Tiling Motifs and Symbols of Qajar Era in Aqa Bozorg and Soltani (Imam) Mosque-and-School Historic Monuments

Among the factors affecting the glory and beauty of architecture in Iran, especially in Islamic eras, is the decoration and embellishment of buildings. Aqa Bozorg and Soltani (Imam) mosque-and-school structures are among architectural masterpieces of Qajar period in Kashan whose decorations, especially tiling patterns and motifs, are eye-catching and important. Studying tiling designs of these two buildings can help better understand the cultural identity of these two ancient monuments. As a dearth of research exists on the architecture of historical schools in Iran, especially on decoration, the present paper has conducted descriptive analysis, library research, and field research to study and analyze the motifs and symbols of these two architectural landmarks of Qajar in Kashan. Findings showed that most of the decorations used in Aqa Bozorg and Soltani (Imam) mosque-and-school tiling structures were influenced by decorative arts in the West and were naturalistic, non-abstract, and imitative. Floral motifs like flowers and vases, flowers and birds, and natural leaves and buds such as lilies as well as bird motifs are seen plainly in these two buildings creating specific iridescent color tiles which convey a sense of spiritual manifestation.