The Assessment of Structural Characteristics of Wooden Decorations in Two Qajarid Mosques in Tehran

Mosques are the most important symbols of religious architecture in Islamic civilization. They have been a manifestation of the thought and spirit that have always governed the environment and occupied a place in the heart of the city. For that reason, mosques have always benefited from the best materials and arrays. In the thirteenth century A.H., mosque construction took place in two forms; one was the restoration of comprehensive mosques, and the other the construction of new mosques. The evolution of decorative arts affected mosques so that they underwent changes in appearance. One of these changes was sash making which appeared in urban mosques and consisted of inlaying, Chinese knotting, glass cutting, and carving. As a result, decorations in forms of inlays and Chinese knots on the wooden doors and arches of Tehran mosques became popular. Therefore, master artists, with the help of carving and inlaying, turned the inanimate wood into a scene of eye-catching shapes in a number of religious buildings. Measuring and adapting the style and design of two samples of wooden arrays in Sultani Mosques and Sheikh Abdul Hussein Mosque in Tehran, illustrate unsaid points about the evolution of woodworking art and carving in contemporary Iranian architecture. The nature of this research is both theoretical and practical; in terms of methodology, it has adopted a qualitative approach. The objective of the study is to discuss the cognitive stylistic features of the wooden arrays of Qajar period mosques while comparing the wooden decorations of these mosques. According to the findings of the research, it can be concluded that the doors of these two mosques have three stylistic characteristics: traditional, eclectic, and western. Besides, in both examples, the characteristic of wooden art consists of a creative combination of traditional inlay symbols and an addition of oval and tangerine designs on innovative works. Such results are indicative of the transformation in the art of woodworking in the Qajar period, during which decorating the surface of wood with geometric shapes-- such as the arranging of walls with plaster and tiles-- became common in the decorative architecture of Iran.