Ornamentation of Urban Façade as Iran’s Valuable Cultural Heritage (Case Study: Paein Khiaban-Mashhad)

Given the importance of the historical context in the Iranian city of Mashhad and acts of sabotage, identifying, preserving, recording, and maintaining its historic facades is important. This study aims to investigate the ornamentations of Paein Khiaban’s historic facades of the Qajar period (1304-1174) (which have been inscribed as Iran’s cultural heritage). The methodology of this study is based on descriptive-analytical, exploratory, library studies, and field research. The results show that all buildings are two-story and ornamentations often seen on the upper part of the facade. In terms of ornamentation, in most of the façades, the moarragh mosaic tile or combination of tiles and bricks were used. Furthermore, some opening inscriptions are decorated with moarragh mosaic tile, too. All of these facades are made of brick and the dominant colours of the facade’ ornamentations are brown, yellow, Ultramarine and turquoise blue, lateritious and sometimes pink and white.