Analyzing the Meaning of the Garden Carpet Found in Astan Quds Razavi based on Emil Male's Opinion

Garden carpets are a type of rug that gained popularity during the late Safavid period. One prominent example of this type is a carpet housed in the Astan Quds Museum. One notable feature of this carpet, which serves the function of Sajdah, is the inclusion of 'Sajdah' written on the front of the altar. The motifs employed in these carpets, in addition to the mihrab and a zikr on the front of the mihrab, include flying birds and thirteen fish inside the mihrab. Given that animal designs are less common in prayer mats, the question arises: What is the relationship between these designs and the rug's function? The research method employed is descriptive-analytical, and the information is gathered through library research. To unravel the meaning of the rug according to its function, it becomes necessary to understand the icons and the concealed codes within them. Hence, the Iconography method developed by Emil Male has been employed to analyze the carpet. The research findings reveal that the carpet incorporates visual symbols of Iranian ascension and excellence along with verbal symbols of Islamic excellence. Consequently, the combination of visual and verbal elements creates a new narrative that underscores Islamic-Iranian excellence.