Recognition of the area and elements of Isfahan’s Lonban neighborhood in the Qajar period

Life in the traditional cities of Iran until the end of the Qajar period was organized in the form of a neighborhood, which suffered a physical and functional rupture following the urban development of the Pahlavi period. Over time, changing the lifestyle and accelerating its process caused semantic changes, isolation and destruction of neighborhood structures from the collective memory of citizens. Since the neighborhood is the bedrock of current life in the old city and the most important residential scale, it is important to study its structure and key elements. However, not much research has been done on the structure of neighborhoods in Isfahan during the Qajar period and in order to identify each neighborhood from the perspective of architectural history studies. In this regard, Lonban neighborhood, which is one of the oldest and largest neighborhoods in Isfahan and located in the western part of the city will be studied in the mentioned period. The purpose of this recognition is to examine and map the historical background of one of the most important historical cities of Iran. The present research has been done by historical-interpretive method and using valid written historical sources. Historical data from which the existence of the neighborhood originated or was important to local people were compiled and extracted as key components from various sources, including maps, travelogues, historiographies, etc., and with different perspectives on the five categories of natural, historical, economic and occupational, demographic, and physical characteristics were explained. Finally, using the studies and matching with Seyyed Reza Khan’s map, the area of this neighborhood in the city of Qajar period was redrawn and the key elements in this neighborhood were identified and their positioning was done. These studies are not only valuable in terms of urban historiography, but as a structure derived from human behaviors and activities over a long period of time and in accordance with their natural environment, it is essential for the process of improving the quality of today’s cities.