فصلنامه گلستان هنر
سال هفتم شماره 1 (پیاپی 21، بهار 1401)

Every garden owes its formation and life to water. Nonetheless, the relation between garden and the region where it’s been located exerts influence upon the role of water. Giving insufficient attention to region, its cultivation, causing vast demolition, changes in gardens’ formation process and not taking the differences among various types very seriously have all led to paying more attention to the interiors. Such unwelcome attention not only has brought about the demolition of historic gardens’ surroundings, but spoiled our understanding of water and qanāts (subterranean canals) as substructures of life in the vast plateau of Iran.In the present article a classic type of garden formed by qanāt has been studied, so that the role of qanāt and its relationship with the formation of garden will be revealed. First, by referring to the connection among garden, cultivation and different types of agriculture and planting, a kind of water-required agriculture in mountainous areas is introduced. The garden and district of Fin are considered an old example for this type of agriculture. Such a type is among the various ones applied in the central plateau of Iran, containing many basins. A study on the historical background of Fin and the features of the earth there demonstrates that the region is an oasis in front of an alluvial fan located on the slope of mountain. It plays a significant role in the formation of the village or habitat of Fin. In this article water sources of Kāshān and the qanāt technology have been studied briefly to show us where the origin of Fin or Solaymān spring is, and how water is transmitted to the Fin. Furthermore, historical geography resources have been examined to demonstrate that the most important features of the district have strong connections with Fin spring. The condition of the district has also been studied during the Qājār era from which accurate information is available. In this case, historical sources help the manifestation of a general picture of different elements formed in the Fin district.In order to complete the mentioned picture, the Fin spring and related hydraulic structures as well as gardens’ surroundings and farms have been studied according to aerial photos and field studies. The result of the study reveals an environmental structure composed of the original historic garden; qanāt series; other gardens including formal ones, garden-houses and fruit gardens; farms; hydraulic structures such as water partings, watermills and levees. A combination of such elements in a piece of land located on desert on the slope of mountain offers the opportunity to live in an arid area. In the last section of the article the role of water would be studied inside gardens and the related hydraulic structures. This section is relevant to the aforementioned topics as well as to qanāt water, however having a different scale. A comparison of the two scales reveals that the role of water is far beyond the garden walls, extending on the area the garden has been located on.  The results show as well that all the related elements to qanāt water and the mentioned environment are interconnected

Abdollāh Tabbākh Heravi was a 9th AH/15th AD century calligrapher who worked at the Timurid kitābatkhāneh (transcription center) in Herat. He was an apprentice of Ja’far Bāysonquri. In addition to the application of the aqlāme sitteh (the six pens), he was also fairly skilled at nasta’liq script. The climax of his artistic career coincides with uproars in Herat and consequently, the dispersal of artists from Bāysonqur’s workshop. Therefore, he could be regarded as a connection between two periods of heyday at Herat court. Today a Quranic manuscript in his handwriting is preserved in Āstāne Qods Razavi, Mashhad. This manuscript has been accomplished on the order of Alāod-dawleh, Bāysonqur’s son, and the deputy, Shāhrokh Teymuri in 845 AH/1442 AD. The present essay examines the status of Abdollāh Tabbākh Heravi in the Timurid history of calligraphy, and does so the mentioned Quran and its particular features.

The Rāhat-os-Sodur by Rāvandi is not considered an independent source of social or cultural history, and it is just regarded as a book on political history of Iran in the Seljuk period, but the character and attitudes of its author, as a literary man and an artist, has made such a work an authentic source for scholars in the social and cultural history, and particularly for those in the field of social and cultural history of Persian art.In writing the book, Rāvandi has taken some cultural, literary and artistic details into consideration, a fact mostly neglected in other related political books. In the present essay, some information about the social and cultural history of art has been gathered with a social approach from this book, and then categorized and evaluated.

Located at the old central part of Shiraz, the Jameh Mosque of the city was built under the reign of Amr-e Laith Saffari in the 3rd AH/ AD 9th century. The mosque has undergone many changes such as expansion, destruction, restoration and transformation in the course of time. The changes made to the building could not be easily distinguished. The place was as large as other famous mosques of the Islamic world in the 5th AH/ 11th AD century. In the 8th AH/ 14th AD century and at the same time with the construction of Khodāy-khāneh or Dār al-Moshaf section, it could accommodate about 1000 prayers. As iwans and other architectural organs were erected during the Safavid period, the mosque transformed into its most accomplished spatial phase, and its ornamentation increased.Besides political changes and urban development, huge earthquakes happened in Shiraz, particularly during the Qajar era, which resulted in the demolition of many buildings. The Jameh Mosque of Shiraz was no exception in these disasters.With the rise of Qajars, the mosque already bore many historical facts. Thus far, the history of the place during this period is by no means clear. Except for some few dispersed data and hints, no comprehensive study has yet been carried out on this issue. Therefore, the present essay aims to offer a coherent narrative of the mosque during the Qajar era. The objective of the research is to review documents relating to building projects done in the mosque and to give a clear view of the building in the mentioned historical epoch.Restorations and renovations made during the recent century have been so extensive that it would be difficult to search for tangible evidence; however, pictorial documents and travelers’ accounts of the place may give some insights into its former appearance and structure. Meanwhile, the role of Ebrāhim Khān Kalāntar Shirāzi, the kalantar of the city of Shiraz and later as the first grand vizier of Qajar Iran, in the process of restoration of the mosque has to be underlined.

This research, studying on typolology of buildings entrances in Kerman city; that have changed with governments changing in Iran in recent century. In beginning of recent century, buildings entrances had independent identity and character; because they were unique in passementerie and exterior display. In these dacedes, this chatacter absorption to buildings face lifting and density. Below items, show reasons of these changing in content structure:1. Cultural- cosial influences:Militarism urbanism in Kerman have made several street in ancient content. 2. Economical influences:Economical changing in these years cause to changed managers and people taste in urbanism. 3. Temporal influences:Forget of fringes, believes, behaviors, traditions, cultures and … in our young age, cause to forgot saves and mimicrying. 4. New landuses influences:New social changing have overthrowed Kerman architecture and urbanism. 5. Spatial structure influences:Contemporary urbanism in Kerman is against of ancient approach. This article is trying to indentification different valuable buildings entrances and present these characteristics.

At the Central Library of the University of Tehran there is a manuscript (No. 2934) titled The Collected Works by Esmā’il Kāshef Esfahāni. In the manuscript there is a written work under the title of “a draft written by Master Ali-Akbar Me’mār to one of his acquaintances”. A poet and tile-maker from the Safavid era, Kāshef Esfahāni was the son of an architect called Master Heydar. The former (999-1082 AH/ AD 1591-1671) lived during the reigns of Shah Abbas I, Shah Safi, Shah Abbas II and Shah Sulayman. The extant draft in the manuscript was produced by a personage known as Master Ali-Akbar, the architect. He wrote the letter to his cousin. It was probably a response to a former angry letter drafted by the cousin on the issue of claiming inheritance left by Ali-Akbar’s aunt. In this letter the master has pointed to his services to three Safavid rulers as well as to making various buildings, including mosques, schools and monasteries (houses for dervishes). Who is Master Ali-Akbar? We know a famous architect from this period, known as Ali-Akbar Esfahāni, the builder of the Abbāsi Great Mosque, whose name was inscribed there. He was probably the chief architect of Shah Safi’s court and the artisan who managed to accomplish the mosque during the reign of the mentioned ruler. Master Ali-Akbar Me’mār in the above-mentioned Collected Works was in all probability the same as Master Ali-Akbar Esfahāni, the builder and architect of the Abbāsi Great Mosque. The letter would provide us with some new information about the master and his historical personage.