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سال هشتم شماره 19 (زمستان 1390)

According to common belief, the Persian garden has always had a fixed identity throughout history. Nevertheless, more accurate studies have shown fundamental differences between the first Iranian garden (Pasargad garden) and gardens of the Islamic period. It seems that these differences are rooted in the beliefs and aspirations of people who had built them. The current research will try to address those differences in terms of their nature and the ideas they are based on. It will also deal with theoretical principles that lead to these differences.The objective of this research is to show that the gardens are mostly meant to represent the ideas and beliefs of people more than showing the geographical and historical varieties. The research will also try to show how the core structures of gardens have changed as a result of a change in religious beliefs that include ideals and aspirations of people.To attain those objectives, the researchers have employed the phenomenology method (sample to concept) to investigate the differences between Pasargad garden and gardens of the Islamic era. They have also tried to identify the roots of differences between the structures of gardens according to the beliefs of their architects before and after the advent of Islam.According to results of this research, the most important differences are: 1- Organized divisions in the garden plan 2- Symbolized movement of water and 3- Slope designs of the terrain and the positioning of the pavilion.Although terrain conditions are very important in the designing of gardens but water paths design, palace position and landscapes can be conscious, symbolic and concept-based. In three above factors, the factor of concept has a higher importance.It seems that the differences between garden structures are symbolic aspects and are rooted in ideal paradise patterns of each religion. This research has tried to recognize many of those differences by considering the notion of “the ideal human relationship with nature” in the beliefs of Islam and Zoroastrianism.

The purpose of this article is studying the city schema from the perspective of Islamic notions. The main question is what are the traditional schematic components and non-schematic components in the construction of a city in the Muslim world. The practical method is like the one used by Muslim scholars in their researches. Thus, the source documents in the research are Quran, narratives and scientists’ views which have been used as basic knowledge and the widely accepted rational arguments and inferences. The results demonstrate that in a traditional city structure there is a multifaceted relationship between all components. Such a structure is earthly and heavenly; in other words, the earth is the shadow of the sky. The purpose of the traditional city structure is to develop the appropriate ground for the guidance of mankind to perfection which is absolute submission. It is through such submission that the individual finds peace of heart and the necessary ground would be developed for the emergence of justice. Traditional city structures are changing continuously in accordance with changes in the nature and the development of new needs. While having diversity, it has unity. On the other hand, the interconnection between the components has caused the elements of nature to be used in the traditional city structure properly and as much as necessary. Since the purpose of the traditional city structure is human being and human being has spirit and body, such a structure is shaped according to human being and his physical and spiritual needs. Accordingly, before establishing the city, the traditional human being must be created. Therefore, the objective in the traditional structure is beyond just establishing the framework of the city.

Urban design in Iran does not have a long history and the designing playgrounds for children, particularly in age group (5-12), have been less prioritized. In Iran’s old cities, due to the identity and emotional attachment of inhabitants and their adaptation to traditional communities, children may easily find their needed area for playing. Today, urbanism has caused spatial limitations for children and this has resulted in a completely different way of their game from the former generation. The popularity of computer games among more than 80% of children today testifies to this fact. Therefore, it is necessary to develop urban solutions for the present cities in order to allocate appropriate areas to this age class. By adapting the current principles and criteria in designing playground areas, the present article has compared these two subjects and through proving some hypotheses, it deemed children’s expectations about playgrounds today to be higher than traditional swings and slides and it observed this to require revision while it has been influenced by the technique of designing playground areas and matrix environment through type of houses in order to confirm on the way of neighborhood’s design and its impact on children’s playing behaviors and their physical activities. It has tried to propose new principles toward designing playgrounds for children, especially age group (5-12); a type of approach that benefits the designs of contemporary playground areas as its ultimate objective and based on identifying children’s needs and interests. The article is also meant to improve the quality for children’s games in urban areas for further presence of children in order to create qualitative game opportunities via a conscious process.

In north of Iran, a style of architecture has formed over time which is specific to the culture and the weather conditions of that region. This style of architecture is the result of the extrovert nature of the locals and is deeply rooted in Islam as well as the Persian civilization. Sagha nefar is a type of Nefar which takes its name from Hazrat Abolfazl, the half-brother of the Imam of Shia faith – Imam Hossein – both martyred at the hands of Omavid Caliph Yazid along with their companions in the battle of Karbala back in 680 AD.The current article deals with the history of Nefars and their development into Sagha nefar in Mazandaran over the years. It will also bring into the spotlight the religious beliefs of the people of Mazandaran, particularly the rituals related to Moharram mourning period, and their role in designing the architecture of Sagha nefars.This style of architecture was developed by villagers who have tried to preserve it so far. Nefar is in fact completely indigenous to Iran’s Mazandaran Province and it is the only style of architecture which has been developed to pay tribute to one single religious figure i.e. Hazrat Abolfazl. It has been for the purpose of preserving the religious values attributed to the Day of Ashura – when Imam Hossein and his companions were martyred in the battle of Karbala – that Nefars have been constructed in Mazandaran.The hypothesis of the article is that Sagha nefars comprise an important part of the history of the Persian architecture that have been kept out of academic spotlight as the result of a lack of related researchers. The present article tries to study this style of structures and dig into the roots of their architectural designs. It is expected that the findings of this research will help highlight the indigenous characteristics of Mazandaran inhabitants. A further expectation is to use the findings of the research to better preserve these structures against damage.

Developments in the Persian painting enjoy a relative continuity and progression despite historic interruptions and the influence of foreign cultures, and many visual and thematic commonalities are observed in the works of different ages of the Persian painting. Symbolism as one of the tools of visual expression and a representation of concepts has brought many works of the Persian panting together both in terms of form and concept. Therefore, a survey on the symbolic elements and semiotics in the Persian painting is considerable with regards to the status of the symbols and the method of their application in various eras. Evaluation of the various symbolic elements through their categorization into geometrical, composed and natural symbols has prepared the ground for a better and more accurate process of studying the function of the elements, the symbolic setting and symbolism in general in the Persian paintings. The symbolic elements as representations of exalted and remote concepts and have evident and remarkable manifestations which have often maintained their connections with tangible reality. The Persian artist has exposed symbolic paintings with different functions, sometimes through a completely immaterial and abstract method, sometimes inspired by the reality, sometimes by exaggerating the actual characteristics and sometimes by composing different characteristics, which have facilitated the bounds and relations with intangible concepts and meanings in the picture setting by means of symbolic composition. In fact, the Persian painter in various eras uses the valuable background of Persian poem and literature as well as deep concepts of Iranian Wisdom and Islamic Mysticism, not to represent the tangible nature but to express the symbolic significance. Therefore, innovation and application of the symbolic elements in the visual language of the Persian painting in various eras have gone through a complementary process in terms of form and content.

The highland county of Abdanan, located in south of Ilam province, Kabir-Kuh, covers north of this region like a wall. In 2001, a team from the Archaeological Expedition Department of Bu-Ali Sina University conducted a regional survey at this area. Totally, 51 sites were discovered during this survey, through which Julian is one of the most remarkable ones. The newly-found Julian Chahar-Taqi is a fire temple belonging to the Sassanid era. Like many other fire temples of that time, Julian was built with pieces of stone and plaster. This Chahar-Taqi, as the remaining part of the heart of a larger structure, consists of four stone walls of different sizes surrounded by a round passageway. This article seeks to describe this Chahar-Taqi as a fire temple and show its similarities with other similar structures (fire-temples) in Iran. Considering its vast area and specific architectural characteristics, the discovered fire temple of Julian could be studied and discussed from different points of view. However, it is important to note that the study of Julian is in its preliminary basis, and the above subjects are particularly the results of the writer’s field research. More details about the structure and the city of Julian can only be obtained by future surveys and excavations.It is worth mentioning that the fire of Adoran was praised in Julian fire temple. Preliminary studies enabled us to classify this structure along with some other discovered and excavated fire temples in Iran such as Mil-Milgah, Shian, Negar, Farashband, etc. Also, it may be worth to look at the significant influence of the construction plans for fire temples of this period, especially the ones that were built in the last years of the Sassanids. Examples of such fire temples include Takht-e Soleyman fire temple, which is one of the most important official temples of the Sassanid era.By Zoroaster’s teachings, the only people allowed to enter the sacred fire temples were high-ranking Moubads (The Magi or the Zoroastrian priests). Beh-Dins, Moubads, and common worshippers would gather in passageways and in front of entrances, watching the ceremony held by the Moubad from apart. Our knowledge about the details of this ritual and the involved processes are based on common Zoroastrian ritual traditions. Even though such ceremonies of today have lost the magnificence of the Sassanid era but there might not be any major difference because of the fact that Zoroastrians always try to preserve the original tenets of their rituals.Another point about Julian is that it was occupied during the first centuries after the advent of Islam. This is mostly evident through discovered archeological signs specially clay pot pieces. However, it is not clearly understood whether the fire temple were still used, abandoned, or changed during the Islamic era. In addition, the discovery of significant archeological structures belonging to the Sassanid and the early Islamic eras in Pishkouh and Posht-e Kouh regions shows that Lorestan and Ilam provinces may include important clues to describe and analyze this fire temple and most others discovered in Western Iran.