One of the most important indigenous structures in Iran, which is directly related to the agricultural economy, is the so-called pigeon house. Isfahan province is one of the regions that has played an important role in the background and construction of pigeon houses in the local history of Iran. Since Gavart pigeon houses have not been carefully studied historically and archaeologically, the present study tries to clarify the importance of these buildings in this cultural area in terms of political, economic and geographical relations. The method used, in addition to studying historical sources, is archeological field activity. In order to achieve the mentioned goals, Mirza Ahmad Pigeon House has been studied as the main pigeon house. The results show that this pigeon house is related to the Safavid period according to the surviving documents, which was also used in the Qajar period. This building has two floors and its plan is cylindrical and made of clay. Like other pigeon houses in other parts of Iran, the main purpose of building these pigeon houses was to produce fertilizer to strengthen agricultural lands, but industrial uses, pest eradication and even the possibility of temperature and rainfall changes should be considered. The architecture and structure of this building have a relatively single pattern and seem very simple in appearance, but the advanced engineering in their construction shows the taste, art and engineering knowledge of Iranian architects.This building has two floors and its plan is cylindrical and made of clay. Like other pigeon houses in other parts of Iran, the main purpose of building these pigeon houses was to produce fertilizer to strengthen agricultural lands, but industrial uses, pest eradication and even the possibility of temperature and rainfall changes should be considered. The architecture and structure of this building have a relatively single pattern and seem very simple in appearance, but the advanced engineering in their construction shows the taste, art and engineering knowledge of Iranian architects.

Mirza Ahmad Motavalli Bashi, nicknamed Roshan, is one of the unknown poets of the Qājār era, who for some time was in charge of the shrine of Ahmad ibn Mūsá al-Kāẓim Shāh Chérāgh (as). The importance of this holy shrine and, consequently, the position of the headship of this Āstān (threshold) has been claimed by many people throughout history. Sometimes, people appointed by kings have seized it by force. In the Safavid and Qājār eras, this position was held by the Hosseini Sharifi family, a descendant of Allama Mirsharif Jorjani. In the manuscript of Mirza Ahmad Motavalli Bashi poetry book, there are poems that express his disagreement with the person or persons over the position of the guardian of the threshold of Ḥaḍrat Shāh Chérāgh (as). This article is descriptive, analytical and based on the manuscript of Mirza Ahmad Motavalli Bashi's poetry collection has examined the issue of endowment letter of Mirza Habibaullah Sharifi, the head of Āstān in the Safavid era, and the testimonies scroll of Sādāt Dashtaki, as the claimants of the headship of this Āstān, which is registered and kept in the library of Shāh Chérāgh (as). This article also explains and concludes the hidden aspects of this dispute, including the beginning and how the dispute arose and the historical course of the appointment of each of the trustees from the Safavid era to the first Pahlavi period.

From the beginning of the advent of Islam, the art of calligraphy had a special place among Muslims. The Naskh script at first stood on a par with Kufic script, but as an incomplete Naskh known as the Old Naskh script. This script was used in the past for correspondence and ordinary writing. After the spread of Naskh script in Iran, it was accepted by calligraphers in the Islamic world and was used in all Islamic countries. From the end of the third century and the beginning of the fourth century AH, with the principles and rules that Ebn Moqla laid down and by defining the geometric shapes of the letters, Naskh script advanced beyond its primitive phase and attained such a degree of progress and beauty and was legalized; as it was used to write Qurans and prayers and religious books. The Naskh script, after evolution, was considered to be suitable for writing according to the proportion of components and was mostly used in writing the Quran and other texts, and as its name suggests, transcription of other items. Therefore, each Iranian calligrapher made innovations in their writing, and as a result, the Persian Naskh script was created. The most important feature of the Persian Naskh script is the fluency and readability, which was developed by Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi. Ahmad Ibn Shamsuddin Mohammad or Mirza Ahmad Nirizi nicknamed Soltani is one of the greatest calligraphers and scribes of the Qur'an who lived in the twelfth century AH at the end of the Safavid period. His fame and dominance in Naskh and Sols is like the fame of Mir in Nastaliq and Darvish in Shekasteh. Mirza created a new evolution and movement in the method of Naskh and Sols, which lasted until the fourteenth century AH. Neyrizi paid special attention to the way of Yaqut Mostasemi. Using his method in the Yaquti Naskh ​​style, he created a version in the Safavid period called the Persian Naskh, which later calligraphers, including Vesal Shirazi, one of the calligraphers of the thirteenth century AH in the Qajar period, made it the pattern of their work. "Abu Muhammad Shafi'i ibn Muhammad Ismail”, nicknamed Mirza Kuchak and Vesal, was born and trained in Shiraz. He was a mystic and a dervish, and although the elders of the time were eager to talk to him, he chose the isolation and spent his time to poetry and writing. He was skilled in Naskh, Nastaliq and Shekasteh, but his skill was more in the Naskh. Vesal Shirazi was able to combine the nuances and different angles of Nastaliq in his method of Naskh, which resulted in a style and form of Persian Naskh and very similar to the method of Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi. The aim is to study the characteristics in the calligraphy style of Naskh script of Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi and Vesal Shirazi, also in comparison with the calligraphy of Arabic Naskh (Ottoman). What is the structure of Iranian calligraphy in the method of Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi and what are the differences and similarities of Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi and Vesal Shirazi as the two great calligraphers of the Naskh script, in the method and style from the perspective of calligraphy principles? The research method is descriptive-analytical and data collection method is documentary and library. The samples selected for the comparison are the first pages of Quran 129 and 3337 of Astan Quds Razavi, entitled Surah Fatiha al-Kitab by Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi and Vesal Shirazi. Another issue is the stylistic study of the calligraphic structure of Persian Naskh in the methods of Neyrizi and Vesal Shirazi. The aim is to study the visual structure of the script, the features and written form of the letters and the composition of the pieces in the methods of the two mentioned artists. Expressing the differences and similarities between the Safavid and Qajar periods in the Naskh script and structural changes between these two great calligraphers (Neyrizi and Vesal) from the perspectives of layout, formation, proximity of letters and words, composition and shape changes in the Persian Naskh script reveal the necessity of the research. An overview of the two writing styles of Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi and Vesal Shirazi shows that both the calligraphers of the Safavid and Qajar periods followed the rules of calligraphy according to the writing style and Persian Naskh method. Dot, one of the principals and rules of calligraphy which was the mean of measuring the Naskh script, is measured and settled in the best way and moderation of letters and words is established by Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi. Accordingly, Neyrizi's writing style is distinct from the others. In other words, the Naskh script, which was seen as mixed and inclined to Sols script and Muhaqqaq script, converted to the Persian Naskh method by Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi using the Nastaliq script, which Iranian calligraphers, including Vesal in the Qajar period, have followed until now. The visual structure of the letters in relation to the letters, seatings, compositions and circular forms in his calligraphy has a proper arrangement. Although these rules of Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi were followed in the calligraphic structure of Vesal Shirazi method, according to the arrangement of its letters and words; But the characteristics and the inner sense of the Qajar period have also been influential in the style and structure of Vesal Shirazi calligraphy. In response to the second question, it can be said that each of the two writing methods in the works of two calligraphers showed that both have unique features in terms of letter structure. It should be noted that the cut of the pen in Neyrizi method has a lower slope than Vesal. In terms of boldness and faintness, the width of a part of the letter or word is equal to the actual width of Mirza Ahmad Neyrizi's nib, and at the end parts of the words it ends from the width of the nib to the tip of the nib, so it is more delicate than the Vesal method. Due to the movement of the nib, the Straightness and the roundness are strong in horizontal shape and weak in vertical shape, which was less observed in Mirza's pen. Blackness and whiteness in the lines which are the positive and negative atmospheres, are clearer and more explicit in the Neyrizi method than the Vesal method. Diacritic in the Neyrizi pen has a good visual balance and in the Vesal pen, it is mostly performed as an alternating beat. The location of the dots in Mirza's pen has a special coordination and they are all placed in a same direction.

In most parts of our country, especially the two hot and dry and cold and dry climates, there have been pigeon towers with different shapes and forms for keeping and breeding pigeons. Circular or square in plan, they are made of clay and brick. The purpose of this study is to identify the radiation absorption and the effect of shade on the surfaces of rural pigeon towers in Isfahan and Tabriz. The main question of the research is that “how was the reception and percentage of radiation absorption and the shade on the surfaces of pigeon towers in the hot and dry climate of Isfahan and the cold climate of Tabriz?” A case study research and descriptive-analytical approach is adopted, followed by software analysis. Four pigeon towers with different structures were selected from Tar, Kheirabad, Gort, and Zamenabad villages in Isfahan, and four from Khaljan, Taqiabad, Digbashi, and Chelehghaz villages in Tabriz. Then, they were modelled precisely in Rhinoceros5, and the absorption and percentage of radiation on the hottest day of the year, at the time interval of 13 to 16, and the effect of shading on the surfaces of pigeon towers at 15 were simulated using RADIANCE and ECOTECT engines. The results of simulations showed that the reception and percentage of sunlight on the surfaces of pigeon towers in the hot and dry climate of Isfahan and the cold and dry climate of Tabriz have a direct relationship with the area and shape of the building. In hot and dry climates, where radiation absorption is high, and more surfaces need protection from sunlight, the multi-cylinder pigeon towers with more pores and curved surfaces are the most suitable ones. On the contrary, in cold climates, cubic pigeon towers with smooth surfaces and fewer pores are better since they absorb more sunlight and receive it at an almost direct angle of 90 degrees.

Dovecotes are among the most important native buildings of Iran and Turkey. Their importance in the rich culture of the two countries cannot be overemphasized. In Iran, Isfahan province has the most dovecotes, and they belong to the Safavid and Qajar periods, and in Turkey, Central Anatolia has the most and they belong to the Ottoman period. Iranian dovecotes were built only to produce fertilizers to enrich agricultural lands; however, in addition to fertilizer production, Turkish dovecotes were used for the production of meat and gunpowder, which were sold to European countries too—in Iran, for religious and cultural reasons, hunting doves was not common and their meat was not eaten. Turkey is one of the countries where a significant number of dovecotes have been built in different types. Since the construction of these dovecotes was almost simultaneous with the emergence Iranian dovecotes, a comparative study of them in terms of distribution pattern, function, antiquity, and architectural features seems necessary. Thus, the most important research question is what the similarities and differences between Iranian and Turkish dovecotes in the last few centuries are. In addition, the purpose of this study is to investigate the importance of these buildings in Iran and Turkey with regard to political, economic, and geographical relations in the two regions and determine their role in various aspects of economic, cultural, and social life. The results show that environmental conditions have played a significant role in the establishment, diversity of form, materials used, and the purpose of building dovecotes in the two countries. Turkish dovecotes are square, rectangular, or with a circular or oval base (two parts, below and above the ground) and are made of stone or brick in rocky cliffs and away from farms. But Iranian dovecotes are generally brick, larger than the Turkish ones, and are designed in the fields of the plains and along the rivers, in circular shapes and in some cases rectangular (Golpayegan, Khansar, Khomein and Miandoab).

Dovecotes are amongst the most important Iranian native structures which are associated with agricultural economy. Isfahan province is amongst the areas which played an important role in the background and formation of dovecotes in Iranian native history. Since dovecotes of Golpayegan and Khvansar had not been studied in a historical and archeological point of view, the aim of this research is to clarify the importance of these buildings in cultural field based on political, economic and geographical relations. This study is used the historical texts along with archeological field survey. Aiming to get the above mentioned purposes, 146 dovecotes have been identified in Golpayegan and Khvansar, and then, this assemblage has been studied in terms of architecture, function, age, activity, and settlement and distribution pattern. The results show that most of these dovecotes are assessed along the Golpayegan and Khvansar rivers and generally belong to Qajar era. In terms of typology, these dovecotes had square plan which is different from cylindrical plan of Isfahan dovecotes. Other finding of this research is that dovecotes of Golpayegan and Khvansar had been used such as other dovecotes of Isfahan for production of fertilizer used for strengthening agricultural lands.

The pigeon house or pigeon tower, as the name implies, is a place for the living and offspring of the pigeons and as a kind of indigenous Iranian architecture and a functional, historical monument has gradually found its position in various parts of Iranian architecture. These monuments were initially constructed just as a very small part of a larger architectural complex with the purpose of military and security exploitation of the pigeons residing there to communicate or exchange messages and news in specific circumstances.Due to the location of a significant number of mentioned buildings in agricultural farms and the increasing risk of their destruction, it is necessary to conduct basic studies and explain their special place in the history of Iranian architecture in order to preserve and introduce them. Based on this, it seems that the mentioned buildings have been a kind of reflection of the social class and the conditions of the society around them in terms of form, structure, and dimensions. Therefore, in order to examine the relationship between architecture and the social class that governs each region, the authors have studied and classified them. In this regard, in the first stage, they have documented the mentioned works, including preparing photos, designs, required maps (plan, facade, section) and obtaining initial information from the mentioned buildings based on field visits to Dovecotes in the study area and then they have proceeded to prepare a scattering map and analysis of the architecture of the dovecotes. With the use of GIS science and its software, steps have been taken to achieve real scientific results. Based on the information obtained from the mentioned buildings and their location, the question arises that what is the relationship between different farming communities and the structure of dovecote formation? And how can this connection be explained? Given the existence of a class system governing society (master-peasant) in the Middle and Late Islamic periods, the authors plan to use archeological studies to study the formation of dovecotes in different areas, assuming that the creation of dovecotes in various dimensions and structures in different parts of the country depended on the ruling class in that region.

The relationship between man and nature is realized with his presence in the natural environment. This unavoidable relationship has undergone many changes over time and has created cultures and, numerous works such as Agriculture and its infrastructure including dovecotes accordingly. This native architecture is constructed in such a way that it doesn't hurt nature on the one hand and causes physical and meta-physical relationship between man and nature on the other hand; which gives a different definition to the life of Isfahan’s fields. Although this relationship has varied in the quality of life due to traditional agriculture change, but the remained structure of dovecotes, make it possible to return to field cycle. Therefore, this research has considered to meta-physical concepts of this architecture in relationship between man and nature, in addition to the physical aspects attended by previous researchers.Thereby, the main question is the quality of the relationship between man and nature in the Isfahan’s fields due to the presence of the dovecotes; which describes evolution of the relationship between man and nature by the passage of time and Iranian plateau through a descriptive-analytical method and further studies this relationship in the countryside fields of Isfahan. The results show that this relationship in Isfahan's fields is divided into four distinct periods in which dovecotes have a significant impact on the human interaction with nature. This native architecture indicates how the farmers of this region interact with the environment, which has led to a triangular relationship between humans, fields and dovecotes.