A Comparative Analysis of Architecture and Architectural arays of Chahaharbagh and Aligholi agha mosque-school

This paper focuses on Chaharbagh and ʻAliqoli Āqa, two mosque-schools of Isfahan. These monuments were built in the era of Shah Soltan Hossein, and situated within two outstanding urban complexes in Isfahan. The paper proposes two hypotheses. First, the mentioned mosque-schools – as the most significant scientific-religious monuments of the Shah Soltan Hossein era – have regular stylistic components, specifically regarding architectural ornaments. Second, one of the critical factors in the formation of the distinctions and similarities of the two monuments is the support of the shah. The findings of this research indicate that the essential stylistic attributes of the ornaments are the use of textured geometric patterns such as shah-gereh on the mosaic tiles in specific colors, the placement of the quadruplicate and archetypal cross forms called chalipa, as well as various symmetric patterns, and the like. The content of the architectural ornaments reflects the Shiʻa beliefs, and praises the supporter of the two monuments (shah). Despite these similarities and the inscription of the shah’s name in the golden point of the two façades, there are many differences in the architectural and ornamental structures, including the quantitative and qualitative differences in the dimensions of the building, and some elements in Chaharbagh monument, which has no equivalent in ʻAliqoli Āqa.