Comparative Study of Altars in the Grand Mosques of Tabriz and Marand

The altar is the most prominent architectural sign pointing out the qibla. The altar of mosques bears a symbolic and physical significance in Islamic architecture. Over the centuries, altars have scarcely undergone any change. The altars of the seventh century to the middle of the eighth century AH, which coincided with the Ilkhanate period, had a special value and prestige and contained the most beautiful and exquisite tablets and inscriptions. In Ilkhanate mosques, the altar was considered the most important part of the spatial environment and has been the main platform for artists' exhibition of their genius. The stucco altars of the Ilkhanate period are considered to be the most exquisite, both in terms of the frequency of patterns and their fine figures and arrays, and have created unique visual effects, the value and significance of which is further pronounced owing to their inscriptions. Stucco altars are one of the most widely used altars built during this period. The grand mosques of Tabriz and Marand are among the most important religious buildings throughout the history of architecture. They are in the caliber of the best samples left in the field of Ilkhanate decorations in the region of Azerbaijan. The lack of significant studies on the Ilkhanate altars of the grand mosques of Tabriz and Marand, in terms of reviewing the aesthetic values ​​and content features of inscriptions and motifs, further highlights the necessity to recognize and compare these altars.

This research seeks to examine the decorative motifs of the altars of the grand mosques of Tabriz and Marand to recognize a part of Iranian Islamic art. This research employs a comparative methodology using physical content analysis. To this end, the altars of Grand Mosques of Tabriz and Marand from the Ilkhanate period are selected since they are unique in platform, design, and construction technique in East Azarbaijan province and include readable and legible inscriptions, motifs, and decorations. Therefore, through collecting information from library and field studies and photographing the site, the appearance, geometric ornaments, and floral and Islamic motifs of the stuccos, and verses and fonts used in the altar are identified in both samples. Then, comparative research methods are used to compare, describe, and interpret the themes and relationships of verses and text with each other and their site.

In the studied samples, the concept of consistency in Islamic and geometric motifs of stuccos from the Seljuk period to the Ilkhanate period is exhibited in the form of hexagonal renders and rosettes. The existence of symmetrical decorative figures on the stucco of the two corners of the written inscription on the altar of the Grand Mosque of Tabriz has caused the text to be broken up. It is significantly different from the unified and angled text in the altar of the Grand Mosque of Marand. The artistic selection and manifestation of Islamic teachings based on the purity of intention in the inscriptions is a demonstration of the centrality of religion in the Ilkhanate period. The correlation of the concepts of symmetry, balance, proportionality, similarity, and geometry is readily perceivable in the physical definition of the altar of the Grand Mosques of Tabriz and Marand. Despite the apparent differences in terms of proportions, physical composition for main and decorative pillars, the differences in the width of the frontal face of the altars, the diversity in the margins, arch designs, and the texts, fonts, and contents of the inscriptions, the only unifying and symbolic element of Ilkhanate art in terms of the use of plaster and stucco decorations defines a common sense of the altar in both places and leads to the similarity of the nature in both works. In terms of identity, the visual indicator of the white plaster is a symbol of purity and a reference to the oneness of the deity. The arrangement of the stucco decorations of both altars with naturalistic abstract motifs in various Islamic forms bears an exhibition of the paradigm of unity in plurality and the appearance of God's spirit, in the form of architecture and stucco art of the altar, which is visualized through the hands of religious artists. The paradigm of unity in plurality is evident in a unified sense through the perception of the spatial features of the altar in both mosques. The concept of consistency in the architecture of the altars of the Grand Mosques of Tabriz and Marand clearly emerges through the study of Islamic and geometric patterns of stuccos from the Seljuk period to the Ilkhanate period. Hexagonal renders and rosettes are the most important continuous motifs used in the studied altars. Considering the location of both mosques, the Azeri language and dialect, and the Persian font have not impacted the development of the symbolic feature of the Muslim qibla, i.e., the altar. It seems evident that the Arabic language and the Kufic script play a more prominent role in the inscriptions of the Ilkhanate period as a unifying cross-border character, since the inscriptions of order, construction, and identification of the master craftsman are also written and executed in the Arabic language. The qualitative format of Islamic art in the alters of the Grand Mosques of Tabriz and Marand shapes their spiritual aspect. This feature further exhibits the centrality of religion in the arts of the Ilkhanate period and offers a uniform definition of the architecture of the place of worship in the application of heavenly verses of the altar.

The most important findings of the research are the visual index of plaster, the spiritual manifestation of the application of divine themes related to the architecture of the mosque and its components by the spiritually devoted artists, and the index of transnational and unifying Arabic calligraphy in explaining the altars of Grand Mosques of Tabriz and Marand.