Re-interpreting the Archetypes of Plaster Miḥrābs in the Grand Mosque of Tabriz; A Gift from the Ilkhanate Era

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Elham Jafari ¹
• Hassan sattari Sarbangholi ²
• Mohammadreza Pakdel Fard ³

¹ PhD candidate of architecture, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz, Iran

² Associate Professor, Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch, Tabriz, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz branch, Tabriz, Iran

10.22067/jhistory.2023.81664.1216

Abstract

The city of Tabriz, a significant city with valuable monuments and historical sites, has had a major impact on the preservation and continuity of Iran’s historical and cultural richness. It possesses numerous archetypes. One is the Grand Mosque of Tabriz, with its historical Miḥrāb and valuable ornaments dating back to the Ilkhanate era. This article investigates the patterns and inscriptions on this historical site in order to re-interpret the existing archetypes with the aim of using them as tools for connecting future social groups. After conducting a study of library resources and field research (especially photography using the descriptive-analytical method) the archetypes observed in the Miḥrāb decorations were classified into seven categories according to the painter, visual aspects, concepts, etc. The seven categories include: Humanistic, natural, situational, numerical, geometric, corporeal, and animalistic archetypes. The information was recorded in charts and analyzed accordingly. Among the geometric mandala and spiral archetypes, numerous types of patterns were used, making it impossible to count the number of repetitions for each type. In addition, the archetypes of tree and heaven are entwined within the entire Miḥrāb design, considering botanical patterns as well.

Keywords

• archetypes
• semiotics
• decorations
• Miḥrāb
• The Grand Mosque of Tabriz
• Ilkhanate era

Main Subjects

• History of Islamic Arts

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