Articles

Madrasa in Iran and Baghdad under the Saljuqs

 Madrasa, an Arabic word, taken from darasa, means a place where dars (lesson) is taught. Today, madreses are intended for children before they go to university and include schools where multiple kinds of lessons are taught. Medieval schools dedicated to religious studies were called madarsas.…
Tuesday, 28 February 2023

Chehel Dokhtar Tower in the Shadow of Damghan Shrines

One of the main issues of Iranian art and architecture is the presence of numerous towers with various names and functions throughout the country. Despite being obsolete in the context of modern heterogeneous architecture, these towers provide a fascinating glimpse into the dark angles of medieval…
Wednesday, 04 June 2014

Toghrol Towers and the Symbolic Function of the Iranian Medieval Architecture

The Iranian towers that flourished in the Saljuq era (1037-1194) are glorious symbols of medieval times. This article attempts to explore the functions of Iranian towers in medieval times with respect to Toghrol towers in Ray and Mehmandust. Regardless of their usage in astronomy and…
Thursday, 26 June 2014

Tarikhane Mosque, Its Holiness and Continuity of Function

Muslim conquests of Iran led to changes not only in political constitutions, but also in cultural structures. Associating with different religious structures, Islam brought about many social changes in the lives of Iranian people. Transformations in the functions of many social monuments are the inevitable…
Friday, 25 July 2014

Kabutarkhana, Its beautiful Structure and Economic Function

Kabutarkhana (the nest of pigeons) is one of the most prominent Iranian medieval towers dating back to pre-Islamic times (Mirzaie, 2003, p. 132). Kabutarkhana was mainly located in plains with mild temperatures beside rivers, canals, and aqueducts. The farther we got from the plains, the…
Monday, 01 September 2014

Coexistence of Mysticism, Shia and Sunni in Mausoleums of Bayazid and Sheikh Zahid

The structure of Iranian medieval thought was changed by passing through different places for a long time. However, the nature of thought did not change, and so it is the fixed and relatively stable characteristics of these streams of thought that lead historians to analyze…
Monday, 13 October 2014