Chronology of Neighborhoods Development Based on the Inscriptions of Historic MonumentsCase study: City of Natanz

The favorable bioclimatic conditions of the Natanz region, in addition to its location in the adjacent to the southern communication network in the Iran’s central plateau, and especially its geographic position between the two strategic cities of Kashan and Isfahan have provided the ground for the formation and development of numerous settlements and various architectural heritages. Despite the prominent position of civilization and cultural-historical city of Natanz in the civility of this land, few studies have been fulfilled the recognition of the factors affecting the formation and development of its neighborhoods. Additionally, there is a scientific gap in the field of documentation and determining the proper chronology of development the architectural heritages of Natanz, including the tomb of Sheikh Abdul Samad, the Jameh Mosque, the tomb of Seyyed Waqif, and other religious, commercial, and public utility buildings. The authors in this study focused on the role of the inscriptions of Natanz historical monuments in recognizing the chronology of neighborhood development. Thus, the principle research query is how the Natanz's neighborhoods were formed, expanded and flourished in different historical periods. The authors benefited from the inscriptions of the specific historical buildings and undeniable information gathered from the historical neighborhoods of the city of Natanz which were developed in the Islamic era. To achieve this goal, all the historical inscriptions of the architectural heritages of this city have been identified and documented. The preparation of the design of the inscriptions has not only enabled their accurate reading; but also, has provided the necessary materials for studies related to the formation and evolution of the historical neighborhoods of Natanz.