Yazd is a historical city that has the oldest residential buildings. It was a large government center exhibiting glory and prosperity in the 77-year period of Muzaffarid rule. In the Safavid era as well, Yazd saw an increase in residential construction due to the governing sense of security and peace in the city. One of the integral parts of houses built then was the courtyard, many diverse types of which remain from that period. The evolution of the courtyard represents the practical and theoretical transformations of architectural thought. The diversity of house forms during that period and the chronology and evolution of the courtyard from the Muzaffarid to the Safavid era are the inquiries of this research. This research uses historical documents as well as field studies. The analytical-historical method is employed and the main historical sources include Tarikh-e Yazd and Tarikh-e jadid-e Yazd (for the Muzaffarid era) as well as Jame‘e Mofidi and Jame‘e Ja‘fari (for the Safavid era). First, the characteristics of the houses in the historical texts are explained and then, the architecture of existing houses is briefly introduced. Then, a comparative study of the physical aspects of the courtyards is completed in the form of quantitative reports. The findings show that during the Muzaffarid era, three types of courtyards were used: inner courtyard, khalf-e-bagh, and sarabostan (a small garden that was built next to old houses and had a great impact on the microclimate). In the Safavid era, the inner courtyard and sarabostan continued to exist but the khalf-e-bagh courtyards were not built anymore. Finally, it can be said that the design of courtyards in the Safavid garden houses is a continuation and upgrade of the model of Muzaffarid sarabostan and harmonious with the design of the Muzaffarid garden houses.

Since Yazd, Iran, which was a significant part of the country, was protected from the deliberate destruction of the Mongols during Muzaffarids era, it can be expected that there have been continuous construction activities in this area since the Seljuq era. Especially considering the specific political field, a special local style called Muzaffarid or according to Donald Wilber "Yazd school" under the influence of Muzaffarid rulers can be identified and introduced in this field. The purpose of this article is determining the spatial quality of Sarabostan in the architecture of Muzaffarid-Timurid houses in Yazd region. In this study, the oldest houses that have been registered and identified so far have been cited along with historical texts. Considering the insufficient Ilkhanate houses in other parts of Iran and the number of historical references to the house in the historical text of Yazd and also lack of enough research in this field, this article discusses the importance and position of Sarabostan in the residential architecture of Muzaffarid era. The present study tries to recognize the residential architecture in the Muzaffarid era by combining interpretive-historical methods and study of examples and relying on library-documentary studies, as well as examining and analyzing the house-garden architecture of this period. The results of library research show that Sarabostan is seen frequently and in different forms in the historical texts of the Ilkhanate-Timurid era of Yazd. Researches show that in accordance with the existing house-gardens and historical texts of Yazd, three types of Sarabostan have been identified. The first category includes houses with a pit- wooded land garden that is combined with the porch. The second category includes houses that have a small garden called "Behind the garden" (Khalfe Bagh). This category has two subspecies, the first one is included four- Iwan (porch chamber) houses with Khalfe Bagh and the second one includes Ilkhanate houses with a back garden.

The Muzaffarid is one of the most important historical periods, which brought glory and prosperity for Yazd as well as providing peace and stability in the region for half a century. Construction of various structures and residential buildings flourished during this period, which their structural decorations and architectural ornamentations styles and techniques were diverse and demanding. However, not much research has been conducted in this respect and thus the present study aims investigate and elucidate the place of architectural decoration styles of this period through a historical and descriptive approach. The research was conducted via two steps; first, the historical data were collected from related historical documents and manuscripts; and second, the data and their documentation were provided via field studies based on the previously collected data for the final analysis. The present study seeks to address the following research questions that what are the commonly applied decorative styles in the houses of Muzaffarid period. Then what are the properties and dimensions of these decorative styles in the houses found in both urban and rural fabric in the region. Finally, what is the place and state of these decorative styles in residential architectural of Muzaffarid period. Based on the results several styles of decorations such as mud decorations, ‘TONGBORI’, stucco works as well as decorative corbel vaults, murals etc. are applied in the surveyed residences. Construction of some of these decorative styles was quite simple and primary by ordinary construction tools that are still visible in some houses. However, there are other complex decorations, which have demanded a certain delicacy and elegance in the few instances manifesting the social status of the owner or the importance of that village or the town. The mud work decorations with their unique implementation techniques were the most commonly used decorative element in the houses of this region during this period, which can be used as an indicator for evaluating the significance of the structure.

Architects and artists have long been fascinated by the use of geometric decorations in the construction of buildings, especially religious buildings. In this paper, we have tried to compare some of the landmark designs of the two buildings of Kerman Jami Mosque (755 AH) and Yazd Jami Mosque (724 AH). Kerman Grand Mosque is one of the 700-year-old four-porch mosques that have a lofty entrance, courtyard, porch and nave. Its construction began in (705 AH) by the order of Amir Mobaraz al-Din Mohammad Mozaffari Meybodi, the head of the Mozaffari dynasty, which ended at the end of 755 AH. Inspired by Sassanid architecture, its eastern entrance was destroyed by the firing of Agha Mohammad Khan and was later repaired. Yazd Jami Mosque has been built in the style of a porch in the heart of the desert during a century (the 6th century AH) in different historical periods, the most important of which are Ilkhanid, Safavid, Timurid, Al-Muzaffar and Qajar. Over time, it was built by several founders, but the main foundations of the mosque were built by the Sassanids. The current building of this mosque is considered to be Azeri architecture in two seasons. The purpose of this study is to expand the field of recognizing and introducing the cultural resources of our country through analysis and introduction of geometric patterns of these two buildings according to the subtleties hidden in the geometric patterns used in these mosques as well as discovering the mystery hidden in them. The questions we are trying to answer are 1- how to define the criteria of the geometric patterns of these two mosques by comparing the geometric patterns used in the comprehensive mosques of Kerman and Yazd? 2- Considering the restoration, reconstruction and annexation of parts to the buildings of both Yazd and Kerman mosques, what are the most important stylistic features preserved in the geometric designs of both mosques during different historical periods? Using descriptive-analytical method and conducting library research in the field of architectural arrays of these two buildings and field research, this study has evaluated and comparatively compared the geometric patterns of these two buildings of the Iranian architectural index. The method of data collection is documentary and based on visual field research (photography), and according to the value of observations, perceptual mapping method has been used to explain the visual stages. The research findings show that considering the precedence of construction of Yazd Jami Mosque over Kerman Jami Mosque, the possibility of modeling and adopting this mosque by the artists of Kerman Jami Mosque seems reasonable. The construction of both the Yazd and the Kerman mosques did not only include a historical period, but also different periods. Each of these two parts has been built over time by several founders. The Ilkhanid, Timurid, Muzaffarid, Safavid and the Qajar governments have played a role in completing parts of these two buildings, but Zandieh-era motifs are visible in the entirety of the Kerman Jami Mosque. The main features of the designs in the Yazd Jami Mosque are mostly based on patriarchal and Timurid features. The predominant style of geometric designs in the Kerman Jami Mosque is Ilkhanid and Muzaffarid. The geometric designs of Yazd and Kerman Jami Mosques have differences and similarities, among which there are many more similarities than the differences that can be considered as the common spirit of their geometric designs. Since both mosques were built in different periods, one cannot expect a geometric pattern from a historical period in both mosques. But it is interesting that the main spirit and essence of the geometric designs of both patriarchal mosques, the Ilkhanid essence, in later periods with the knowledge that has reached them from previous masters has been preserved. Subsequent masters have tried to present harmony and unity with the previous designs and have practically followed in their footsteps. And the observer of these geometric patterns practically does not notice the inconsistency in the patterns which is the result of obvious differences in design. If we want to evaluate the geometric designs of these two buildings in terms of style, the Yazd Jami Mosque is more inspired by patriarchal and Timurid architecture, which is close to the Azeri style, and in terms of geometric designs is more "logical and complex" than the Kerman Jami Mosque. On the other hand, the geometric designs of the Kerman Jami Mosque are mostly inspired by patriarchal and Muzaffarid architecture. Moreover, in terms of form indicators, geometric patterns are valuable examples in the field of "expression of emotional states" in form and color.

The entrance is the pivot between the inside and the outside, where the communication between the two is regulated. The northern entrance of the Muzaffarid Madressa has been introduced as one of the ten entrances of the Isfahan Jame Mosque. The entrance space is part of a complex Muzaffarids structure; due to numerous changes and adaptations, what can be seen today is an ambiguous space. The aim of this research is to shed a new light on the ambiguity surrounding this space and understand its past historic developments using precise field surveys, the analysis of existing structures, the study of related texts, and a comparative approach. The findings of this study indicate that compared to the nine other entrances of the Jame Mosque, and based on the existing evidence, elements such as pishtaq, portal, door, corridor and vestibule are missing here. There are also several other openings as well as a pair of stairs in the adjacent outer walls; and the distance between this entrance and the northern passageway of the mosque include evidence indicating that this space has changed over time, from an internal connection to an external gateway associated with the northern passageway.

The Jami‘ Mosque of Bam has gone through a long process of transformations including restoration, reconstruction, and renovation.  Much of these works were hidden inside the physical form until the earthquake of 2003 uncovered important structures, among them, the original portal and the flanking twin minarets. These findings question the previously accepted timeline for the mosque and pose new questions that had not been discussed previously. The objective of this paper is to introduce the original form of the portal and locating its modifications on the timeline of the mosque according to a descriptive-analytical method. On the basis of remaining evidence such as architectural remnants, mudbrick sizes, the height of imposts, the thickness of the flanking pillars, and the diameter of the minarets’ shafts, the entrance portal is dated to the fourteenth century AD, very similar to other Muzaffarid and Timurid portals that are high and lofty.

Regarding the weighty role of wars on the formulation of mankind's life history, the investigation of the effects and consequences of wars on the people's social life is of great importance for obtaining an exact and inclusive knowledge of the social history. Taking a descriptive-analytical approach and relying on first-hand resources and reliable research, the present paper thus aimed at investigating the effects and consequences of the wars on people's social life during the Muzaffarids (713-795 AH). The findings indicate that factors such as deranged military and political atmosphere of the eight century AH, rivalry of members of the Muzaffarids over power, challenges of the Muzaffarids with peripheral local sates, and the attacks of some tribes on the Muzaffarids led to the emergence and continuation of numerous domestic and foreign wars in this era. These wars had considerable impacts and consequences on people's social life within the Muzaffarid territory including massacre, population reduction, looting and destruction, economic effects such as increased poverty and starvation, unemployment, depression, income detraction, moral degradation, decline of cultural values, distressing thought, disappointment and despair of people, growth of Sufism, increasing interest in Sufi khanqahs, flourishing fatalism and as a result weakening of philosophical foundations and the growth of superstitions.

After the inscription of the historical city of Yazd on the world heritage list in 2017, more emphasis was put on the preservation of historical monuments within its urban structure. Simultaneously, more effort was made to carry out different types of monitoring to protect the authenticity of historical monuments. This study, using a qualitative and interpretative approach, researches the role of historical monitoring as a method to assess the authenticity of the architectural revetments of Seyyed Rokn ad-Din Madrasa (or Rukniyya), which is one of the most important monuments of this city. The history of interventions based on the principles of world heritage preservation as well as the history of deteriorating factors that altered the building is documented in this research. For this, after defining the concept of historical monitoring, this paper documents the damages, repairs, and interventions that occurred in the Rukniyya. Content analysis of these documents was carried out to identify the risk critical points and finally to draw the timeline of the restorations of the architectural revetments to assess their authenticity. According to these documents, significant damages in the Rukniyya include cracks, structural damages caused by the digging of wells in the periphery of the building and the subsequent moisture, and termite activity inside the building. Outside, the destruction of the main arch of the iwan, structural interventions, and the falling of dome tiles due to natural conditions specifically on its western side are among the major damages. The damaging factors should be considered in terms of activity levels in future conservation plans. For the purpose of authenticity assessment, the findings of the investigation differentiate authentic parts from later alterations in this building. The inner shell of the dome, the end wall of the iwan, and the tile inscription on the dome stem are materially authentic and date from the Muzaffarid period. The motifs and material components of the iwan and its facade as well as the tiles on the outer shell of the dome are interventions of the past fifty years. These parts were reconstructed based on the architectural style of the fourteenth century, imitating the tilework patterns in the Shahab ad-Din Qassem Madrasa, Shamsiyyeh Madrasa, and the Jame‘ Mosque of Yazd. The purpose of such interventions was to preserve the physical and functional features of the building and improve its legibility. Although the reconstructed and renovated parts are interesting in terms of restoration works, they do not have historical or archeological value and cannot be referenced as Muzaffarid-style artwork. The findings of the study show that two separate conservation plans are required for each of these two parts of the building providing clear and transparent decisions.

Zoroastrians as the followers of an ancient religion are still living in Iran, India and other countries despite historical changes. They are called Zoroastrian in Iran and Parsi in India.Recognizing their cultural and social status at present and past requires historical studies and researches. To do this, views of travellers and officials commissioned in Iran are of great importance. In the Qajar period especially under Nasir ud Din Shah and Muzaffar ud Din Shah, most of these travellers and officials while speaking about cultural and social maters in Iran, have expressed their own ideas about Zoroastrians. In this article these ideas as well as the causes of often positive approaches to the Zoroastrians have been studied.

Various ideas can be found about the date of construction and the function of portal and twin minarets of Abarkouh so that some researchers consider it as the door way of Nizamieh mosque whereas others consider it as a part of a great complex. However, there are ambiguities about the history and function of this monument. The main questions of this paper are about these two points. Afshar has attributed this monument to Nizam-ol-Molk-e Abarqui, a famous writer of Abarkooh in 14th century. Considering inscriptions of other monuments in the region and comparing with historical documents, this paper aims to reveal some points about the history and function of the destroyed monument to which this portal belongs. Moreover, the structure and decorations of the portal have been compared with other historical twin minarets. Regarding the lack of dated inscription on the portal, main evidence is the inscription of Biroon mosque near Abarkouh which has implications about the constructions near the portal. Finally, it has been revealed that the monument can be part of a mosque related to Tavousieh shrine. Comparing decorations and structure of this monument with other similar twin minarets in Persian architecture (like Qiyasiyeh in Qom and Oshtorgan mosque), it can be attributed to 14th century and to the son of Nizam-ol-Molk-e Abarqui who was a courtier of Shah Shoja’ (Muzaffarid dynasty) as his patron