In the Seljuk era, the heading of Surah was written in golden Muharrar script; and, in the upcoming Qurans, it turned into Venetian ceruse, and then was based upon gilding. From Qurans that belonged to the Il-khanate era onwards, ornamental loops and cornices were more represented, getting gold-covered more coherently and consistently in the Safavid era as well as the Qajar era.Ornamental techniques, gilding, and crenulation are more applicable compared to interlinear gilding and Girih tiles. Symbol of division of verse, symbol of the ten verses (Ashar) and symbol of five verses (Khams) have had significant simplicity in Qurans of the Seljuk, Safavid and the Qajar eras, whilst these very symbols have been depicted more delicately and intricately in Qurans of the Il-khanate and the Timurid eras. Ornamental Kufic and Thuluth scripts for heading of Surah, and Rehyan and Thuluth scripts for the body of Quran were applicable and practical until the Safavid era; and, from then on, Naskh script became more prevalent. The translation of verses was initially written in Naskh script and then turned into Nastaʿlīq script as in the Qajar era. Catalogues and/or identifications of most of the codices have been reviewed and recognized by the authors; moreover, multifarious problems with regard to the type of the script, ornamentation and the historical period of the Qurans have as well been revised, reformed and recovered.

Iranian culture and civilization, despite the ethnic and racial diversity of the inhabitants of this land, the political developments and the invasion of the invaders and settlers, have always been regarded as an appropriate context for the advancement of Iranian art. Iranians have been involved in decorative arts as well as painting since ancient times, one of which being exquisite tile art.Decorating tiles in Islamic buildings as valuable treasures reflects the cultural ideas and religious beliefs of the artists of all times, and their taste and ability in this art have endured. Tile art, which gradually progressed from pre-Islamic centuries, reaches its peak of development and perfection in the Seljuk and Timurid times. Tile, which is the most beautiful and unique decorative element of architecture in the interior and exterior of buildings, not only creates the most spectacular color scenes and motifs in Iranian buildings, especially in religious sites, but it also is a factor in the strength and cover for the building. The finest examples of tile history of Iran, the inner and outer surfaces of the sacred doorstep of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (AS), are in front of our eyes through the many ups and downs of this land, making this valuable art endure, rather than be dissolved and forgotten.Geometric motifs have been used in pre-historic times in Iranian artworks, examples of which include pottery left from the civilizations of the hills of Sialk, Shush, Tal Bacon, and more. In the Islamic era, geometric motifs, especially knots, have been used in a variety of visual and decorative arts such as architecture and tiling of religious and non-religious buildings. The numerous and varied geometrical motifs (knots) seen in Iranian tile art and influencing the architectural ornamentation of other Islamic countries have generally been derived from a combination of a number of basic shapes, and by observing the constant rules of repetitive drawing have also been expanding throughout eras. These motifs, in addition to providing the viewer with visual pleasure, imply higher meanings within themselves that must be interpreted in order to be understood. From the Islamic point of view, these motifs and the way of their creation are symbolic ways of expressing the monotheism, which is the supernatural doctrine of divine unity as the origin and resurrection of all creatures. Through his sacred artistic spirit, the Muslim artist has achieved a two-dimensional reality in his artistic creations by departing from the three-dimensional elements of the creation world. In a concise way, this artist portrayed Islamic geometric art based on qualitative roles, based on mathematics and geometry, bringing together geometric shapes to achieve an element such as knot, which is in fact a mysterious knot of existence and polished the soul to prepare it to receive the truth.The holy shrine of Imam Ali-ibn-Musa al-Reza (AS) is a magnificent collection of the best tile art examples from different periods, which reached its peak of progress and perfection in the Seljuk and Timurid periods. Moreover, the geometric patterns of these tiles, with spiritually elevated meanings, embody a return to the world of monotheism by displaying unity in plurality and plurality in unity. This is why the best examples of tile art have appeared in these two periods. The present research aims to answer the following questions: Which geometric patterns have been used more often in the tiles of Imam Reza (AS)’s Shrine during the Seljuk and Timurid periods? What changes have occurred in the structures, colors, compositions and foundations of the patterns? And what similarities and differences exist among the geometric patterns of the tiles?This study has used a descriptive-comparative method and a historical analysis to show the developments in the Shrine’s tiles. The required data have been collected using a combination of library oriented and observational methods as well as tools such as books, articles, notes, tables, computer, and by referring to the tiles of the Imam Reza (AS)’s Shrine as well as their images. The geometric patterns were analyzed based on their foundations, compositions and colors, and the findings indicated similarities between the two periods in terms of the foundations and structures of the patterns and showed that most of the patterns are based on the geometric shape of the eight-pointed star. The tiles are quite similar in color, especially in the primary colors, but the compositions of the patterns (strap work) have no similarity, although all of them have the same shape. Although there were many tile samples from the Timurid period, only one from the Seljuk period, the geometric shape of the eight-pointed star, can be considered a meaningful common code in both periods.

One of the most important factors that develop Shiite themes in writing among the people was the lithography of manuscripts. The lithographic illustrated books, which included a large part, were religious books depicting the event of Ashura. Their content, often combined with poetry and imagery, was Maqtal, elegy, mourning, or supplication texts. One of these books is Majalis al-Muttaqin, the illustrated type of which is kept in the Iranian libraries, including the National Library, the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Ayatollah Boroujerdi Library, and so forth as well as in foreign libraries such as Prussian Cultural Heritage in Berlin. Majalis al-Muttaqin was one of the common books in the Qajar era. Compared to other popular books, it is now available in large numbers in Iran. It contains 50 Majlis about divine knowledge, moral and doctrinal principles, jurisprudence, and history of the prophets and Infallible Imams (AS), which were prepared by erudite Mujtahid for sermons and guidance in the holy month of Ramadan. Today, Majalis al-Muttaqin is available as manuscript, movable type or lithography. It has not been edited or reprinted in a new way, and researchers only refer to these resources. The other two copies are illustrated by Aligholi Khoei and Mohammad Ismail Tabrizi. Nevertheless, another manuscript, introducing outstanding design features, is the work of Abdul Jalil. This research aimed to introduce the illustrated lithographic copies of Majalis al-Muttaqin in the National Library and to make a comparative study of the version designed by Abdul Jalil. Therefore, the research aimed to recognize the illustrated lithographic manuscripts of Majalis al-Muttaqin and their artists, to study the design features and Ashura characterizations, and to determine differences and similarities between the designs of the manuscripts’ artists. This is a qualitative descriptive-analytical study that used a library method. The research question is: 1.What are the characteristics of Majalis al-Muttaqin illustrated lithographs and who are their artists? 2. What are the design features and characterizations done by Abdul Jalil in the mentioned manuscript? 3. What are the differences and similarities in the performance of the designers of the Majalis al-Muttaqin? The study of the design and Ashura characters of this manuscript makes us examine the relevant factors. Personality reflects a person's appearance, behavior, moods, beliefs, and even culture; and when reflected in an image, it incorporates the visual culture. Visual characterization shows internal and external attributes in the form of color and shape. Moreover, the artist expresses the character's spiritual qualities using the language of drawings. Visual characterization includes not only the creation of images regarding the character, but also in line with the symbols and visual signs, reflection of environmental elements and also the relationship with other figures. The spiritual characteristics, doctrinal concepts as well as the characteristics of creating a story are transmitted to the viewer. Identifying different elements, including clothing and decorations, facial expressions, body movement, the relationship of scenes with characters, relationship of characters to each other, the position of the character in the scene, the color of clothing and the environment, and even the actions of other elements in the scene towards the desired character can indicate personality traits in illustration. The artist is able to show such features more or less with different techniques in illustration. The results showed that several copies of the Majalis al-Muttaqin are still unknown and have not been yet analyzed. Accordingly, it seems that the 1274 AH manuscript in the National Library and the undated version are the works of Mohammad Ismail Tabrizi and Khoei, respectively. One of the manuscripts from 1284 AH by Abdul Jalil (an unknown artist) has scattered, irregular and dense cross hatching, and characters with short limbs, round and large faces. In addition, in the infidel army, faces are depicted with irregular and thick beards, and facial expressions are exaggerated. Irregular compression is seen in the infidel army. Lack of observance of proportions and the position of perspective along with lack of attention to the figures’ size at different distances and the image background are significant issues to be considered. In this version, expression and dynamism and avoidance of decorations can be seen, especially in the infidel army. The general structure has a diffuse and dense composition, while in other versions, especially the work of Mohammad Ismail Tabrizi, light and shades are seen less or even as dots, and the limbs’ proportions and elongation of the figures are more realistic. In addition, Khoei has used clothes and tools, more background work, latticework, and hatches. All designs have a regular and symmetrical shape. The square framing in most of the images, the Imams outfits, the ideal beauty and lack of emotional reaction in the faces of positive characters, the design of the covering of the face of Imam Hussein (AS), and the diagonal composition are common points.

The Inter-hybrid camel is one of the types of composite creatures in Iranian art. This composite creature has an important distinction with other composite creatures such as Sphinx, Griffin and others. In this image, the organs of different animals are not combined in one body. Rather, a collection of human and animal figures, strange objects and imaginary creatures are depicted inside the body of a camel and in the form of various organs of her body. This form of the camel is seen in many Iranian arts such as painting and carpet. In addition, Inter-hybrid camel is depicted in many Indian paintings and there are some similarities between camels in Indian paintings and Iranian examples. In this regard, examples of components of the camel's body are referred to as repetitive visual conventions. These conventions, which have emerged as a series of human and animal standards, are found in both Iranian and Indian arts to be perfectly harmonious in form, but differing in their portrayal together. Prominent examples of these contracts are: Rabbit (in heads and legs), Fictitious Creatures (in the neck), Fish (in the neck and tail), Human face (at the junction of the neck to the body), Human in the sitting position (in the chest), Bird (in the chest) and creatures that have come out of the mouth of another creature (in the legs). Pictorial carpets, as one of the arts of Iran, depict the Inter-hybrid camel. Pictorial carpets including these figures often belong to the Qajar era and after this era, and there has been no sign of this figure before this period. Research on pictorial carpets plays an important role in understanding the Iranian carpet art flow in the contemporary period as well as the cultural components of Iranian society. The image of the Inter-hybrid camel in the pictorial carpets remains largely unknown and the lack of studies in this area has created ambiguities as well as misconceptions about the resources and motivations for its use in carpets; including that this figure of the Inter-hybrid camel on the carpet is known with the story of Leyli and Majnun by Nizami Ganjavi. However, the attribution of this camel to Leily is not true in all examples. The aim of this study is the investigation and analysis of the morphological features of the Inter-hybrid camel figures of the pictorial carpets of the Qajar era as well as finding the conceptual and pictorial source of this figure in the carpets. To reach this goal, we also explored the figure of the Inter-hybrid camel in addition to pictorial carpets in other arts. The questions in this study are: 1. What is the visual origin of the image of the Inter-hybrid camel in pictorial carpets? 2. What is the conceptual and semantic origin of this role in pictorial carpets? 3. What are the morphological and formal characteristics of this image in pictorial carpets? Type of the research in this study is descriptive - analytical, historical and a comparative study. Formal analysis method has been used to analyze the data. Information gathering is done through library sources and the Internet. The statistical population includes the Qajar carpets. Seven carpets were selected and compared with each other. Because of their small number, the selection of these rugs is based on available and accessible samples. In this research, using linear analysis, the formal analysis of the Inter-hybrid camel in the carpets and the review of their repetitive visual contracts were discussed. Subsequently, the carpets with this picture, in addition to each other, were compared and analyzed with samples of Iranian lithographic arts and paintings of Iran and India. The results show that the carpets have indirectly been influenced by the Iranian and Indian paintwork and have directly been influenced by the lithography of the Qajar era. The conceptual source of these carpets is the stories of Leyli and Majnun by Nizami Ganjavi, Prophet Muhammad’s ascension, stories from the Golestan of Saadi and the legend of the talking tree. Morphologically speaking, the consisting parts of the camel’s body are: 1. Animals, 2. Humans, 3. Composite-fictional creatures, 4. Objects. Among the different kinds of animal species, the most commonly used element is the body.

In the pre-Islamic era, stucco was used to cover the walls of palaces and temples, because the building materials such as stone, sandstone or crude clay were not very interesting, and the richness of decorated walls was more effective than bare walls. This type of architectural-related decorations in the history of Iran was technically and artistically developed and became one of the archetypes of the Sassanid era. Stucco patterns of this era include plant, geometric, animal and human designs. The use of these patterns in this period, with a few differences in quantity, was accompanied with some mythical concepts. The transfer of these designs from the Sassanid era to the cultural and artistic realms of Islam was in companionship with some changes such as selection of motifs based on their usage in religious or non-religious places and being measured according to the basic Islamic principles. This has made plant and geometric designs luckier than other designs. Under the influence of the Islamic view, these motifs tended to be abstract and the artists avoided direct imitation of nature. Fast curability, fast progression and the whiteness of stucco that were important in the decoration of Islamic buildings were among other factors involved in the re-use of stucco decorations in Islamic monuments. For these reasons, this art, along with its plant and geometric motifs, grew and developed. One of the important findings during the archeological activities in Seymareh, was the discovery of its mosque and its stucco decorations. According to the dates given, the mosque belongs to the late Umayyad and early Abbasid era. Considering the importance of stucco decorations in Iran, the main objectives of this study were, firstly, to identify types of decorative motifs influenced by Sassanid stucco, and then, to study the similarities and differences between the Sassanid stucco designs and the decorative designs of the Seymareh Mosque. Accordingly, the main questions of research are: what are the decorative motifs influenced by the stucco art of the Sassanid period in the stucco adornment of the Seymareh Mosque? What are the similarities between the Sassanid stucco designs and the decorative designs of the Seymareh Mosque? The results of the study show that the decorative motifs found in the mosque of Seymareh could be divided into two main types of plant and geometric designs. Meanwhile, in addition to design and implementation, the plant motif of the Datura flower, and trapezoidal, elliptical geometric patterns, as well as decorative margins used in circular, square and rectangular frameworks, differ from the decorative designs of the Sassanid era. In addition to the formal effect, the application of the principle of symmetry and repetition and the method of making stucco decorations by molding, casting and prefabricated methods, we can see other evidences of the continuation of the Sassanid period stucco art in the stucco decorations of the Seymareh Mosque. Such volume of similarity and influence should be considered as a result of the location of the city of Seymareh in the Sassanid period, which has been evidenced by many architectures decorated with its stucco decorations in areas such as Barzqavaleh, Qaleh Gori and Goriyeh. In most of the stucco specimens of Qaleh Gori and Barzqavaleh, which are from the archeological sites of the Sassanid period and close to the city of Seymareh, and in the present study, the specimens with decorations of the Seymareh Mosque were compared in terms of marginalization and framing according to geometric and plant elements. The use of flowers and leaves such as palm, artichoke, rosette and lotus in the corners of the decorative frames of the design is one of the elements that exists in the stucco of both areas of Bozorgvaleh and Qaleh Gori. Based on archaeological findings, stucco decorations have been one of the most important methods of arranging Sassanid architectural spaces in the city of Seymareh, which can be used to justify the textual connection between the stucco decorations of the Seymareh Mosque and the stucco decorations of the Sassanid period. However, in the study of the decorative patterns of stucco of the Seymareh Mosque, there is evidence of the creation of new arrays such as the tendency towards different designs of plant motifs such as pomegranate fruit, pine fruit, tulip buds or the design of the decorative borders of the frame. Circular or square and rectangular geometric shapes are observed along with the creation of new geometric arrays such as trapezoidal and oval geometric patterns. Therefore, it can be said that the artists who designed the stucco decorations of the Seymareh Mosque, by using these innovations and the complexity of geometric and plant decorative motifs in addition to imitation, sought to provide new decorative surfaces appropriate to the cultural and artistic atmosphere of the first Islamic centuries and created new texts.

Social and religious beliefs and values have always influenced architecture, urban planning and arts. After Islam, inspiration from Islamic values and beliefs are evident in the creation of artworks. Since the Safavid era, the Shia faith became the official faith of the Persians; the relationship between the faith and different fields (especially arts) grow stronger. Religious concepts and beliefs in the Safavid and Qajar periods are reflected on various objects including metal, pottery, tiles, paintings and even textiles. One of its effects has been in the decoration of weapons, especially swords and this effect is more obvious in the field of inscription of data. In these two periods, artists have used a variety of ornamental motifs such as floral, geometric, human, animal and epigraphic motifs to adorn the swords. The focus of the present study was on inscriptions containing religious themes on swords. Inscription or calligraphy can be considered as one of the most important decorative motifs of Islamic art, especially in metalworking where the manifestation of the spirit of Islamic art and its religious aspects have added to the value and importance of such designs among Islamic artists and craftsmen. Sword making is one of the industries that has been widespread in the Safavid and Qajar periods. Epigraphic motifs are one of the decorative components in the art of Islamic metalworking, and the Iranian artist and craftsman, in addition to registering the owner and the creator (artist), using Qur'anic verses and prayers, etc., has used calligraphy as a decorative element. The selection of swords from different types of weapons in this study is intended to limit the scope of the subject, as well as the considerable variety of inscriptions used on this weapon. The main purposes of this study have been to classify the characteristics of the swords' Inscriptions in terms of form and content in these periods, and to explain the relationship between the content of inscriptions and religious beliefs in the Safavid and Qajar periods. It should be noted that in these periods, the sword has had ceremonial, symbolic and military uses. During the Qajar period, with the expansion of the use of firearms, the ceremonial use of white arms, especially the sword, became more prominent, but this feature didn't diminish its combat effectiveness. The authors are concerned with answering two questions: what kinds of religious inscriptions have been used on the Safavid and Qajar swords, and what writing scripts and techniques have been used on swords? And finally, what was the relationship between the inscription's content and religious beliefs in the Safavid and Qajar periods? The present study uses a descriptive – comparative – analytical approach. The information is collected through library research (studying library resources) and field study (investigating the samples of various inside and outside museums) as well as studying 50 distinctive samples (of the 70 inscribed samples, 25 samples were selected from each period) from two periods which are mainly kept in museums inside of the country such as the National museum, Reza Abbasi, Mostazafan Foundation, Golestan Palace, Kerman Military Museums, Bandar Anzali, Afifabad Shiraz, as well as using the website of some of the museums and collections outside of the country such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Hermitage Museum, Qatar Museum, Caravana Collection, Christie's Auction in the United States and Bonhams in London. According to the findings of the research, the religious inscriptions of the Safavid and Qajar swords indicate types of Qur'anic verses, qualified names of God, prayer and talisman, chivalrous narration, seeking help of prophets and Imams and Baduh that are often written in Naskh and Thuluth scripts; using inlaying and engraving techniques. The type of selected script is not related to the type of inscription. The importance and effect of religious inscriptions regarding the choice of these methods of working on metals, which had characteristics such as strength and resistance to wear and tear, as well as the ability to function with elegance and beauty, should not be ignored. According to the studies conducted on the selected samples, in terms of quantity, the use of different types of religious inscriptions on the swords of the Safavid and Qajar periods, Qur'anic inscriptions, prayer and talisman and qualified names of God had the highest statistical distribution. The early inscriptions, Baduh, seeking help of prophets and Imams and chivalrous narration had the next highest importance. The use of these types of inscriptions with talisman and protective aspect have been influenced by the religious beliefs and attitudes of the swords' artists and the owners, for the psychological support of warriors, as well as for association of God’s presence as a supporter and helper in war; even if the wars weren't aimed at strengthening religious and Islamic rites. Since the advent of Islam, up to present day, the Shiites and the followers of Imams have been trying to show their devotion and reverence for them in various forms, especially in artifacts.

Razavi holy shrine, due to the blessing of the shrine of Ali ibn Musa al-Reza (PBUH), has always been under the care and attention of rulers, artists, etc. Today, it houses all the Islamic arts like a museum. The inscriptions that have been available in the buildings of the shrine for a long time prove this claim. Inscriptions that have been restored many times, by preserving history and their themes, show the fate of the building in different historical periods. The oldest courtyard of the Razavi shrine, which is called Atiq (Revolution) due to its closeness to the Golden Dome and its importance, contains inscriptions from the Timurid period until now; most of which have religious themes. These inscriptions, which originate from the spiritual essence of the Holy Quran and the words of the Imams, express information which is taken from the social and religious conditions of each historical period, especially the Safavid era. According to this important point, the research questions are: - What historical period do the most religious inscriptions on the porches of the old courtyard belong to? -What are the themes and contents of each of the religious inscriptions? -What was the reason for the use and connection between the contents of the inscriptions and their place in the ancient courtyard?The research method is descriptive-analytical and its contents have been collected using written sources and field research. The analysis is also based on the method of qualitative content analysis; finally classified and reviewed in the form of four tables. The findings show that most of the inscriptions in the courtyard belong to the Safavid era and are dedicated to verses of the Qur’an and hadiths and their themes are based on monotheism, the mission of the prophets and the invitation of human beings to religious duties, friendship of the family of Muhammad and visiting the holy tomb of Imam Reza (PBUH). The choice of themes was also completely related to their place in the building. For example, in the south porch (Golden Porch), which is the entrance to the golden dome, the verses of Surah Maryam are inscribed, which refers to the safe atmosphere into which pilgrims enter, and also Surah Yasin, which is known as the heart of the Qur'an, is used to indicate the heart of this holy place (shrine). In the north porch (Abbasi porch), there is an inscription of Surah Jumu'ah which is completely suitable for the function of the minaret and shows the invitation to prayer. In the east porch (Naqareh porch) Surah Al-Muzzammil the theme of which is the invitation to perform religious duties and the verses of Surah Noor are inscribed which is very appropriate regarding the function of this porch and its location which is east; as if the sound of the Naqareh reminds us of God's ownership of the world and performing religious duties at the same time as the sun rises. The western porch (porch of the clock) is also inscribed with Surah Al-Insan, which is also conceptually associated with the function of the porch. The clock represents time and is the reminder of the time of human creation, and the creation of the world is best expressed by quoting this Surah. In addition, the inscriptions of the Throne verse in two places of the porch have been an emphasis on the creation and ownership of the Lord and the principle of monotheism.However, the subject of coordinating the content of verse inscriptions with the use of the building has been common in the past, as in the book of the first inscriptions in the architecture of the Islamic period of Iran, examples of this have been given. What is considered about religious inscriptions in this place and from the Safavid period onwards, which is repeated by heresy in other periods, is bringing hadiths about the honor of the Shiites and the intercession to the Prophet (PBUH) and Imam Reza (AS) for the pilgrims as the reward of their pilgrimage. Such inscriptions are quoted from the Prophet (PBUH) and Imams (AS) along with the verse of purification or the hadith of al-Kisa which is about the infallibility and purity of the family of the Prophet (PBUH). It has been aimed at emphasizing the Shiite religion. The fact that Shia has been the official religion of Shiite Iran for centuries seems normal today, but in Safavid times, this issue was effective in historical, social, cultural and religious conditions. Only by reflecting on the inscriptions of the Abbasid porch, the reason for selecting and bringing the sovereignty verse along with Surah Kawthar together with Nadali and Durood and a part of Tawassul prayer, a message based on the divine will and providence regarding the establishment of Safavid government and Shiite dignity is specified.

Today, many works of art are formed by the combination of linguistic and visual modes, and this form of creation of artwork has also affected its reception. The writing language has become an inseparable layer from the title of exhibition and works, to a fundamental element in the creation of them, and forms a multimodal text. So, Language can be interlinked in two forms, connected to artworks or separated from them, with non-linguistic modes of the work. The relationship between language and image has always existed in art history, each time one is superior to the other. Contemporary art traveled to the linguistic world in contrast to modern art and this linguistic turn is represented in various forms. On the other hand, pictorial turn means the importance of image versus language. Given the long-standing relationship between language and image in art and the theory of linguistic and pictorial turns, the question that arises is which of these turns represents contemporary multimodal art more than the other? Given that each of these turns alone cannot cover the multimodal features of this section of works and contemporary art exhibitions; the term multimodal turn in art seems to be a more appropriate substitute. Thus, in order to explain the multimodal turn and discourse in contemporary art, this article intends to answer these two questions: - What is the meaning of multimodal discourse in contemporary art? And, what are the characteristics of this kind of discourse in this context? The present article is descriptive and analytical in terms of method, and research data is also collected using library methods, observation and reference to documents and exhibition archives. This article aims to explain multimodal discourse by defining van Dijk's discourse in relation to contemporary art. In addition, it applies some of Gillian Rose's theories in this regard. Discourse analysis, or preferably discourse studies have diverse approaches and branches that indicate differences in similarities. One of the new approaches is the multimodal discourse analysis, also known as MDA. The multimodal verbal / visual discourse studies the language in conjunction with another source, or in other words, the image and its special context. The answer to these questions in the form of research results is that multimodal discourse means the study of different semiotic sources, including language and image, in relation to each other. If we consider discourse based on van Dijk's definition, a thinker in the field of discourse analysis, and the use of language in a particular context, we can say that in contemporary art we face a kind of linguistic and visual discourse, because this part of art, unlike the modern tradition, represents an inseparable relationship between language and image. In contemporary Iranian art, we see many examples of cooperation between language and image in a new form of expression in the creation and display of works as a multimodal discourse. Some of the artists drawing on this approach include Ali Ettehad, Barbad Golshiri, Farshid Azarang, Mahmoud Bakhshi, Nazgol Ansarinia, etc. In the contemporary period, this relationship and interaction in the form of multimodal discourse is a powerful tool for artists to express the new issues they face, and thus in this way, their separation has been questioned throughout the history of art. The use of textual and visual technologies such as catalogs as well as statements demonstrates this relationship and creates an interconnected network of modes and meanings. They are one of the types of technologies through which institutions (as well as artists) operate, and in this way, they put the single display object in a process. In the face of this discourse, the audience also changes from a mere viewer to a viewer / reader and forms a communicative and social event that is a functional aspect of discourse, since when it comes to the multimodal discourse in art, the social structures are constructed not merely through images, but also through all the modes and aspects which are involved in discourse, thus it certainly does not leave out language and text.

Coverage has been a symbol of culture in different eras and shows the social status of individuals and society. Iran is located in a special region and because of that; it has a people with different cultures and religions which has led to diversity in the way of life and coverage. According to the history of several thousand years, it has a richness in terms of its shape and geometry that can be seen in paintings of different periods. Coverage has many lexical meanings and refers to different aspects. In this article, two aspects of it are mentioned - which include the human element or the "Sarpoosh", and also the architectural element, which is called "Asemaneh". They have a special importance and place in the Iranian-Islamic culture and it is due to the existence of various religions that Iran is one of the richest civilizations in the world, and therefore it has various and original covers; as inspired by Western artists in different periods. Since clothing is the protector of individuals' privacy and architecture is the protector of society's privacy and the Sarpoosh is known as one of the main components of clothing and the Asemaneh is also known as one of the main components of architecture; both of them are related to humans, so the relationship between them cannot be ignored.The point to consider in the discussion of coverage is the factors that have affected them in various ways, one of the most important and fundamental of which is gender. Previous studies show that gender has been influential in the coverage of human beings, but how can this influence be observed in the coverage of Safavid period paintings? The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of human and architectural coatings on each other in paintings and to find out the answers to these questions: - Is there an influence between Sarpoosh-ha and Asemaneh-ha in the paintings of the Safavid period? - Which factors influence between them? - What role does gender play in this influence? Paintings in different periods are one of the most significant visual documents through which the painter has helped to recognize different periods by using creativity and special illustration, and of course, by using geometric and Islamic shapes to simplify historical events. Forms and geometries have played an important role in the artist's expressions, which change according to the context, and cause different emotions. In some cases, broken and sharp forms, and in other subjects, soft and curved forms are used. The painter has tried to help express the feelings and knowledge of that time by using the simplest forms and sometimes similarities, which can be seen in the coverings as well as the buildings.It should be noted that due to the nature of this article, in this study, the main focus is on the coverage depicted in the paintings. The best way to collect this information is to refer to paintings from different periods. In this research, we have tried to compare the Sarpoosh and the Asemaneh by selecting paintings with different contents and examine the existence of this influence on each other and also the geometric and formal relationship between them, and finally how to respond to this influence. Therefore, in this article, by collecting information and visual documents through library research method and selecting the studied samples from Safavid period paintings - with different contents such as epic and mystical - various types of coverings have been achieved and by the method of Semiotic analysis, which is of qualitative and descriptive-analytical type, they have been studied while this influence of human and architectural coverings on each other have been examined comparatively. The results of studies conducted in the above paintings indicate that there are several factors regarding the impact of the two on each other, and gender, as one of these factors, has played a colorful role which is noticeable in the paintings and can be observed which shows close relationship between them. In the Asemaneh-ha the presence of men is bold, and rough with majestic forms - which can be called masculine traits - which is also true in the Sarpoosh-ha, in contrast to the spaces where the presence of women has played a prominent role, soft, static and delicate forms - which can be called feminine traits - are used. It should be noted that in this article, coverage has been studied in terms of form and geometry, and due to the breadth of the content, they can be studied from other aspects (including color, etc.) as well.

Colorful decorations in Islamic architecture have always been the means of expressing meanings. In Islam and Islamic mysticism, color, like other creatures of the universe, is a symbol of something beyond matter. The one and only deity, without forms and material qualities, and of course without color, has manifested himself through the pure light and that light has appeared in multiple colors throughout the universe. In fact, in the case of color interpretation, a kind of cryptography must be used. Decoding the secrets of colors and their interpretations throughout our visual world, including the nature as well as manmade symbols would be possible through the religious knowledge enclosed in the hearts of the sages and mystics. Therefore, it is necessary to refer to the definitions and interpretations of religious leaders, mystics and sages in understanding the mysteries and secrets. The narratives from the Muslim Imams and also the statements of mystics have stressed the importance of color symbolizations within our world. According to the teachings of the Sufis, the esoteric realm of Islamic mysticism has been manifested through secrets and colorful symbols in our art and architecture, particularly within the architecture of monastery-mausoleums (Khaneghah-mazar(, which due to its mystical status was used more than other works of Islamic architecture.The present study aims to provide an interpretation of color symbolizations in Shia and Sunni theosophy and to examine the extent of concordance of those fundamentals between Shia and Sunni monastery-mausoleums of Iran. The research questions are: (1) which colors are important in Shia and Sunni perspectives? (2) Have the color symbolizations in monastery-mausoleums been influenced by the anecdotes and teachings of the theosophists? (3) What are the similarities and differences of color symbolizations in Shia and Sunni monastery-mausoleums? In terms of methodology, this is a descriptive analytic study and a case study research. The data were extracted from the religious and theosophical resources. Then, they were analyzed and compared with other data from field studies. In consideration of the importance of the Sufism during the Ilkhanate and the Timurid periods, various monasteries for a range of Sufi branches such as Nourbakhshieh, Ne’matollahieh, Naghshbandieh were built in those periods and our statistical population is designated as all those monastery-mausoleums built originally in the eighth and the ninth centuries AH. This statistical population includes nine monastery-mausoleums of Chalapi Oghlu in Soltanieh, Sheikh Ala Al-Dawlah Semnani, Sheikh Abdul Samad Isfahani Natanzi, Sheikh Dad in Yazd, Maulana Abu Bakr Zeinuddin Taybadi, Sheikh Ahmad Jami, Bayazid Bastami, Shah Ne’matollah Vali and Sheikh Safi Al-Din Ardabili. Amongst those buildings, four of the most important examples are monastery-mausoleums of Shah Ne’matollah Vali and Sheikh Safi Al-Din Ardabili from the Shia and monastery-mausoleums of Bayazid Bastami and Sheikh Ahmad Jami from the Sunni faith. Those four samples were selected particularly for the present study in which the structures and characteristics of color symbolizations were studied.The results show that according to the Shia ideology, the God is casting a four-sided lighting image over the throne; and those colorful lights, which indicate the light identity of the existence of Imams, are flowing through other material manifestations of the universe. Those colors could be interpreted in slightly different ways at each level of the universe. Those colors are symbols of variations in God’s image through the descending curve, while the potent peripatetic witnesses the colorful images of the creator within the curve of ascendance. Colors are the symbols of steps of the seekers’ demeanor in Sunni theosophy hypotheses as well, and the spectrum of manifested colorful lights indicates the quality of spiritual evolution of the seeker through the ascending path to reach the God. The studies suggest that color decorations in all four monastery-mausoleums are in concordance with those theosophical teachings.In all four instances, the prevalent color used at the external façade is blue, which symbolizes the elementary levels of the spiritual ascendance. The blue color indicates disdaining the horizons within the Sunni teachings while it symbolizes the height of certainty in some symbolization aspects of Shia theosophy. The blue color generally is a symbolization of certainty and the starting point of the path in “Al-baten” (internal/spiritual) characteristics. However, there are differences between Shiite and Sunni monastery-mausoleums within the internal spaces. Red, yellow, gold, green, white and black are more prominent in Shiite monastery-mausoleums that refer to the importance of those colors in Shiite perspective and the roots of guardianship as well as heavenly and extraterrestrial importance of those colors.